Teresa Giudice Visits Italian Consulate Ahead of Reunion with Husband Joe Giudice
Teresa Giudice is making her final preparations before traveling to Italy to reunite with husband Joe Giudice.
On Tuesday, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 47, shared two photos to her Instagram Story from the Italian Consulate in New York City. One photo depicted a spiral staircase in the building, while the other showed an Italian flag beside a gray photo of the Twin Towers on 9/11.
That same day, Joe, 47, went shopping for a new pair of jeans in Salerno, Italy, and documented his attempts at updating his look on Instagram.
The father of four is currently living in his grandmother’s home in Sala Consilina as he awaits the final appeal in his deportation ruling. Teresa’s father, Giacinto Gorga, made an appearance on his son-in-law’s Instagram over the weekend at a dinner that included other family members.
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On Oct. 27, Joe appeared in his first television interview since he went to prison in March 2016, chatting via satellite with Teresa in a Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen special.
The couple revealed that Teresa would be traveling to Italy this week to see Joe, alongside daughters Gia, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 10. The Giudice family reunion will be documented by Bravo cameras for a RHONJ special, Cohen said.
A lot is riding on that reunion for Teresa and Joe. They both told Cohen they’re at a crossroads with their marriage and would not be making any decisions until they spent some time together in person.
“I’m waiting until I get there to see if I feel differently,” Teresa said. “I just feel like when you live apart. … He says the same thing, when he sees me, he may not want this either. We’ll know when we see each other.”
Both maintained that they still love each other.
“Of course, she’s my wife. I’ve been with her a long time. No matter what happens, I’ll always love her,” Joe said.
“I do love him as a person,” Teresa said. “I’ll start crying. I do care about him, I love him.”
Teresa and Joe have been married for 20 years, though they have been living apart for years. Joe began a 41-month prison sentence for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud in March 2016; Teresa served a little over 11 months in prison for the same crimes, and was released on Dec. 23, 2015.
Joe was released from prison last year but was held in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Clinton County Correctional Center in Pennsylvania, awaiting a decision on his deportation ruling.
Though Joe has lived in the United States since he was a child, he never obtained American citizenship, and immigrants can be deported if they are convicted of “a crime of moral turpitude” or an “aggravated felony,” according to U.S. law.
That ruling was made last October. He’s appealed twice so far and has been denied both times. A final ruling is expected this month.
A petition to be released back to his home wasn’t granted, but a request to go to Italy was. In October, he was released from ICE custody and flew to Italy, where he has been ever since.
Season 10 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
