It was not too long ago that Real Housewives of Pretoria star Mel Viljoen and her husband, Peet, were living the high life as socialites, business owners, and a big-shot lawyer.
Viljoen, who went from growing up on a farm to becoming president of Tammy Taylor Nails in South Africa, boasted of many high-profile clients such as Somizi, Pearl Thusi, DJ Zinhle, and Lerato Kganyago.
Mel’s fame rose in October 2022 when she was featured as one of the primary cast members on The Real Housewives of Pretoria, which led to a follow-up season and a guest appearance on a comedy show where she and various other celebrities roasted Helen Zille.
But several scandals later, the couple is now facing deportation from America after reportedly being busted for shoplifting to survive.
Here are five things you need to know about the Viljoens’ alleged troubles with the law:
The Tammy Taylor scam
Mel was not just a reality show star but also a beauty business owner. But the couple’s empire began to collapse in April 2024, when the US owner of the Tammy Taylor brand sued them for $100 million (R1.6 billion) for using her trademark after their licence had expired several years earlier.
The real Tammy Taylor claimed the couple stole her identity for their business and accused them of even stalking her.
The couple later counter-sued Taylor for $200 million (R3.2 billion).
A South African court in 2025 ordered that they stop using the trademark, leaving franchisees who had built businesses through the brand in the lurch. Meanwhile, the police’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, announced they were investigating the pair over the matter.
The couple were ordered by a US court to pay Taylor the equivalent of R71 million in statutory damages, but Mel said she has no intention of paying it.
ALSO READ: Tammy Taylor Nails: empty and broken promises
Caught up in Digital Vibes
The couple also found themselves caught up in the storm surrounding Digital Vibes, a company that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) found to be linked to senior government officials in a Covid-19 communication scandal.
Mel said there was a misunderstanding and that her mask deals were “two completely different sponsorships”.
“We started by donating beautiful police branded masks to the Saps. Then Digital Vibes contacted us, saying they loved the masks and wanted to sponsor 100 000 more for the police. That was not a donation. It was a paid order,” she claimed.
ALSO READ: Viljoens’ Digital Vibes mask controversy resurfaces
Fleeing to America and starting anew
Last year, the couple fled to America, where Mel announced that she had found a new business partner in the US who “contributed” $3 million (R52 million).
She said that she had also hired “Afrikaans girls” to work for her, and the first 10 were flying out to assist.
“I just want to say thank you to Sheila Martin, owner and founder of Lilymac Spa & Boutique, for her contribution of $3m. This is such an exciting time. All the queens are coming on board. What she (Martin) loves most about this partnership is the haters, she says. The more bad news about someone, the more Americans want to invest. Very counterintuitive but great for business!
“America is good to us,” she wrote in August.
ALSO READ: Mel Viljoen has a new partner in the US and 10 Afrikaner ‘girls’ on the way
Peet disbarred
Meanwhile, Peet was on a mission to be the best lawyer in America and advertised his services for R5 000 an hour.
The only problem being that he was disbarred by the South African Legal Practice Council (LPC) in 2011. They claimed it was the result of Peet’s arrest in a criminal case that prevented him from attending court proceedings to defend himself, and labelled the LPC “useless” and “corrupt”.
The LPC explained that the Law Society of the Northern Provinces (LSNP) asked the High Court in Pretoria to disbar Viljoen after finding him guilty of “unprofessional, dishonourable and inappropriate behaviour”, concluding that he was “not a fit and proper person” to practise law.
“The consequence of this disbarment is absolute: he is legally barred from practising law, holding himself out as an attorney, or offering legal services for reward in the Republic. His claims in the video to be the ‘best attorney… out of Pretoria’ are factually false,” Kabelo Letebele, senior manager for communication and engagements at the LPC, later told The Citizen.
Peet’s advertisement for his services was later changed to list him as a “labour broker”.
ALSO READ: Peet Viljoen is not the best attorney to come out of Pretoria, LPC says
Tax judgment
Peet’s credit profile, provided to The Citizen last year via a source close to the matter, confirmed he had an active tax judgment against him for more than R10 million. However, Viljoen dismissed the issue as a misunderstanding.
“The tax judgment is an administrative error,” he said. “Sars acted prematurely. We have made submissions through our accountants, and this will be rectified. There is no fraud, no missing funds and no outstanding tax debt once the corrections are done.”
Sars said while it cannot discuss taxpayer matters with a third party, “the taxpayer [in this case Viljoen] is advised to discuss their tax matters directly with a Sars agent”. The collector then suggested channels for Viljoen to get in touch.
The founder of a bank?
Peet also claimed on his website that he was the “founder of Finbond Bank”.
However, the bank’s chief corporate officer, Ben Bredenkamp, said, “Viljoen’s claims regarding his involvement in the founding of Finbond are blatantly false and misleading.”
He reiterated that Peet had nothing to do with the founding of Finbond and “was at no stage a director or employee of Finbond”.
Peet then removed this claim from his website
ALSO READ: No, Peet Viljoen of Tammy Taylor fame did not start a bank in SA as he claims
Arrest for shoplifting
This week, a report emerged that the couple had been detained in America after being nabbed for theft.
According to US publication Local10.com, the Viljoen allegedly confessed to a crime spree in Palm Beach County, Florida, that raked up at least $5 300 (about R87 800).
The couple allegedly stated they were stealing because they were in survival mode and had not worked since coming to the country, due to not having visas.
“Over the course of the last six months, the Viljoens have worked in concert during multiple acts of retail theft,” noted a police report.
A legal expert said they would likely be deported.
ALSO READ: When will Peet and Melany Viljoen be deported back to SA? An expert weighs in
Additional reporting by Hein Kaiser
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