There is no question that Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice’s children have been through a great deal, and most of it was due to the poor decisions of their parents. Real Housewives of New Jersey fans have watched the four girls grow up over the course of years, and I feel very sympathetic towards the girls and what they have endured. They miss their father so much that it is heartbreaking.
Joe served a 41-month prison sentence for fraud charges, and upon release he was taken into ICE custody in March. An immigration lawyer determined that Joe, who never became a United States citizen after coming to America as a child, should be deported to Italy. Joe’s request to be freed and allowed to remain at home until the final deportation decision was announced was denied, so Joe decided to await his fate in Italy.
Andy Cohen interviewed Teresa and Joe, via video, from Italy on Watch What Happens Live. It was the definition of awkward. Both accused the other of cheating while claiming to remain faithful.
Now that Joe was finally free, his four daughters flew to Italy to see him. Teresa went with them, but she didn’t look happy in the photos from the trip. Last season, Teresa said that if her husband was deported, they would divorce.
Now, Teresa’s brother, Joe Gorga, is stepping up for his nieces in a big way. During BravoCon, Teresa and Joe’s wife Melissa Gorga told Life & Style how Joe is helping Teresa and her daughters during Joe Giudice’s deportation drama. “Anytime I need anything, he’ll come over right away,” Teresa said. “He’s super close with Gia [Giudice], especially Gia, but all of them,” Melissa added. RHONJ viewers have watched Gia grow up on camera, and she is now a college student.
RELATED: Melissa Gorga’s Heart Breaks For Joe & Teresa Giudice After Their Uncomfortable Sit-Down With Andy Cohen
“I always tell them if you need anyone, like as a father figure, always call Tio Joe. He wants to be there for you, but you have to also let him in, in order for him to be there,” Teresa explained. “Then I always tell my brother too, I’m like, “’Reach out to them, so they feel close to you too.’”
My–how things have changed since Season 3 when Teresa’s brother and Melissa joined the cast. It was all-out warfare and sprinkle cookie disses. Bravo’s The Daily Dish reported that Teresa felt that her family joining RHONJ was a betrayal. Teresa said, “Well, unfortunately, that was the one sad thing for me throughout this whole show, not only the legal stuff, but the family stuff. My family came on the show behind my back, and that was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me.” I would have though prison was the worst thing that happened to you, Teresa. Seriously?
RELATED: Kathy Wakile Responds To Teresa Giudice’s Claims She Joined Real Housewives Of New Jersey Behind Her Back
Teresa also spoke to Life & Style about the family reunion in Italy. “I was so happy. I was happy he was free. I was happy,” Teresa shared. “My daughters were so happy. It was just very, very, very emotional.”
What the future looks like for Teresa and her Juicy Joe is uncertain, but Teresa is hoping that her family’s future holds, “Happiness. Health, love and happiness,” Teresa said.
RELATED: Teresa Giudice Says The Way Her Family Joined Real Housewives Was The “Worst Thing” That Ever Happened To Her
TELL US: ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT JOE GORGA HAS STEPPED UP FOR HIS NIECES? DO YOU THINK THAT TERESA WILL FILE FOR DIVORCE?
[Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]