Credit: Instagram
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice’s daughter, Milania Giudice, has had a hard year, and it seems to not be letting up.
As fans are well aware, Milania, 20, was arrested earlier this year for alleged assault.
Now, it has been revealed that her best friend, Victoria Zardoya, 20, has tragically passed away.
Victoria Silberbusch, a friend of Victoria Zardoya’s, released a statement “at the request” of Victoria’s family that Milania reposted.
She explained that Victoria had traveled to Tampa, Florida, on Friday, July 24, for a weekend to visit friends, and she “sustained fatal injuries due to a devastating fall” during an exploration of the ruins of Fort Dade, a site from the Spanish-American War.
“What began as a fun, innocent day on the water with both old and new friends ended in an unimaginable and unexpected tragedy,” the statement on Instagram shared on July 26 stated.
Milania Giudice poses with her best friend Victoria Zardoya months before her tragic passing. Credit: Instagram
As the group (which included Victoria Silberbusch) prepared to leave the site, “everything changed in a matter of seconds” when Victoria fell onto a set of stairs.
“At first, we thought Victoria had fallen only one level,” the statement continued. “We ran to the edge, calling out to her, but quickly realized she had fallen much farther than we first believed.”
While some of the group “immediately began climbing down” to try to get to Victoria Zardoya, Victoria Silberbusch stated others called 911 and friends on a boat nearby “launched flares to help first responders locate us as quickly as possible.”
“We stayed with Victoria and held her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible while we waited for first responders to arrive,” she elaborated. “Paramedics responded by boat, and a medical helicopter was eventually able to transport her to the hospital after an incredibly difficult rescue.”
Victoria Silberbusch noted Victoria Zardoya was “surrounded by people who cared, people who fought for her, and people who refused to give up hope,” and she insisted that every person “did everything within their power to help her.”
Two days after the incident, Victoria died on July 26.
“There are experiences that divide your life into a before and an after. This was one of them,” the statement concluded. “If this tragedy reminds us of anything, I hope it’s this: life is unimaginably precious,” she concluded. “Hold the people you love a little tighter. Say the things you’ve been meaning to say. None of us know how many ordinary moments we have left.”
Milania paid a tribute to Victoria by resharing photos of her on her Instagram Stories as well as a quote that asked the public to “please keep Victoria, her family, and everyone who loved her in your thoughts.”
Joe Giudice also took to his Instagram page to mourn Victoria, writing, “There are no words for this kind of pain. Victoria, you were like a daughter to me. I watched you grow up with my daughter Milania. We were neighbors for years, and you became part of our family. I can’t believe you’re gone.”
He added, “To think that a simple fall while just being young and having fun could take such a beautiful life is heartbreaking. You were only 20 years old, with your whole future ahead of you… Victoria, you will be missed more than you’ll ever know. You’ll always have a place in our hearts, and I’ll never forget you. My heart is with your family. Rest in peace, beautiful girl. Until we meet again. 🕊️💔”
Teresa responded to Joe’s post by commenting, “🙏❤️.”
Gia Giudice also commented on Joe’s post, writing, “Rest easy my sweet angel♥️🪽.”