Joe Giudice, ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice, was deported to Italy in 2019 after serving 41 months in prison and being held in an ICE facility. Now, years later, he’s sharing his raw feelings about the situation, saying he shouldn’t have been deported. This comes several months after their daughter, Gia Giudice, spoke out in support of a potential pardon for her father.
‘RHONJ’ Alum Joe Giudice Speaks Out Against His Deportation
Giudice spoke to Page Six in April 2026, discussing the life he’s made for himself in The Bahamas since moving there in 2021. However, despite having progressed since being released from prison and starting over, the former “RHONJ” cast member disagrees with his deportation.
He told the outlet, “I definitely don’t think I should have been deported. I was [in the US] since I was a year old. I have four kids there. I was married. Got my whole family there.” Still, Giudice admits that his deportation was “my fault” as he had the opportunity to become a citizen.”
The 53-year-old said, “You know, it was my fault. I had a chance to become a citizen many, many times.”
Giudice Discusses His Prison Sentence
The “RHONJ” alum continued the Page Six conversation by discussing how he believes his sentence would have differed if he had been a citizen, saying it might have been “a little misdemeanor,” and that he would have been handed “13 months … 14 months.”
According to him, “But being that I wasn’t a citizen, I had to do all that extra time and go through all that.” From there, men mentioned the toll his deportation had on his ex as well as their four daughters.
Later in the interview, Giudice also expressed regret over accepting the plea deal with his ex-wife. He explained, “The lawyers were like, ‘Just take the plea. Teresa is going to stay home, and you go to jail.’ Well, when we went to court, it didn’t happen that way.”
For context, they were both sentenced to prison, with her reporting in January 2015 and serving 11 months of her 15-month sentence. He began his prison sentence in March of the following year.
The Father-Of-Four Won’t Appeal Again
Giudice has tried to appeal his deportation multiple times. However, he’s been unsuccessful with each filing, leading him to speculate that “somebody in there has it out for [him].” Regarding his future, he stated that he does not plan to file another appeal.
According to the former Bravo star, “I don’t wanna live [in the US]. I really don’t wanna live there. All I wanna do is be able to go to my daughters’ graduations. You know, when we have Easter, we have Christmas, holidays. Because it’s a lot for my family, for everybody, to come here.”
Gia Giudice Has Spoken In Support Of Joe
Giudice’s eldest daughter, star of Bravo’s “Next Gen NYC,” has been vocal about her desire for her father to receive a presidential pardon. The 25-year-old “Casual Chaos with Gia Giudice” host said in a video, “My name is Gia Giudice. I’m the daughter of Joe Giudice, and today I’m using my voice for something deeply personal.”
She continued, saying that as a result of her father’s deportation, the rest of the family “has lived in an emotional limbo.” Giudice went on, “No matter how strong we try to be, the absence of a father, of a parent, is something that never stops hurting.”
Giudice then referred to Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley being pardoned. The “Next Gen” star added, “Watching the Chrisley family receive a second chance inspired me. It showed me that people can be forgiven, that families can be restored, and that sometimes the justice system has room for grace. That gave me hope. Hope that maybe my dad could come home, too.”
Teresa Giudice Gave An Update On Joe In 2025
Following the deportation and respective prison sentences, both Giudices have moved on. Regarding the “RHONJ” star, she gave an update on where they stand in more recent years. Notably, this was months after their daughter pleaded for a presidential pardon.
Per Bravo, she said while at BravoCon 2025 in November, “You know what? He’s in the girls’ lives. The girls love him. He’s a good dad and, you know, we do get along now. We always did get along …. We still talk now, but he lives in the Bahamas, and I live in Jersey, so I wish him well.”
She then gave an update on his dating life, saying, “And he’s dating a lawyer, so I’m happy for him.”