Joe Giudice Reacts to Teresa Giudice's Comments on the Future of Their Marriage
"If we stay together, we stay together, if we don't, we don't," The Real Housewives of New Jersey husband said.
Teresa Giudice shocked her friends and fans alike when she said that she would not follow husband Joe Giudice to Italy if he were to ultimately get deported in his ongoing immigration case during The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 9 reunion. In the months since, we haven't been able to learn Joe's reaction to the revelation since he was in ICE custody.
But we finally got Joe's take on that bombshell during The Real Housewives of New Jersey Special Event: Joe and Teresa Unlocked on Sunday night. During the conversation in which Teresa sat with Andy Cohen in the Clubhouse while Joe spoke via video from Italy, the host asked if the RHONJ couple had talked about the fate of their marriage if Joe were to stay in Italy. "If we stay together, we stay together, if we don't, we don't," Joe told Andy. "You know, it's a conversation that we'll see."
Teresa underscored how she and Joe have both changed amid their legal issues over the past five years. "We're both two different people now. I don't know, I'm not the same Teresa I was, and I know he's not the same Joe," she said. "Like I told him, no matter what, I always want us to respect each other and I do love him as a person. I'll start crying because I do, I care about him, I love him, I don't know how I'll feel when I see him. That's why I'm so nervous when I see him in person."
Teresa said she plans to visit Joe in Italy with their four daughters (Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 10) in a few weeks when they have a break from school. But right now, after having only seen him in custody for nearly four years, Teresa said she hadn't been feeling attracted to Joe. "I mean, every time I went to go see him, I felt nothing, and I don't know if it was just the place where he was at or what it was," Teresa explained. "I never wanted to kiss him or anything, because I just didn't like the whole environment. And he knew I didn't like to kiss in front of all the people watching us and everything."
The RHONJ author burst into tears as she expressed that she was happy that Joe was finally out of custody. "I'm happy he's out, we've been through a lot, and I'm just happy he's free," she said.
However, Andy wondered whether those were tears of joy. "I am [happy]. It's just there's so much mixed emotions I feel. Like I'm happy for my daughters that he can FaceTime them now. I'm just happy he's free," she shared. "It was torturous like him being in there. Mostly the last seven months when he was in ICE because he was so nasty, and it was mentally draining me. And it was mentally draining my daughters. That's why they were like he has to get out of there."
Joe admitted that he wasn't attracted to Teresa when she served her 11 months in prison, either. "You know, I'll be honest with you, I didn't like her being locked up in there in that environment, either. I mean, I didn't look at her and find her attractive in there, I really didn't," he said. "I guess it's just that environment, you know what I mean, where you just don't like to see the people you love in there."
Andy then asked if Joe understands why Teresa would file for divorce. "Listen, as long as she's happy, that's all that really matters. I'm not gonna tell her what to do," Joe said. "If she doesn't feel like she doesn't want to be with me anymore, then that's the thing to do."
Teresa confirmed that all of her daughters, with the exception of her youngest, Audriana, know about her intentions to leave their father if he gets deported. "I think they get it. I mean, I don't think they want to see it happen, obviously, but I think they understand because the way I explained it to them, how are we gonna live apart?" she said. "I don't think that he would be faithful. I don't. I think he would have someone there and have me here I just don't want to live that life, I just don't."
Joe made it clear that he wasn't looking to see other people. "I mean, it's been three-and-a-half years. If I wanted to be with somebody, I could have been with somebody already this week, but that's not what I'm looking to do," he said. "We'll see what happens."
He also said that he was "of course" still in love with Teresa. "She's my wife, and I've been with her for a long time. I've known her since she was a kid, a little baby actually, so I mean, of course, yeah, I'll always love her," he shared. "No matter what happens, I'll always love her."
Teresa agreed with Andy that right now she feels like her relationship with Joe is in the past. However, she said that things could change once she reunites with him in Italy. "Like I even talk to Gia about it. She's like, 'Mommy, wait 'til you go there and you see him and see how you feel.' And I was like, 'You know what, you're right,'" Teresa said. "That's what I'm doing, too. I'm waiting until I get there and when I see him if I feel differently."
Joe said that he might see Teresa and not feel the same way about her as well. "See? He says the same thing," Teresa said. "Like when he sees me, he might be like, 'You know what, I don't want this, either.' So we don't know until we see each other."
Teresa said that it's important for her to physically be with the person she's in a relationship with. "It's like I want to wake up with someone every single day and go to sleep with them," she said.
However, Teresa said that she would not consider moving to Italy to be with Joe. "No, right now, the kids don't want to go there," she said. "It's like they've been through enough."
That's something that Joe agrees with as well. "I would not want anybody to move here with me. Come on, that's crazy," he said. "My kids are grounded there. I'm not gonna pick them up and bring them over here."
Teresa added, "I mean, listen, Andy, we've been apart for so long, a lot's happened. I want the best for him. I want him to be happy. I want him to be successful because if he's successful, of course, you know, we have to take care of our daughters. But I don't know if we could stay together him living [across the world]."
As they discussed what will happen to their house if they split up, Joe had a surprising suggestion for Teresa. "I tell her, she's got to get somebody with a lot of money, somebody with a lot of money to take care of all those things," he said, to which Teresa replied, "Maybe you could hook me up."
Andy noted that this "doesn't give me great hope for two weeks from now." "I'm just trying to give her good advice," Joe said. "If that's what she wants, then I'm fine with that."
Joe was released from ICE custody on October 11 after his request to await a final decision in his ongoing deportation case in his native Italy was granted. The RHONJ husband gave his first statement following his release from custody to The Daily Dish, which you can view, below.
