Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice
When Teresa Giudice learned that she would be spending 15 months in prison for fraud, she was so nervous she couldn't even open her hands. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star has spoken publicly for the first time since her sentencing and reveals that she was shocked at what the judge handed down.
Giudice and her husband Joe, who will serve 41 months in prison, sat down with Bravo's Watch What Happens Live Monday for an exclusive interview the day after the court hearing and shared her feelings on the matter.
Celebrities who have survived scandal
When asked about what she's thinking about heading into prison, Giudice says her thoughts are only with her four daughters. "I just want to make sure my daughters are okay, that's all I want."
Teresa's oldest daughter Gia has been nothing but supportive of the reality star, helping her mother through this difficult time. "She said it's going to be OK. She was being strong for me, I could tell," she says, adding that Gia even offered to help take care of her three younger siblings. "Oh, my God, it broke my heart when she said that."
Though Teresa admits her sentencing "shocked" her, she does say it was a huge wake-up call. "I do need to read things before I sign. I do need to understand things before I sign them. I'm a trustworthy person. And sometimes I take what other people say and I just believe them and I trust them. And I cant do that anymore," she says.
The Giudices didn't agree to the interview just to tell their side of the story though. It turns out that Teresa and Joe earned $325,000 for the interview, TMZ reports, which will cover a large portion of the restitution they owe the government from the fraud.
Check out a preview of Part 2, airing Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo.
