"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice was recently forced to undergo a strip search, after jail guards became suspicious she might be hiding contraband.

According to Radar Online, the whole incident began back in May, when Giudice tweeted to fans, "Thank you everyone for all the cards, letters and kind words of support. I love, love, love you all."

The post set off alarms among jail officials because Giudice has had limited access to e-mail, even though there is no Internet access at the Danbury Correctional facility where she is serving out her 15-month sentence on bank fraud-related charges.

It was later revealed that Giudice's teenage daughter Gia had actually posted the message for her mom, but for a while, jail officials suspected Giudice may have somehow broken the rules in order to gain her own Internet access.

"Prison officials descended into Teresa's cell while she was sleeping," a source said. "It was a full shakedown because guards believed she had a cell phone."

According to the source, during a subsequent search, Giudice's cell and those of other inmates were completely raided, and the "Real Housewives" star was even subjected to a "full search, including the dreaded bended over and coughing."

Word is Giudice tried explaining to guards that it was actually her daughter who tweeted the post for her, but none of that seemed to matter until guards had completed their mission.

More recently, Giudice held an impromptu viewing party for her family's new "Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In" spin-off reality show. In the Bravo series, Giudice makes special appearances via jailhouse phone calls with her husband Joe and her four young daughters.

"Teresa was joined by other inmates and she laughed and cried watching Joe, her kids and parents," a source said. "She was so proud of Gia for being so mature and stepping up and Teresa was also impressed with Joe's involvement with the girls."