Teresa Giudice on When She Knew She Was “Never Gonna Be” With Joe Again

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Teresa Giudice recalled the moment she learned that she and her then-husband Joe Giudice were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud – and the moment she realized their marriage was over.

In 2013, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star faced fraud charges after Joe allegedly put false statements on loan applications and had Teresa sign the paperwork. She went to prison for nearly a year while their children were still small.

After Joe’s prison sentence, he was deported back to Italy, where he hadn’t lived since he was a one-year-old. He now only sees his four daughters when they can visit him abroad. The Giudices have suggested that they were deliberately targeted because of Teresa’s status on the show.

Now, on her daughter Gia Giudice‘s Casual Chaos podcast, Teresa discussed the painful events leading up to her time in prison.

“When did you find out about the charges against you and Dad?” asked Gia.

“I thought it was all a joke,” answered Teresa. “I never thought I was gonna go to jail. Ever … Never in a million [years], cause I didn’t do anything.”

“I was like … I’m not involved in my husband’s business,” she continued. “I didn’t do anything wrong … I just went to a closing. I went to a lawyer’s office, and I put my John Hancock on papers. So I thought I would have a house.”

Teresa said she recently asked Joe about what she signed.

“I just asked [Joe], I’m like, ‘What did I do? How many houses did I buy? One or two?’” she stated. “He’s like, ‘You didn’t even buy a house … We refinanced a property I had.’ And I was like, ‘What? … I went to jail for refinancing a house?’ I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

As for her past marriage, Teresa also recalled the moment she decided not to be with Joe.

“After I lost my mom, I was like, ‘I’m never gonna be with this guy ever again,’” said the star, who also suggested that her “juices” weren’t “flowing” anymore. “Life’s too short … for your juices not to be flowing.”

Regarding the first season of RHONJ, Teresa hinted that she “liked” Danielle Staub “in the beginning” — before, in a later episode, Teresa infamously flipped the table on her.