Teresa Giudice Defends Calling Prison "Camp"

It's been nearly nine months since Teresa Giudice was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn. after serving time for the multiple counts of fraud. The Real Housewives of New Jersey mom was away from her family for nearly a year, and when she speaks about that time in her life she refers to the Connecticut facility as a "camp," not a "prison." When she appeared on Watch What Happens Live on Sunday, she explained why she describes that period in such a way.

"Where I was it was called 'Danbury Prison Camp,' and I don’t like the word 'prison' because really where I was...I wasn’t in a cell," she said. "There were no bars and I wasn’t in caged in. There was no wire fence on the outside. It really looked like a camp. That’s where the facility where I was."

Andy Cohen then pressed her on her how she responds when people say using the term "camp" makes it seem like she doesn't "own the fact that [she] went [to prison]." Well, Teresa had this response for her critics. "Listen, if I was away from my kids for 11 and a half months so nobody should even ask me that," she said.

Most recently, The Real Housewives of Orange County mom Heather Dubrow voiced her take on Teresa's post-camp life. "It was a little bit odd to see her come back and talk about doing yoga in prison. I'm not sure that was the right message," she told People last month. She later clarified her remarks to Andy calling them "pretty benign." For her part, Teresa noted, "She wanted to get attention from the queen, and she really didn't get any, but she got some from the press."

You can check out more of Teresa's life these days when RHONJ airs Sundays at 8/7c. Check out what's next for the Garden State crew, below.

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