Credit: Instagram/ Milania Giudice
Joe Giudice is speaking out after his 20-year-old daughter, Milania Giudice, whom he shares with ex-wife Teresa Giudice, of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, was involved in a concerning airport incident earlier this week.
After Milania, 20, was seen seemingly acting out against Teresa, 54, and her older sister, Gia Giudice, 25, Joe admitted that she was going through a “very difficult” time following the July death of her longtime friend, Victoria Zardoya, as Milania’s rep confirmed she has sought professional help.
“Milania is a good girl. She has a big heart, she loves deeply, and she cares enormously about the people in her life,” Joe said in a September 24 statement to Page Six. “She is also young and going through a very difficult period right now.”
According to Joe, Victoria’s death “affected” his daughter “tremendously,” as has having to process the heartbreaking loss in the spotlight.
“Losing someone you love is incredibly painful, and grief does not have a timeline,” he noted. “She has been trying to process that loss while also dealing with the pressures that come with growing up in the public eye.”
“I know my daughter. I know her heart, and I know that what people may see from the outside does not tell the whole story of what someone is experiencing privately,” Joe continued. “There have been difficult moments, but those moments do not define who Milania is as a person. I love my daughter, and I will always stand beside her.”
“As her father, my priority is making sure my daughter knows that she is loved and supported,” he added. “Our family is doing everything we can to be there for her and give her the support and space she needs right now.”
After a since-deleted video showed Milania repeatedly asking, “This is what we do now,” as mom Teresa told her “I love you,” hit the web, also featuring Milania telling her mother to “shut the f*ck up,” it was reported that Milania had previously been “having suicidal thoughts” and was newly released from a hospital in Tampa.
Months prior, Milania was arrested in New Jersey after “throwing food [and] candles” and “acting erratically” amid an alleged assault against someone who has been identified as “LR,” which many have suspected to indicate Luis Ruelas, 51.
Milania is now seeking professional help.
“Milania is deeply loved by her family and friends, and all of us are doing everything we can to support her as she navigates an incredibly difficult time in her life, particularly following the devastating loss of her best friend, Victoria,” Maria DeSantis, Milania’s manager and longtime family friend, told E! News in a statement. “She is currently surrounded by people who love her and is under the care of professionals who are working with her and her family.”
“[Milania is] a good-hearted and caring young woman who has been going through a very challenging period,” Maria continued. “Our focus right now is simply on her health, healing and well-being. In time, she hopes that being open about her experiences may help other young people facing their own struggles, but for now, we ask for compassion and privacy as she and her family continue to navigate this together.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 15 is coming soon.