If you spent any time watching TLC in the late 2000s, you remember the chaotic, flour-dusted energy of Carlo's Bakery. It was all about family. You had Buddy Valastro—the "Cake Boss"—at the center of it all, surrounded by his sisters, his cousins, and his brothers-in-law. One of those brothers-in-law, Remy Gonzalez, was a fixture in the early seasons. He was the talented cake decorator married to Buddy’s sister, Lisa.
Then, suddenly, he wasn't there anymore.
One day he was piping buttercream on camera, and the next, he had vanished from the show entirely. No big "farewell" episode. No explanation from Buddy. For a show that banked so hard on the "family is everything" brand, the silence was deafening. If you’ve ever wondered why the network wiped him from the archives, the reality is much darker than a simple career change or a creative disagreement.
The 2010 Arrest That Changed Everything
The disappearance of Remy Gonzalez from Cake Boss wasn't a slow fade. It was an immediate excision following a horrific legal situation. In August 2010, news broke that sent shockwaves through the New Jersey community and the TLC fan base.
Gonzalez was arrested in Morris County, New Jersey. The charges? Multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl. It wasn't just a rumor; the details in the arrest affidavit were stomach-turning. Detectives reported that Gonzalez had actually admitted to witnesses that he had committed the assaults.
Honestly, it’s hard to overstate how much of a PR nightmare this was for TLC and the Valastro family. The show was at its peak. Carlo's Bakery was becoming a global brand. To have a core cast member—family, no less—associated with such a violent and predatory crime was unthinkable.
The production didn't wait for a verdict. They scrubbed him. If you go back and watch early episodes now, you'll notice how he's edited or simply never mentioned in retrospectives. The "family" brand had a massive, ugly crack in it, and the only way to fix it was to act like Remy never existed.
The Sentencing and the Legal Battle
Legal proceedings in cases like this aren't fast. Gonzalez initially pleaded guilty in June 2011 to two counts of aggravated sexual assault. But then, he tried to backtrack.
In a move that rarely works, he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea. He claimed his lawyer at the time had pressured him into admitting to things he didn't actually do. He admitted to "illicit acts" but tried to argue the severity. The judge wasn't having it.
In May 2012, Remigio "Remy" Gonzalez was sentenced to nine years in New Jersey state prison.
- The judge denied his request to pull the plea.
- He was required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.
- The prosecution made it clear: he was likely to face deportation.
Nine years. In the world of reality TV, that’s an eternity. By the time he was even eligible for parole, the show had moved on, Buddy had opened dozens of new bakeries, and Lisa Valastro (Buddy's sister) had long since moved on with her life.
Where is Remy Gonzalez Now?
This is where things get a bit more complex. Since Gonzalez was a Mexican national, his sentence came with a "detainer" from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Standard procedure in New Jersey for non-citizens convicted of "aggravated felonies" involves being handed over to federal authorities immediately upon release from state prison. Based on the 2012 sentencing, he would have completed his term several years ago.
While the Valastro family has remained tight-lipped—which is understandable given the victim's age and the nature of the crime—records indicate he was indeed slated for deportation to Mexico. He hasn't been seen in Hoboken or at any Carlo's Bakery location since his arrest in 2010.
His marriage to Lisa Valastro ended shortly after the scandal broke. Lisa eventually remarried and has lived her life away from the shadow of that particular chapter. You won't find photos of Remy on the Carlo's Bakery "Wall of Fame," and you won't hear his name mentioned in any of the spin-off shows like Next Great Baker.
The Impact on the Cake Boss Legacy
It’s interesting to look back at how "Cake Boss" handled this. Nowadays, reality stars get "canceled" for tweets from 2011. But back then, the strategy was "pretend it didn't happen."
✨ Don't miss: Kenny Chesney Straw Hat: Why That Beat-Up Look Still Rules
Some fans still ask if he’ll ever return. The answer is a hard no. The bakery has grown into a massive corporate entity. They have high-tech vending machines in malls and massive production facilities. There is zero room in that business model for someone with a record like Gonzalez's.
It’s also a reminder that the "happy family" we see on TV is often a curated version of reality. Behind the scenes of the giant cakes and the "Hey, Fuggetaboutit" New Jersey charm, there was a real victim and a very real legal tragedy that nearly derailed the entire franchise.
What to Know if You’re Re-watching the Show
If you’re binging old episodes on Discovery+ or Max, here is the context you need to keep in mind:
1. The Editing Shift
Notice the transition between Season 2 and Season 3. The presence of "the brothers-in-law" shifts significantly. While Joey and Mauro remained staples, the space Remy occupied was filled by other staff members or simply ignored.
2. The Silence of the Family
Respect the family's privacy on this. Many fans try to "dig" for comments from Buddy or Lisa on social media. They haven't spoken about it in over a decade because there is nothing left to say. The legal system handled the punishment, and the family handled the personal fallout by cutting ties.
3. Legal Status
As of 2026, Gonzalez is no longer in the New York/New Jersey area. Given the deportation orders tied to his 2012 sentencing, he is effectively barred from re-entering the United States due to the nature of his felony conviction.
4. Supporting the Victims
The most important part of this story isn't the baker or the TV show—it's the survivor. Cases like this often get buried under the "celebrity news" umbrella, but the reality is a young person's life was permanently altered.
If you or someone you know has been affected by similar situations, resources like RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) offer support at 800-656-HOPE.
Ultimately, the story of Remy Gonzalez serves as a grim footnote in the history of reality television. It’s a reminder that talent in the kitchen doesn't equate to character outside of it. While the cakes at Carlo’s continued to get bigger and more elaborate, the family had to deal with a very real, very small-minded betrayal of trust that they eventually chose to leave in the past.
Next Steps for Fans: If you’re interested in the actual history of Carlo’s Bakery, focus on the legacy of Buddy Sr. and the original Hoboken shop. That’s where the true heart of the story lies, rather than in the legal scandals of former cast members. You can find the original history of the bakery on their official site or through local New Jersey historical archives.