Teresa Giudice is reflecting on one of the most painful chapters of her life.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star opened up about filming during her legal investigation, before her incarceration and through her ex-husband Joe Giudice’s eventual deportation.
When asked if she regrets allowing the cameras to capture that period of her life, Teresa did not hesitate.
“Yes,” Teresa said.
She explained that her biggest regret comes from being a mother first and not fully understanding the severity of what was happening at the time.
“Because I’m always a mom first,” Teresa said. “But at the time, I really didn’t understand what my ex-husband had done.”
Teresa said she believed they simply had to go through the legal process and that everything would eventually be okay.
“I just thought we had to go through the process and everything would be fine,” she explained.
Looking back, Teresa admitted she never believed she would actually end up going to prison.
“I really never in a million years thought I would go to jail,” Teresa said.
She then made it clear just how confident she was at the time that prison was not going to happen.
“If you said to me, ‘I’ll give you $40 million right now, are you going to go to jail?’ I’d be like, ‘No, absolutely not.’”
Porsha Williams then asked Teresa if part of that sense of invincibility came from being a celebrity.
“Part of that invincibility that you felt, was it because you were a celebrity?” Porsha asked.
Teresa disagreed and claimed that being famous actually worked against her.
“No,” Teresa said. “Being a celebrity made me go to jail.”
Teresa then claimed she believes she was made an example of.
“They made an example of me,” Teresa said.
The RHONJ OG also continued to maintain that she did not knowingly do anything wrong.
“I know I didn’t do anything,” Teresa said. “I went to a closing. I put my John Hancock on that dotted line, and I went to jail because of that.”
Teresa made it clear that her stance has not changed.
“My story will never change,” she added.
She also said people knew she was not involved in Joe’s business dealings.
“Everyone knew I had nothing to do with my husband’s business,” Teresa said. “I was a housewife. I stayed home, watched the kids.”
Luann de Lesseps then chimed in, joking, “Made lasagna.”
Teresa agreed, adding that she was living the life of a traditional housewife at the time.
“And cooked,” Teresa said. “I did laundry. I was a real housewife.”
Because of that, Teresa said she genuinely did not believe she would be sentenced to prison.
“I thought, ‘I’m not going to jail. I didn’t do anything,’” Teresa said.
Teresa and Joe’s legal issues became one of the most defining storylines in Real Housewives history. Viewers watched Teresa navigate the investigation, her sentencing, her time away from her daughters and Joe’s deportation after he served his own sentence.