Palm Beach County Sheriff Jules Wainstein
Jules Wainstein, the former reality TV star who appeared on season 8 of The Real Housewives of New York City in 2016, was arrested in Florida after police said she assaulted her ex-husband.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office inmate records, Wainstein faces one battery charge. She was arrested on January 23, 2020, and spent the night behind bars before being released on her own recognizance.
Wainstein has been living in Boca Raton, Florida. She told Bravo in October 2019 she was staying with her mother until the divorce was finalized.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Jules Wainstein Was Accused of Punching Her Ex-Husband In the Face & Hitting His Car With a Bat
Jules Wainstein in 2017
Jules Wainstein and her ex-husband, Michael Wainstein, arranged to meet in Palm Beach County for a custody exchange on February 23. The former couple argued in the parking lot and the situation escalated.
Jules Wainstein was accused of damaging her ex’s vehicle with a baseball bat before punching him in the face. Their two children were in the vehicle, Page Six reported.
2. Wainstein Was Ordered to Stay Away From Her Ex-Husband & Is Prohibited From Possessing Any Weapons
Palm Beach CountyJules Wainstein
Jules Wainstein was arrested and booked into jail shortly after police said she assaulted her former husband. She and Michael Wainstein appeared in court the following day.
Palm Beach County court records show the judge allowed Wainstein to be released from custody without needing to post a bond. Michael Wainstein requested a no-contact order, which the judge granted. The judge also barred Jules Wainstein from possessing any weapons while the case proceeds.
The former couple’s two children are staying with their father in the meantime. His attorney, Morghan Richardson, told PEOPLE, “This is a serious situation reflecting Ms. Wainstein’s increasingly reckless behavior that unfortunately took place in front of the kids… He is most concerned about protecting them.”
3. Jules Wainstein Is Being Represented By a Public Defender
During the initial court hearing on February 24, the judge found Jules Wainstein to be “indigent.” That means she was deemed unable to afford an attorney and was therefore assigned a public defender.
Wainstein’s arraignment was set for March 16. She is facing a charge of domestic battery. The charge is defined under the Florida legal code:
“Actually and intentionally touches or strikes another person against the will of the other; or Intentionally causes bodily harm to another person.”
If convicted, Wainstein could face up to a year behind bars, up to a year of probation, and/or $1,000 in fines. A national search of online records does not immediately bring up any previous arrests or convictions against the former reality star.
4. Michael Wainstein Filed For Divorce In 2016 & Was Ordered to Pay $10,000 Per Month to Jules
Michael Wainstein filed for divorce in July 2016. The couple separated after Jules accused him of cheating on her. The tension played out on-camera during the one season Jules Wainstein was a cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City.
Michael Wainstein had an estimated net worth of several million dollars as of 2016. While Jules was on the reality show, her bio noted that her husband worked as a principal at the Private Capital Group, a wealth management firm. He was not listed on the firm’s website as of this writing.
Despite that estimated net worth, Michael Wainstein insisted early on in the divorce proceedings that he could not afford large spousal and child support payments. In September 2016, a New York judge ordered him to pay Jules $10,000 per month. His attorney argued he did not have income and his credit cards had been frozen, TMZ reported.
He evidently had trouble making the $10,000 payments because, in June 2017, Michael Wainstein was cited for failing to pay $135,000 in child support. At the time, he accused Jules of wasting the payments he did sent to her, as opposed to using the money to care for their two young children.
5. Wainstein Is Not the First RHONY Castmate Arrested In Palm Beach
Jules Wainstein is not the only Real Housewives of New York City reality star to spend time behind bars in Palm Beach County. Longtime castmate Luann de Lesseps was arrested on December 23, 2017, and faces charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest with violence. Video of her arrest and confrontation with a police officer went viral.
De Lesseps’ struggle with sobriety, as well as the legal drama, was documented on the reality show in the subsequent seasons. In May 2019, de Lesseps was briefly detained in Palm Beach County again for violating her probation.
READ NEXT: Lisa Parigi, Lionel Richie’s Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts