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Court records showed Jo-Ellen Tiberi’s bankruptcy filing and $60,000 debt in 2014, before she married Gary Tiberi. In the premiere season of Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Jo-Ellen has talked in depth about her co-star Rulla Pontarelli’s husband Brian Pontarelli, concerning his alleged ongoing affair.
In an early episode, Jo-Ellen accused Brian of trying to get her fired in retaliation for discussing his infidelity. Brian denied it, but he admitted to having a phone call with her boss. As of now, Rulla and Jo-Ellen are still at odds.
According to The U.S. Sun, Jo-Ellen filed for bankruptcy and declared over $60k in debt in 2014.
The outlet obtained court documents showing that she claimed $6,425 in total assets against $61,849.34 in liabilities. Jo-Ellen said she was unemployed at the time, with her newborn son as her dependent.
She claimed she earned $28,262 in 2012 and $21,889 in 2013. When she filed in 2014, she said she’d made $5,555.66 so far that year. Her monthly income, which came entirely from SNAP food stamp benefits, was listed as $194. But her monthly expenses were $1,375.
According to the filing, she had $25 in cash on her person, but nothing in her checking account. In savings bonds, she had $200. Her household goods were worth $5,000, her clothing was $1,000, and her costume jewelry was $200.
The repossession of Jo-Ellen’s 2013 BMW 328i xDrive Sedan was the biggest hit on her credit. The vehicle was repossessed in August of 2014, which was two months before her bankruptcy filing.
She apparently owed $41,307.88 as a deficiency balance to a lender, and the debt was listed among her unsecured creditors in the filing.
Apart from the car debt, she also owed five more creditors: $5,136.36 concerning a line of credit to Citizens, $210.47 in overdraft to Citizens, $3,860 for a Discover card, $4,946 to Nordstrom, and $6,388.63 for US Bank.
Jo-Ellen’s debts were discharged in the middle of 2015, and the case was closed. She and Gary tied the knot in 2016.
New episodes of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island air on Sunday nights on Bravo.