Hide Your Purses! Teresa Giudice Is Out of Prison #RHONJ

As reported, Teresa Giudice snuck out of prison in the wee hours of Wednesday morning to avoid being photographed. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star was released from Danbury Federal Prison in Connecticut after serving 11 1/2 months of a 15-month sentence for various fraud charges. 

“She is thrilled that she is finally going home,” a source close to the reality star tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Giudice was released at 5:01 am EST, her lawyer, James J. Leonard, Jr. tells PEOPLE. “She is free.”

Upon Giudice’s release she will be on home confinement until February 5.

The fallen reality star was found guilty of fraud charges and sentenced to 15 months in jail in October of 2014. 

“Prison was tough for her,” says the source, “but she made the best of it.”

As reported, Melissa Gorga, Teresa, Joe and their daughters will spend Christmas Eve at her house this year. Melissa revealed what’s going to be on the menu at the Gorga’s very festive Christmas Eve dinner to Bravo’s Daily Dish,

“We’re gonna be at my house for Christmas Eve. We’re excited. We’re gonna do [The Feast of the] Seven Fishes; we’re gonna do all the fish. It should be fun. The kids are excited [for] a big Italian Christmas Eve. We’re gonna be all together on Christmas Eve, so it’s a beautiful thing.”

We’re confident Bravo cameras will be on hand to capture the fake joyous occasion.

Melissa is certainly letting bygones be bygones for the holidays,

“I think Christmas is just always so nice. It’s just a sweet time, especially this year it’s such a blessing that everyone can be together for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So I think that love is in the air,” Melissa said. “It’s just a time to come together with family. Everyone knows that the holidays are the time when people come together.”

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