“It’s been so long since we’ve seen our [Real Housewives Of New Jersey] and Vanderpump [Rules] pals,” Andy Cohen said during the Nov. 22 episode of Watch What Happens Live, right before the “Catch Up Quickfire” with stars from the beloved Bravo shows. Up first was Teresa Giudice, and Andy, 52, quizzed the RHONJ star about her new romance with Luis “Louie” Ruelas. “It’s fair new,” Teresa, 48, said, “so I’m taking things slow and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Teresa also gave an update on her divorce with Joe Giudice, who was deported to Italy in 2019 following his prison sentence for wire, bank, and bankruptcy fraud. Supposedly, the couple finalized their divorce in September, nine months after announcing the separation. However, Teresa said she’s still “waiting for the date from the court. All the paperwork is all done. We’re just waiting for a court date – because of COVID, it’s taking forever.”
Teresa’s comments on WWHL comes weeks after she confirmed her new romance. “Excited to reveal my new boyfriend,” she captioned a Nov. 9 Facebook photo of her and Louie getting cozy at a sporting event. Louie is a proud New Jersey native, a 46-year-old father of two sons who also is a co-founder and Executive Vice President of Business Development at Digital Media Solutions. DMS works in “leveraging innovative, performance-driven brand direct and marketplace solutions to connect consumers and advertisers,” according to the company website. As for Teresa, she’s “very happy” with the new romance, and thinks Luis is her “perfect‘ match.
Despite not all the T’s being crossed and i’s being dotted, Joe and Teresa have both moved on and put their 20-year marriage in their rearview. While Teresa has found love with Louie, Joe has admitted that he’s “seeing a layer” in Italy. During an October 2020 episode of The Wendy Williams Show, Joe said he and his unnamed lady have “been seeing each other you know what I mean. I wouldn’t say she’s my girlfriend, but we’re hanging out together.”
Teresa – who has four girls ( Gia, 19, Gabriella, 16, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 11) with Joe – wasn’t upset that her ex had begun dating again. Instead, a source told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that she was “really happy for Joe.” Despite the curtain has fallen on their marriage, Joe and Giudice are close. They “talk daily and it’s always about the girls.” As for the girls’ thoughts on their parents moving on, they’re “okay” with their dad dating, and are “happy [that he] can spend time with someone” over in Italy.