It looks like Teresa Giudice and Joe, both 47, will reach their 20th wedding anniversary on Oct. 23. Despite Joe’s move to Italy on Oct. 11 while Teresa stayed put in New Jersey, “neither Teresa nor Joe will be filing for divorce anytime because of the girls who really want them to stay together,” a source close to the Giudice family EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. Teresa and Joe share four daughters — Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 10 — and it’s “very important” to the sisters that their parents stay together, our source explains — “Because of that, it’s important for Teresa and Joe.”
A divorce in the distant future isn’t totally ruled out, however. “This is not to say they’d never divorce, but for now, it’s not happening and it’s all because of their daughters’ wishes,” our source reveals. “There [are] a lot of issues between them and they still talk all of the time because they have to. If the girls weren’t in the picture, the story would be much different.” Joe’s daughters are still adjusting to the big change of having their dad live in another country, after he was released from custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Oct. 11. Gia has given multiple updates about her dad since he was finally freed (before ICE, Joe served a 41-month prison sentence for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud between 2016-2019).
“Joe being out won’t change anything for the way Teresa is living her life,” our source continues. “The only reason she wants him back in the States is because of her daughters. Everything she’s doing is solely for them at this point when it comes to Joe. Teresa’s dad and best friends have truly been there for her, but she’s really been doing OK, at least on the outside.”
Teresa and Joe’s insistence to stay legally married may come as a surprise to fans. In a Season 10 preview for The Real Housewives of New Jersey, shown to Bravo Insiders subscribers just five days after Joe left the U.S., Teresa doesn’t know if she’s still in love with Joe. “I don’t know,” the mother of four simply replies to Jennifer Aydin when asked. Teresa even reveals she “hooked up” with a mystery man, whose shirtless photo is displayed on the show! Prior to Joe’s release from prison on March 14, Teresa was also pictured holding hands with her friend Blake Schreck, stirring romance rumors. Regardless, Teresa still mourned her husband’s departure to Italy by posting a photo of a crying Statue of Liberty on the day of his flight.