Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice may have not always seen eye to eye, but the Real Housewives of New Jersey alum has nothing but nice things to say following the news that Joe Giudice has been ordered to deport to his native Italy.
“So very sad to hear the news. Joe has been in this country since infancy. He’s made mistakes, took responsibility for those mistakes and served his time. He is not a violent person or a threat to society,” Manzo, 57, tells Us Weekly exclusively. “He has four beautiful daughters that love their father and need him in their lives.”
Joe and Teresa, who wed in October 1999, share daughters Gia, 17, Gabriella, 14, Milania, 12, and Audriana, 9. He is currently serving his 41-month sentence for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud at an Allenwood, Pennsylvania, prison.
“He in turn has always been a loving and devoted father who treasured spending time with his girls,” Manzo adds. “Very, very, sad situation.”
Teresa and Manzo both starred on the first five seasons of RHONJ. The Let Me Tell You Something author went on to star on her own spinoff series, Manzo’d with Children, for four seasons after her departure. Teresa, who completed her own 11-month sentence for fraud in December 2015, is the only season 1 Housewife still on the Bravo series.
Fellow RHONJ alums Siggy Flicker, Amber Marchese and Kim DePaola also spoke to Us following the news of Joe’s deportation.
Flicker echoed Manzo’s thoughts, telling Us exclusively that it’s “just not right to take a father away from his family.”
“I never thought in a million years that this was going to happen. I am so soggy right now, crying for those precious girls and that entire family,” the RHONJ seasons 7 and 8 star told Us. “I wish we could have done more than what we have done so far, which was let the judge know how important it was that Joe Giudice stay here with his entire family.”
Marchese added that while she “unequivocally” feels “terrible for the girls,” she is also conflicted. “The law is the law, we can not break it,” she noted. “At the same time, it feels extreme, especially knowing some politicians with egg on their faces, getting away with far worse.”
DePaola, who has a very rocky history with Teresa, told Us she happens to “like Joe a lot,” but does not think her former costar will visit her husband in Italy, “just like she didn’t see him in jail.”
Teresa, for her part, has yet to publicly comment on the situation and she and Joe’s lawyer “respectfully” declined to comment to Us after the news broke on Wednesday, October 10. An insider told Us exclusively that everyone, including the reality TV personality, “thought that they would make an exception for Joe since he has been in this country for so long.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey returns to Bravo for season 9 on Wednesday, November 7, at 9 p.m. ET.
