Thomas Lippolis: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Toms River Police/Getty

Thomas Lippolis dated Jennifer Farley, aka JWoww of “Jersey Shore” fame, about ten years ago. The couple had a tumultuous relationship that played out in part in front of the MTV cameras. They eventually broke up and she went on to marry Roger Mathews, with whom she has two children. (They are currently going through a divorce).

Much of Farley’s life has been documented for reality TV. But police said 32-year-old Lippolis threatened to reveal previously unknown secrets about his ex-girlfriend. Farley reported the threat to police in New Jersey and Lippolis is now facing an extortion charge.

Farley released a statement to Entertainment Tonight about the arrest:

“I would like to applaud the Toms River Police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for their professionalism, expedited response time and unwavering attention to detail that resulted in an immediate arrest after I was the target of a serious crime. I feel fortunate to have the support of law enforcement of this caliber by my side, which has thankfully kept me and my children safe from those who have sought to victimize me.”

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Police: Lippolis Threatened to Reveal Secrets About His Ex-Girlfriend & Contacted Farley’s Publicist to Demand Payment in Exchange for Keeping Quiet

The case was being handled by the Toms River Police Department, located in Ocean County, New Jersey. According to investigators, Lippolis got in touch with Farley’s publicist over the phone.

He reportedly threatened to divulge secrets about Farley to the media. Police did not speculate as to what information Lippolis threatened to reveal, or whether he was simply making something up.

Police said Lippolis demanded $25,000 from Farley to ensure his silence. This was relayed to Farley, who reported the threat to police on December 17, 2018.

2. Police Arrested Lippolis & Charged Him With Third-Degree Extortion

The Toms River Police Department opened an investigation into the allegations on December 19, 2018. They arrested Tom Lippolis the same day.

He has been charged with third-degree extortion. Under New Jersey law, a person can be convicted of extortion if he or she threatens to “expose or publicize any secret or any asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to impair his credit or business repute.”

If convicted, an extortion charge could mean a prison sentence.

3. Farley Filed a Police Report Against Lippolis in 2010; She Accused Him of Robbery

Jennifer Farley and Thomas Lippolis had a year-long relationship that began sometime in 2009. MTV cameras recorded some drama in their relationship during the filming of “Jersey Shore.”

In August of 2010, Farley accused Lippolis of stealing her belongings when he moved out of the home they shared. Nassau County police confirmed at the time that Farley had filed a police report.

Farley spoke about the incident on the radio show “Opie and Anthony” in 2011, which you can watch in the video above. She accused Lippolis of leaving her dogs in the house alone for three days after he moved out. Lippolis claimed that everything he took from the house belonged to him.

But Farley said that could not possible be true, because Lippolis returned some of her items to the police station. She said two of the items taken included a $22,000 watch and her computer hard drive. The watch was damaged when she got it back and Farley said the hard drive had been wiped.

The trouble between the two did not end there. According to Life & Style, Lippolis later sued Farley, claiming she owed him $700,000 because he had reportedly done work for her as a manager. NBC News also reported in 2011 that Farley won an injunction against Lippolis to stop him from releasing nude pictures of her.

In 2011, Lippolis accused Farley of domestic assault in an interview with Star magazine. He alleged that Farley had stabbed him with a knife during an argument and that he required dozens of stitches. But he never reported the alleged incident to police.

4. Lippolis Told RadarOnline That He Had to Watch Farley Cheat On Him When ‘Jersey Shore’ Aired

Fans of “Jersey Shore” will remember that in the first season, Farley and Pauly D started the season by showing a lot of affection toward each other. They were filmed flirting and kissing. At the time, Farley and Lippolis had reportedly begun dating fairly recently.

Lippolis spoke about the incident in an interview with RadarOnline in 2011. He told the website, “The first time I found out that she cheated on me I was in a room full of friends and family. We were watching the premiere of the first show… I actually walked out of the house and sat in my car for a while trying to figure out what I was doing at that point, but she convinced me to stay with her because we were only dating two weeks when that happened.”

Farley was accused of cheating again with future husband Roger Matthews. Farley denied that accusation in MTV interviews.

5. Lippolis Works in Project Management & Lives in New Jersey

Tom Lippolis has remained in New Jersey, according to his Instagram page, which has now been deactivated. The pictures were private, but he wrote on the profile page that he is a “techno enthusiast” and included the caption, “Never lie about things that seem unimportant, or it makes the more important things seem less believable.”

Lippolis works in project management for a company in Keyport, New Jersey, according to his Linkedin profile. The page lists that between December 2009 and December 2011, he was the President of “Woww Resources LLC” and was Farley’s manager. He wrote in the description “Celebrity & Talent Management, Branding, PR, Marketing Firm responsible for the exclusive management of JWOWW of MTV’s Jersey shore for the first three installments.”