Teresa Giudice explains why fans are finally getting to see the real Teresa, teases who she butted heads with on the Real Housewives: All-Stars spinoff, and reveals the surprising person she calls a “friend for a lifetime.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey fans have been following Teresa’s life for over a decade, but according to the reality star, she hasn’t been able to be her authentic self until recently. In a new interview, Teresa explained that the new Housewives mashup series — along with the upcoming RHONJ season 11 reunion — will showcase a side of her viewers have never seen.
“I was so happy I was a part of [the spinoff], and it was amazing,” she told Us Weekly. “I feel like everyone’s going to get to know more of who Teresa Giudice really is. All the other years I feel like I’ve been attacked, and that’s what happens I guess when you’re the OG. Everyone wants to take you down. But I feel like this trip was different and even the reunion, I feel like everyone is going to start to get to know the real Teresa. I always had to be in defense mode, and if people are coming after me, of course, I have to defend myself — anybody would.”
The 48-year-old went on to say she was in a good place when she first began her reality TV journey, but her attitude quickly changed once she fell out with former co-stars Carolina Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita. However, she does admit that her past legal troubles also played a role in the shift.
“I started the show being very happy, and then you see it, everyone coming after me, attacking me, trying to take me down,” she claimed. “Like, all the seasons. It’s been me trying to defend myself year after year after year, from starting out with Caroline, Jacqueline — you want me to go down the line? Attack, attack, attack, and then all the legal stuff.”
She added, “If somebody’s coming after you and attacking you, you have to defend yourself. You’re not going to let them just trample all over you. When you’re on the top, everybody wants to try to take you down, and listen, nobody’s going to do that. Like my book says, Standing Strong — I’m always going to stand strong. Like, for instance, I’m on the top now. I’m over it all. Like, I’m done.”
Though filming the mashup spinoff in Turks and Caicos was a great experience for the mother-of-four, it wasn’t completely drama-free as she “had some words” with Real Housewives of New York City star Ramona Singer. But, Teresa admits she and Ramona are actually similar in one hilarious way.
“She does mix up her words like I do, and sometimes she says the craziest things,” she noted. “Like, [stuff] will come to her mind right away, and that’s what I do too, so I feel like we do have that in common, but it’s not going to be too much.”
As for who Teresa enjoyed the most out of the all-star group, that would be Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s Kenya Moore, who she considers “a friend for [a] lifetime.” The two had only worked together once before the spinoff, but they apparently made a lasting impression on one another as the Fabulicious author proclaimed she’ll “have [Kenya’s] back for life, forever and ever and ever.”
“We did work together once, and she did say that when we worked together, we did bond. She did tell me that,” Teresa shared. “She’s like, ‘I felt connected [to] you ever since the first time I met you,’ and we talked. We got really close. She lives in Atlanta, I live in [New Jersey]. It’s hard, but it was nice. It was great seeing her. It’s amazing how you can connect with someone, and then you see how it plays out on the show.”
Teresa concluded by claiming she’s not a “troublemaker.” Though she likes to state her opinion, she believes her intentions are pure.
“You have to understand who I am. I’m not a troublemaker,” she declared. “If I have something to tell you, I’ll tell you right to your face and that’s it. It’s up to you how you handle it. I just say it the way it is, but some people can take it, some people can’t.”
She added, “Maybe I’m going to start learning to not be so vocal and maybe take a step back. Just sometimes … like, I come from a good place, but some people don’t understand it. I guess you have to get to know me to see that I’m coming from a good place. Like, in life, we all get wiser and we’re all learning. We’re learning every day.”
Part one of the two-part Real Housewives of New Jersey season 11 reunion airs Wednesday, May 19, at 9/8c on Bravo, and the Real Housewives: All-Stars spinoff is expected to premiere on Peacock sometime this year.
Photos Credit: Bravo