Feeling zen. Teresa Giudice hopes that competing on Dancing With the Stars will allow viewers to see a different, calmer side of her than the one she usually shows on the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
“I really want America to really get to tap into the real Teresa Giudice and really get to know the real Teresa Giudice and not the Teresa that … everyone’s trying to trigger,” the reality TV personality, 50, told Us Weekly on Thursday, September 8. “I do have that Italian temper, but I’ve been working on myself. You guys will see [some of that] next season. … I’m proud of myself.”
Giudice credited her husband, Luis Ruelas, with helping her find a sense of peace. “[It’s] thanks to my amazing husband that he helped me to get this way,” the New Jersey native explained. “He really … calms me down and keeps me very Zen, very ‘namaste.’ I needed that in my life. See, God was looking out for me. [Luis is] totally my soulmate.”
The Standing Strong author added that she hoped to make both Ruelas, 47, and her four daughters — Gia, 21, Gabriella, 18, Milania, 16, and Audriana, 12, whom she shares with ex-husband Joe Giudice — proud with her performances on the dance floor with pro partner Pasha Pashkov. She even got some words of wisdom from her youngest daughter, who is a competitive dancer herself.
“[Audriana] said, ‘Make sure you have fun. Enjoy every moment, feel your partner’s energy and don’t be scared,'” Teresa recalled. “And I’m like, ‘That’s easy for you to say!’ [But she encouraged me to] dance like it’s your last time dancing [and] make the best of it, which I thought … was so cute.”
The Bravo personality was officially announced as part of the DWTS cast just one month after she and Ruelas tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in her home state of New Jersey. “August 6, 2022 – The day my soulmate became my husband,” Teresa wrote via Instagram two days after the wedding, alongside a video from the celebrations. “Babe, I love you more than I could ever express. I’m so blessed that you, your boys, and your amazing family have come in to my life and love me & my girls unconditionally. Thank you to all of our loved ones who came to celebrate with us — our love bubble is only bigger and stronger with all of your support.”
While the ceremony may have been a fairy tale for the happy couple, their wedding day was also surrounded by drama when her brother, Joe Gorga, and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga revealed that they decided not to attend.
“Obviously, we did not attend your sister’s wedding. We have a laundry list right of reasons in our heads [of] why and I will let all my listeners know this — obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” the “On Display” songstress, 43, said during a conversation with Joe, 42, on an August episode of her podcast. “Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today. Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
Though she declined to share any specific details about the disagreement, Melissa added, “There was plenty of reasons for Joe and I to say it would be very strange … to look at Joe and I to say like, ‘Yes, it would be very strange for you guys to just be sitting in the pews tomorrow, like, wishing them well on their wedding day.’ It would be strange.”
Joe echoed those comments later in the episode. “[Skipping the wedding] was one of the hardest days of my life. It was bad. But listen, let’s go back to the [season 12] reunion. [Teresa] did this. You know, this was all on her,” the real estate developer explained. “This is what she really wanted. She didn’t want you in the wedding. She didn’t want any of my children in the wedding. She barely wanted me.”
“When I left that reunion, I looked at you in a car and I was like, ‘Wow, she hates us,'” he continued. “I’ve never seen her like this. I said, ‘It’s terrible.’ And Melissa immediately texted her and said, ‘Listen, we’re all good. Let’s move forward.’ She never responded.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on Disney+ Monday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
