Teresa Giudice is “happy and relieved” her husband Joe Giudice has been released from prison, and while she hasn’t given up hope that he can avoid deportation, she has accepted the fact that the odds aren’t in his favor.
The 46-year-old, whose real name is Giuseppe Giudice and who shares four daughters with the Real Housewives of New Jersey star, completed a nearly three-year sentence for fraud on Thursday. But he is not a free man—he remains in federal custody, now by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is awaiting a ruling about his possible deportation to his native Italy, which could spell the end of his and Teresa’s marriage. He has filed an appeal.
“Teresa is happy and relieved for Joe that his prison sentence is over,” a source told E! News. “However, the reality is that Joe’s release really only changes things for Joe. Very little changes for Teresa and the kids as a result of his release. Joe still can’t come home and his deportation is still looming over their heads.”
“Teresa hasn’t given up hope that Joe can win his appeal and avoid deportation,” the source said. “She doesn’t want to see her daughters suffer through that, but she also knows how strong and resilient her girls are. Even though she is hopeful, Teresa has accepted the fact that the odds aren’t in Joe’s favor.”
Teresa, 46, who served a shortened sentence of 11 months in jail in the fraud case, has signaled that she and Joe would split if he were deported to Italy.
“She has been telling her friends for months that she will not relocate to Italy if Joe is deported,” the source told E! News. “She will do what’s best for her children and her father, and in this situation, she feels in her heart staying in Jersey, where her life and financial opportunities are, is the best option for her family’s future.”
“Although she tries to remain optimistic, Teresa is eager for this whole chapter to be over,” the source continued. “She just wants resolution, a final answer. Even though she knows she still has a little more waiting to do, Teresa finally sees the end in sight.”