NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Real Housewives’ stars plead not guilty

NEWARK, N.J.

Two stars of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a host of federal fraud charges.

Teresa and Guiseppe “Joe” Giudice made their pleas in U.S. District Court after passing through a gauntlet of news media outside the courthouse. Neither spoke during the five-minute court proceeding, and their pleas were entered by their respective attorneys.

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas set a trial date of Oct. 8.

The Giudices were charged last month in a 39-count indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications and bankruptcy fraud.

The couple is accused of exaggerating their income while applying for loans before their show debuted in 2009, then hiding their fortunes in a bankruptcy filing after their first season aired.

They are also accused of submitting fraudulent mortgage and loan applications and fabricating tax returns and W2 forms.

Prosecutors allege Joe Giudice also failed to file federal tax returns from 2004 to 2008.

Finally, a female becomes a Wiggle

NEW YORK

A little girl growing up today has no shortage of strong female role models — senators and presidential candidates, CEOs and astronauts, governors and secretaries of state.

And now, a female Wiggle.

Emma Watkins, the first woman to join The Wiggles — a sort of Australian fab four of the preschool set — is making her U.S. debut, kicking off a nationwide tour in Philadelphia on Saturday and starring in new episodes of “Ready, Steady, Wiggle!” on Sprout on Aug. 19.

In the Crayola-coded Wiggles world, Emma is the Yellow Wiggle, and on early portions of the tour in Australia and Canada, she attracted enough tiny yellow clones with enormous bows on their heads that they called it the Mini-Emma Army.

Reality star dies

new orleans

Gia Allemand, who was the girlfriend of NBA Pelicans player Ryan Anderson and appeared on ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “Bachelor Pad,” has died, her publicist said Wednesday. She was 29.

Allemand was taken Monday to University Hospital in New Orleans after an apparent suicide attempt, the publicist, Penelope Jean Hayes, said in a written statement.

Allemand was taken off life support Wednesday because of “a critical loss of brain and organ function, and life support was withdrawn.”

Vindicator wire reports