Teresa Giudice Released From Prison: Friends, Family React

Giudice received a lot of welcome home messages.

ByABC News
December 23, 2015, 10:37 AM

— -- Early this morning, reality star Teresa Giudice was released from prison after spending 11 months at a federal correctional institution in Danbury, Connecticut.

The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star was picked up by her lawyer at 5:01 a.m. and taken to her home in Montville, New Jersey.

Immediately after, messages of support started to come in on social media for the star and businesswoman.

"Welcome home @Teresa_Giudice!" friend and colleague Andy Cohen tweeted.

Fellow "Housewife" Tamara Judge wrote on Facebook: "So happy that she gets to spend the holidays with her family, has to the best Christmas gift ever her children."

Gia, one of Giudice's four daughters, tweeted "welcome back."

Giudice, 43, pleaded guilty last year to tax fraud and was released ahead of her sentence of 15 months for good behavior, her attorney James Leonard told ABC News.

Giudice's husband Joe is set to begin his 41-month prison sentence in March. The couple has four girls -- Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana.

"She's going to get to spend Christmas with her family and get back to her life," Leonard told ABC News a few days ago.