Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice‘s children may have been rooting for their parents to stay together, despite the ocean between them, but sadly, that’s not going to happen.
On the heels of the Real Housewives of New Jersey stars’ separation news, a source close to the family is speaking out about the way in which their kids, Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 10, have been handling the news.
They are “doing as well as possible given it all,” a source confirmed to Hollywood Life on December 17.
According to the report, Teresa and Joe have been considering a separation for some time but chose to keep their decision “very, very close to the vest” as they lived “separate lives.” That said, when it comes to the people close to them, the insider said their split wasn’t at all shocking to anyone.
“This decision is not something that came overnight and they’ve both known this split was happening for a while,” the source continued. “They still talk all of the time, but Teresa has really struggled with what Joe put her and the family through.”
In recent years, Teresa and Joe have both spent time in prison. After Joe completed his sentence earlier this year, he was transported to an immigration detention center after he was ordered by a judge to be deported. Then, because the conditions were so poor at the facility, Joe requested he be released from the facility. He was ultimately allowed to return to his home country of Italy as he awaited a final ruling on his deportation appeal.
“[Teresa’s] felt for a while now that the marriage was over. Her priorities have totally changed since both she and Joe went away [to prison] and her main focus is raising her daughters and getting her dad’s health back on track,” the source stated.
As for Teresa moving on, the insider said, “She’s not even thinking about marrying or dating again.”
As fans of RHONJ will recall, Teresa was accused of dating a new man earlier this year after being spotted holding hands with realtor Blake Schreck in Florida.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 10 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.