ICE to paradise: Mel Viljoen shows off luxury bush break
· The South African
Mel Viljoen has traded in her prison-like cell at a US ICE detention centre for a five-star holiday in the bush. The Real Housewives star is back in South Africa after quietly returning following her voluntary departure ruling by an immigration judge.
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While Mel enjoys the finer things in life, her husband Peet remains locked up as he awaits his own departure.
Apart from immigration issues, the couple are facing charges of grand retail theft after allegedly shoplifting more than $5 000 worth of goods from their local supermarket.
MEL VILJOEN ENJOYS BUSH BREAK
In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Mel Viljoen posted images from her luxury getaway in the bush.
In the pics, Mel sipped on champagne as she enjoyed the wildlife views of the Big Five.
It’s unclear why Mel deleted the posts.
On her Instagram Stories, Mel claimed that while she was enjoying her five-star vacation, she missed her husband Peet, who is still being detained in an ICE detention centre.
‘WE DIDNT FLEE THE COUNTRY’
Speaking to VIA’s Goeimore Good Morning breakfast show, Mel Viljoen attempted to set the record straight on her and husband Peet’s chapter in the US.
She said of their life in the US: “We didnt flee the country. We immigrated to America to expand our business. America was great”
Mel Viljoen on vacation in South Africa. Her husband, Peet, remains in a US ICE detention centre.Image via Instagram: @melviljoensa
Mel also addressed the couple’s widely publicised arrest for shoplifting.
The reality TV star claimed that she had explained to the immigration judge that her card had declined, due to “an issue with their system”. She stated she was allowed to pay cash, which she claims the authorities did not mention.
Mel also claimed that the police calculated the cost of all the items purchased at the store, presenting it as the grand total that the couple had stolen.
She added, “I paid cash. I have enough money”.