Teresa Giudice broke down in tears while talking about her husband Joe Giudice’s stint in prison in a new interview with Good Morning America. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star opened up about how she’s stayed in contact with him behind bars, and how their daughters are handling the situation.
“They miss their dad, of course, tremendously, just like I do. But, you know, they are doing as well as to be expected. They are really strong young girls,” Teresa, 44, explained to Mara Schiavocampo in the segment, which aired on Tuesday, July 5. “It’s hard. We email every day, we talk every day and I see him every week.”
As previously reported, Joe, 44, began serving his 41-month sentence for fraud at the Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey on March 23. (He’s already had five months knocked off his time behind bars.) Prior to turning himself in, he had three months to spend with Teresa and their children — Gia, 15, Gabriella, 11, Milania, 10, and Audriana, 6. Teresa was released from Connecticut’s Danbury Federal Correctional Institution on December 23 after serving 11 months for her own fraud charges.
The Turning the Tables author got particularly choked up when asked if she gave Joe any advice on his time in prison. “Sorry, I’m getting emotional,” she said, before taking a break from the GMA cameras to compose herself.
Despite her breakdown, Teresa didn’t seem worried that Joe might get deported. “I think our future is not uncertain,” she told Schiavocampo. “He is going to be home, we are going to be together and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Until then, Teresa is leaning on relatives to get through the difficult time. She and her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, in particular, have become much closer, even though they often feuded on RHONJ in the past. (Gorga is married to Teresa’s brother, Joe Gorga.)
“I feel like it’s how it used to be,” Teresa said.
“We have a funny banter together and we have fun together,” Melissa, 37, added. “She’s calmer. Just a little bit calmer [since prison].”
Watch Teresa on GMA in the video above.
