Teresa Giudice doesn't want the world to see her cry.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star appeared in a pre-taped interview that aired on ABC's Good Morning America Tuesday. She became emotional while discussing her husband, Joe Giudice, who began serving a 41-month prison sentence in March after pleading guilty to conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud charges. The transition has been tough, to say the least. "It's hard. We e-mail every day," Teresa admitted. "We talk every day, and I see him every week."
The Bravo reality star completed her own 11-month stint in prison late last year. Asked if she gave Joe any advice before he began his sentence, she said, "Well, he lived through the whole thing. I'm just...I'm getting emotional." As tears welled in her eyes, she turned away from the camera and apologized to ABC News correspondent Mara Schiavocampo. "Sorry," she said. When she returned to the couch, Teresa was asked whether her future with Joe is uncertain, given that he is not a U.S. citizen and could possibly be deported to Italy when his sentence ends. "No, I think our future is not uncertain," said Teresa, who married Joe in New Jersey in 1999. "He's gonna be home, we're gonna be together, and that's that I'm looking forward to."
Joe's absence has been hard on his daughters—although Gia Giudice, 15, Gabriella Giudice, 11, Milania Giudice, 10, and Audriana Giudice, 6, are now used to having just one parent at home. "They miss their dad, of course—tremendously—just like I do," Teresa said. "But, you know, they're doing as well as could be expected. They're amazing. They're really strong young girls."
The family's ups and downs will play out this season in The Real Housewives of New Jersey, returning July 10, as will Teresa's relationship with her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga. Now friends again, "I feel like it's like how it used to be," Teresa said. Gorga added, "We have like a funny banter together and we have fun together. I just think that she's calmer, just a little bit calmer."
With most of her legal troubles behind her, Teresa is ready for a fresh start. "You do grow, and you learn from your experiences," she told Maria, "and that's obviously what happened to me."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)