The Broke and the Beautiful: Twins Edition

This week on the Broke and the Beautiful, Girls Gone Wild’s Joe Francis is going to be the father of twins (girls!), and Teresa and Joe Giudice are clearing their debts. Also, a former child actor wants to revive bitcoin exchange  Mt. Gox.

Surprise; it’s twins! That’s what Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis learned when his longtime girlfriend, Abbey Wilson, announced she was pregnant with twin girls. According to Us Weekly, Mr. Francis, whose bankrupt company recently settled with a woman whose breasts were exposed without consent, is excited about fathering two girls. “I believe people will finally understand my love, respect and admiration for women,” he told Us. “I love girls.”

“We both wanted girls and we wanted them to be healthy and free of genetic diseases so we chose to do IVF,” Ms. Wilson said, later adding that “I found out shortly after a blood test confirmed the results and called Joe immediately, we were both screaming and so loud with excitement from each end of the phone!”

“Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Teresa and Joe Giudice may have pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud, but at least their bankruptcy is going more smoothly. According to TMZ (h/t New York Post), the couple is set to clear away $13.4 million in debt by paying creditors only a small fraction of that. Court documents show that of the $9,500 requested to wrap up the case, the Giudices have so far paid $7,500. And maybe it’s a good thing the two are settling their debts now, before they get prison time; Teresa could get up to 27 months in prison for her part in the fraud, while her husband (who still owes his ex-business partner some money) could get up to four years and may even face deportation.

When bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection first in Japan and then in the U.S., we didn’t envision any celebrities entering the mix. But according to The Wall Street Journal, a group that includes a former child actor is looking to revive the bitcoin trader. Brock Pierce, who was featured in “The Mighty Ducks” and sequel “D2: The Mighty Ducks,” is part of an investor group offering to pay one bitcoin (worth about $400) for Mt. Gox. The group says the low payment is fair because of an “information vacuum” over the bitcoin exchange’s missing bitcoins, which are worth about $220 million. A Japanese court would have to approve the acquisition.

General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra has been through a lot recently, facing questions and criticism over the auto company’s ignition-switch defects and following recall, but at least she’s been taking it in stride. As Speakeasy reported, Ms. Barra was roasted on last weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.” In the opening sketch, cast member Kate McKinnon played Barra and was depicted trying to evade even the simplest questions. But as GM spokesman Greg Martin said, “Many of us are SNL fans and believe in keeping a healthy sense of humor.”

Mickey Rooney died over the weekend at 93 years old. The legendary actor, who appeared in more than 200 movies, started in silent films and became a child star, later transitioning into a character actor. But in the middle of it all, Mr. Rooney had bouts with bankruptcy. According to Bloomberg, the actor first filed for bankruptcy in 1962 and claimed only $500 in assets mainly because of alimony payments. And as the Chicago Sun-Times reported, Mr. Rooney filed for bankruptcy again in 1996, allegedly owing the Internal Revenue Service more than $1.75 million.

Last time Broke mentioned designer Maria Pinto, she was trying to revive her brand through Kickstarter. And Ms. Pinto, who designed many of first lady Michelle Obama’s outfits during the 2008 presidential campaign but who later went out of business, is back. Chicago magazine reports that the designer used money she raised through Kickstarter to launch a new, more affordable collection of clothing. Ms. Pinto debuted the new collection, which includes dresses and wraps, this week at VMR Chicago.

Write to Melanie Cohen at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @MelanieLisa.