Why Joe Giudice Popped Up on RHONJ Ahead of Teresa's Wedding
Teresa got emotional while discussing "how far" she's come in her relationship with her ex-husband.
Joe Giudice may be living in the Bahamas full-time following his 2019 release from prison, but he still managed to pop up in the Garden State to wish his ex-wife well before she got remarried.
On the May 2 episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Joe Facetimed daughter Gia Giudice while she and sisters Milania, Gabriella, and Audriana were doing their final fittings for their bridesmaid dresses for Teresa Giudice and Luis "Louie" Ruelas' August nuptials.
After commenting on how beautiful his daughters looked in their blush pink gowns, Joe and Teresa had an emotional heart-to-heart with one another.
Teresa, for her part, shared that she hopes that her ex will one day be allowed to return to the United States. "I'm gonna keep praying every day that... one day you can come back here," Teresa told her ex as she got emotional.
"Why are you doing that?" Gia jokingly responded as she began to cry as well. Joe then offered Teresa and Louie his blessing, and he thanked his ex for being there for his daughters while he's been away.
"I'm glad that [you] are happy, and that things are, you know, going the way they are," he said. "And I appreciate everything that you're doing over there for my kids because, you know, I can't be there, and everybody deserves to be happy. And as long as [you] are happy, that's all that matters."
"I only want the best for you," Teresa said in response, noting that she "grew up with" Joe. "He's always going to be in my life."
In an interview on the episode, Teresa explained why Joe's words were so important to her.
"Joe is wishing me happiness. It just shows how far we've come," she said. "I'm so proud of how we've continued our relationship, [and] stayed connected, and I know that makes our daughters happy."
Teresa is doing more than just praying for her ex to return to the United States. Back in December 2022, Teresa shared on an episode of her Namaste B$tches podcast that she was working closely with Louie and her daughters to help assist in Joe's ongoing legal case.
"Joe is talking to an attorney, and the girls are in the process of writing letters, because they have to submit them, of why they want their father to come back to this country,” Teresa said, adding that Louie also wrote a letter on Joe's behalf as well.
Though she wasn't sure what his chances were, she has hope that he will one day get to reunite with his family in the U.S.
"You never know,” Teresa said on the podcast. “Never say never.”
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