Teresa Giudice Released From Prison: Friends, Family React

The mom of four walked out of the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn., just after 5 a.m., her lawyer told People.

The Real Housewives star had her first taste of freedom in almost 11 months as she was driven from prison by her lawyer on Wednesday morning. She began serving her sentence in January and is being released early thanks to good behavior, Giudice’s attorney, James Leonard, told ABC News.

“‘Merry Christmas. Happy New Year….all of you should go be with your families and your loved ones, ‘” he relayed on her behalf.

A brand new Lexus wrapped in a giant red bow was also waiting in the family’s driveway. “She made us wait an hour … to do her hair”, he says of going to visit her in prison. The couple has four girls – Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana.

Giudice and her husband Joe both pleaded guilty in March 2014 to numerous federal fraud charges.

According to Teresa’s former crisis manager Wendy Feldman, the star was given a housing assignment in a cubicle, a far cry from her $US4 million ($5.5 million) mansion.

See you at Christmas Eve dinner! “But she’s really looking forward to being home being with her husband and being with her children [for the holidays], 100 percent”.

The family will spend Christmas together before Joe starts his own prison sentence. “She’s getting along with inmates and staff”, he explained.

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Whether or not Teresa will make a major comeback on the reality show, no one can confirm yet up to this writing.