Teresa Giudice on her explosive season of 'RHONJ' and what to expect on the reunion (2024)

Never has the phrase "love bubble" felt so menacing. Season 12 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey found beleaguered queen bee Teresa Giudice in love with the man of her dreams, Luis "Louie" Ruelas, but not everyone was happy for her.

Margaret Josephs particularly had an ax to grind when stories from Louie's past, including those alleging abuse, started making their way onto the internet and, subsequently, into RHONJ conversations.

Let's just say Teresa didn't take Marge's prying too well, and the entire season turned into one long back and forth as Teresa fought to keep Marge from popping her "love bubble" with Louie.

Check out an exclusive clip below of the reunion — featuring Giudice arguing with her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga about her upcoming wedding — and read on for EW's chat with Giudice about those wedding plans, her grudge against tables, and where things stand with Marge and the ladies.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How are you and Luis now? Are you still in your love bubble?

TERESA GIUDICE: Oh yes, thank God. Yeah. I mean, thank God. If anything, I mean, we were fine before. I love how he is. He's never saw me react that way and I don't want to react that way, what happened in Nashville. I have not done anything like that since the table flip, and in my everyday life that's not who I am. She just kept coming and coming, acting like she was really concerned for me all season long and it was just very hurtful to me. And I kept telling her, "Please stop. I don't care about his past." Listen, he could have judged me on my past. I have a past and he didn't and I don't care about his past and I was going by how he treated me and that's what I kept telling everybody.

And Margaret kept acting like she was concerned, but a real friend, she would stop if she sees you getting upset about it. And that was the thing, too, I wasn't trying to hide anything. There's nothing to hide. From now on, I'm going to let Louie answer everything, because there's nothing to hide. I'm not trying to hide, because even my kids — now that they're looking back — they're like, "Mom, you should have let Louie speak." And I'm like, "You know what? You're right." And here I was trying to protect him because here he is coming in my world. You know what I mean?

It's not like I went into his world. Imagine I went to his world and then all these people start attacking me. I would've felt bad, too. So here he is coming into my world, so I felt bad and I was trying to protect him. But when he speaks, listen, he makes mouths drop. So from now on, I'm just going to make him speak and I'm going to keep my mouth shut, because now he's used to the cameras.

So are you guys planning your wedding now?

Yes, we aaaaare.

How's that going?

It's going amazing. It's going good. Yeah, it's going really good.

Cool. Do you have a date set yet?

Yes, we do.

Do you want to share it?

But, I can't tell you. I'm sorry.

Will it be on camera?

Not sure... not sure. I'm not sure yet.

And how did you feel seeing Gia? It feels like she's like a Housewife now. She has her own confessional. She's getting into it with the ladies. How did you feel seeing her grow into that role?

I love how she handles herself. I really do. But you know what, she's going to school to become a lawyer. I really want her to focus on becoming a lawyer. That's what she's going to school for and... education to me, is really important, so that comes first. And so I can't wait for her — see how she is so amazing — to be doing that in a courtroom. I think she'll be so powerful.

So would you not approve of her becoming more of a Housewife?

Listen, whatever she wants to do — of course, I'm her mom, I'll be her biggest cheerleader — but like I said, I want her to focus on school first. And she needs to be married to be a Housewife. She's not married yet. She's got to slow it down. She's only 21. She's got a long time for that.

And where are you now with Marge? Are things still rough between you two?

Yes, we did not make up at the reunion. Unfortunately.

How was the reunion? Was it hard to film?

Yes, I had one mindset and it ended up not going that way, because I just, I don't know... My eyes kept going at Margaret. I was sitting right across from her and I was just so hurt. Just so hurt. I just wanted to say to her, "Why did you have to do this to us?" All season long — for three to four months — it was just sad. Here I thought that we were friends. And what did she say? I got her hair pulled. No, I didn't get her hair pulled. I didn't pull her hair. Danielle [Staub] asked me, "Should I pull her hair?" I'm like, in the moment, I was like, "Oh my God, that'll make great TV." I'm like, "Yeah, do it."

First of all, I didn't pull her hair. Danielle pulled her hair and I didn't know Danielle was going to pull her hair like she did, but she did it, I guess, out of anger because of everything that she did to her. She poured wine on her. She poured water on her. She threw her husband in the pool. So she did a lot of things to Danielle, but I didn't pull her hair. You know what I mean? I never maliciously did anything to hurt Margaret in any way. In any way. And I know deep down in her heart, she knows that. She knows what type of person I am. I am a good person. I just felt so hurt and betrayed that here you see how happy I am and I just felt like, why'd you have to drag Louie through the mud and say all these hurtful things about him?

And okay, I was just hurt by it. So that's why. And I just kept thinking about that, but I know time heals all wounds, so we'll see what the future holds. But yeah, the reunion, it just, I mean, Louie did amazing. I can't wait for you guys to see how Louie is. He's absolutely amazing. I've got to take a page out of his book, but unfortunately, I just felt very hurt and betrayed and I just felt like... You know how she said she was concerned for me? It didn't come off that way. I know my real friends in life. I still have friends from high school that I'm very close to. They would never treat me the way she did.

I was just trying to protect Luis. He's coming into my world, around all these vultures that are trying to attack him and I felt bad for the poor guy. And I wanted his first year to be a fun experience. And I have to say his first year was not a fun experience thanks to Margaret.

Where did you leave things off with the rest of the ladies after the reunion?

Well, everything, it was pretty much just Margaret and [me]. I'm fine with Melissa. Obviously, with my family. She's always going to be my family. Jackie, we're fine. I'm good with Dolores and I'm good with Jennifer.

I keep hearing how people respond to you differently from the Ultimate Girls Trip than they do to Jersey. Which do you think is a more accurate reflection?

Thank you! Thank you! I know! I want them to show more of that Teresa than from New Jersey.

So you think the Ultimate Girls Trip, that reflection is more accurate than the Jersey one?

Yes. I would say, well, you know what? Because I feel like the Ultimate Girls Trip, we were lifting each other up. That's what we're supposed to do in life. You're supposed to lift each other up, not knock each other down. And like anything else, if someone comes after you, I'm sure you're going to be defensive or you're going to fight back. You're not just going to let somebody stomp all over you or say all these things that are not true about you. You're going to stand up for yourself, correct?

Yeah.

So I feel like I'm always in defense mode on my show, because it's always someone coming, trying to attack me, trying to say something negative or just something. And it's just, oh, my God, trust me, it does get tiring.

So after all these years, do you still enjoy being a Housewife?

Mmm, yes. Yes, because you know what? I've been doing it now for so long. I hate getting attacked every season. It's like all right, already.

Can I have a good season for once? I mean, maybe season 13. The number three, my mother put out there, the number three is my lucky number. So hopefully, season 13 will be a good season for me, God willing. And it's the year I'm getting married too.

The first part of The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion airs May 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

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