Real Housewives of New Jersey viewers are starting to see the cracks unfold in Teresa and Joe Giudice’s marriage. The 47-year-old Bravo star revealed that she signed a prenup during a heated argument between the pair on the Wednesday, January 1, episode of the series.
“You got nothing to do, all you do is go shopping and you spend money,” Joe, 47, told Teresa and 18-year-old daughter Gia Giudice over the phone while prom dress shopping. “Your mother is like Robin Hood. She takes from her husband and spends it all on the stores.”
Teresa fired back, arguing that she makes her own money and is taking care of their four daughters while Joe remains in ICE custody.
“I’m working on my own, busting my ass, taking care of our four daughters. You didn’t leave me with millions in the bank account, you left me with nothing. And I paid off all the debt, [am] taking care of our four daughters,” she quipped, referring to Gia, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 10. “I’m not spending your stupid money. It’s not like I was marrying a millionaire. I was marrying nothing. And you made me sign a prenup, OK?”
During a confessional, the Standing Strong author revealed that Joe asked her to sign a prenup a week before their October 1999 nuptials.
“And I just felt when you love someone, you don’t do that,” she admitted. “I wasn’t going to go through with it, but being Italian, I have old school parents, and it’s an embarrassing thing to call off a wedding. I didn’t even read it, I just said, ‘I want you to put one thing in there. If you ever cheat, the prenup goes void.’”
Joe, for his part, argued on the phone that he didn’t want to get married to begin with.
“You know what? You want me to say it now? Alright, you and this stupid prenup that you keep bringing up? I didn’t want to get married, alright?” he told his wife of 20 years.
The former construction business owner, who moved to Italy in October 2019 amid his deportation battle, defended himself via Instagram after the episode aired.
“Hmm!! After all these years I don’t think it’s a secret we fight!! But, I love being married It’s so great to find one special person like Teresa!” he wrote on Wednesday. “In that scene, what you all missed my point?? Outer shell don’t define a person! My princess looks good in anything a dress won’t define her! She is amazing human being! #Blessed father(family forgets there is a time difference fills me in)👍.”
In the comments section Joe added, “I don’t know where we stand though she is a good mom and we are ordinary people that fought and will be always be 😎.”
Us Weekly confirmed last month that Teresa and Joe have separated, but have no plans to file for 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,” a source told Us in December. “Neither of them wanted to be in a long—distance relationship.”
Later that month, their four daughters traveled to Italy to spend Christmas with Joe. Teresa, meanwhile, stayed home and has been spotted cozying up with longtime friend and ex-boyfriend Anthony Delorenzo.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
