Separated but not acrimonious? The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice called husband Joe Giudice “daddy” in an Instagram comment posted just hours before their split made headlines on Monday, December 16.
Joe, 47, posted an Instagram video from Italy, where he’s been living amid his deportation battle, as he shopped for Christmas presents for his and Teresa’s daughters: Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 10.
“It’s been a while since I baught [sic] my angels a Christmas gift,” he wrote in the caption.
Teresa, also 47, replied in the comments, writing, “What about Mommy for helping … Your [sic] welcome Daddy.”
In the video, Joe offers a panorama of a high-end shopping area decked out in Christmas lights. “Well, this is Christmastime, and look where I came. Girls, this is it, baby,” he says, narrating the video.
He then pans down to a Fendi shopping back on the ground. “Look what I got you girls,” he says. “Fendi. You’d better like it. Anyway, love yous.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday that Joe and Teresa had split after 20 years of marriage, with a source saying that the couple are separated but not yet planning a divorce. “Teresa and Joe talked about their future when she and the girls were in Italy and decided it was best for them to separate,” the source added.
Earlier in the day, Joe posted photos of himself and Teresa on Instagram. “It’s time to let go,” he wrote in the caption, referencing Us’ story regarding his December 14 post about letting go of the past.
Joe moved to Italy in October after getting permission to leave U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. He’d been detained in ICE custody since March, when he finished his 41-month prison sentence for fraud. (For her part, Teresa served 11 months in prison in 2015.)
“Neither of them wanted to be in a long-distance relationship,” the source added on Tuesday. “Joe has been dating in Italy, Teresa is busy taking care of their girls right now. They harbor no ill will towards each other and will continue to coparent their kids.”
