Teresa and Joe Giudice Had a Rocky 2 Decades: See Their Relationship Timeline

October 1999

Back before the turn of the millennium, Joe and Teresa first tied the knot on October 23 after, as Teresa says, she knew him her whole life. At the time, Teresa and Joe were both 27.

January 2001

Not long after tying the knot, the couple became pregnant with their first daughter, and Gia was born in January 2001.

October 2004

A few years later, the family-of-three became a family-of-four with the birth of their second daughter, Gabriella.

February 2006

A year and some change later, Milania came along, and their family continued to grow.

May 2009

The first season of Real Housewives of New Jersey premiered on May 12, 2009, with Teresa and Joe as two members of the main cast.

September 2009

A few months later, the couple welcomed their fourth and final daughter, Audriana.

Summer 2010

Not long after, rumors swirled that Joe had been having an affair with his secretary, who was also the family’s former nanny. “You told me … you walked in on your husband when he had someone on the desk in his office. … You caught him with the secretary, babysitter,” Jacqueline Laurita said in October 2012 on the RHONJ reunion. The couple overcame the ordeal and stuck together.

September 2011

After being married for nearly 12 years and enduring some rocky times, the couple decided to renew their vows. “I was just so happy… marriage means for better or for worse. We’ve been through a lot, and if anything, it’s just made us stronger,” Teresa told In Touch about her second wedding. “I wanted to show my girls that marriage is really important, as is being faithful to one another.”

June 2013

Not long after, though, the couple was still struggling, including reports that Joe had multiple affairs. “Teresa comes from a very religious Italian family that doesn’t believe in divorce — that’s why she’s put up with so much,” an insider told In Touch. “It’s gotten to the point where, for the first time, Teresa could leave him and still have her family’s support. He’s put her through that much.”

July 2013

Not long after, their legal troubles started, too. In July 2013, the couple was indicted on 39 charges including bank fraud, wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud.

August 2013

A month later, the couple officially entered a plea of not guilty — but that would soon change.

March 2014

A few months after that, both Teresa and Joe plead guilty on multiple charges of fraud. “Today, I took responsibility for a series of mistakes I made several years ago. I have said throughout that I respect the legal process and thus I intend to address the Court directly at sentencing. I will describe the choices I made, continue to take responsibility for my decisions, and express my remorse to Judge Salas and the public. I am heartbroken that this is affecting my family — especially my four young daughters, who mean more to me than anything in the world. Beyond this, I do not intend to speak specifically about the case outside of court, at the recommendation of my attorney and out of deference to the Government and our legal system,” Teresa said in a statement released at the time.

October 2014

At their sentencing, Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, and Joe was given a 41-month sentence. It was agreed, however, that they could serve their time separately so that one parent could always be home with their children.

January 2015

Teresa was up first, beginning her sentence on January 5.

March 2015

Within a few months of Teresa surrendering herself to federal custody, cheating rumors began to swirl once more. In Touch caught the father-of-four allegedly hooking up with a party girl named Jamie Jackson in Atlantic City, New Jersey. An insider told In Touch they were “full-on making out” and they “went back to the room and things got crazy,” though Joe denied all claims.

December 2015

Less than a year after she began serving her sentence, Teresa was released early on December 23, just in time to spend the holiday with her family.

March 2016

A few months later, it was Teresa’s husband’s turn to begin serving his own sentence. “It was obviously a very emotional day, but this is a very strong family with a tremendous support system, and they will get through this, just as they did when Teresa was away,” their lawyer told Life & Style.

July 2017

The separation was apparently hard for Teresa, but as the star started to work on her second memoir, she seemed to start to get mad at her husband. “She was, and still is, very angry at Joe for putting their family in this position,” the insider said. “She was at the height of her success when everything went down. They went on fabulous vacations and had beautiful cars and jewelry and, most importantly, their freedom. Joe ruined all of that,” a source told In Touch. “She doesn’t visit Joe in prison as often as she used to.”

August 2017

Within a month, rumors started swirling that the couple’s marriage “may be over” as a source told In Touch that the mother of four was becoming accustomed to being on her own — and discovering that she liked it. There were even rumors that she was having an affair of her own, with costar Kim DePaola accusing her of being “out every night with some guy.” Teresa denied the rumors, telling Life & Style that her husband “doesn’t have anything to worry about.”

October 2017

A few months after that, reports surfaced that the star was planning to leave her husband once he was out of prison. “Teresa is done with Joe and is already making plans for a life without him,” a source told In Touch. “After everything Joe put her through, she feels she deserves the freedom to do whatever she pleases. She hits the bars and clubs all the time and enjoys herself. She has moved on from Joe and is on the prowl looking for a new, rich man.” She said as much herself in her memoir, Standing Strong. “People think that I’d never leave Joe. But that’s not the case,” she wrote. “If things with Joe aren’t good… between us when he gets home, I’d absolutely end our relationship.”

January 2018

The star was spotted flirting in the beginning of 2018, wearing “a series of eye-popping bikinis and no wedding ring” while on vacation. It was reported that she’d started dodging some of her husband’s phone calls from prison a few months earlier. “She has said, ‘Enough is enough. I don’t need to put up with this,'” an insider told In Touch. “Joe has been more and more verbally abusive to Teresa over the phone. … Joe was so controlling. Teresa feels free with him in prison.”

October 2018

Later that year, the couple found out that Joe was set to be deported after serving his time. Though the star had moved to the United States with his family when he was only a baby, he was born in Italy and not an American citizen. Though Teresa seemed to hint to Andy Cohen during the Season 8 RHONJ reunion that she’d be willing to move her family to Italy, cast mate Kim wasn’t having it. “Absolutely not! She ain’t moving nowhere,” Kim told Life & Style. “She’s staying here. She’s going to film her show, she’s going to ride the wave. No. That marriage was over when I said it was.”

January 2019

On an episode of RHONJ, the star held onto hope that her husband might get to come home instead of being deported. But later that same month, a source at the reunion taping revealed that Teresa allegedly said that the couple may “go [their] separate ways” due to the deportation.

February 2019

Teresa was spotted holding hands with a new man, 20-something Blake Schreck. They were “flirting, holding hands and cuddling,” a source told In Touch at the time. She was also spotted “getting cozy” with him on New Year’s Eve, though her lawyer denied any romance rumors.

May 2019

Months later, Us Weekly reported that the family was able to visit Joe in ICE custody for one hour on his 47th birthday. “They actually went to see him today, yeah,” Joe Gorga shared. “But it’s harder, it’s a tougher spot.”

June 2019

One month later, the RHONJ star was seen again with her beau at an NYC bar. “They were laughing a lot together. Blake was making Teresa laugh, and she was giggling. They looked very much like a couple on a date,” a source told Us.

October 2019

In September 2019, Joe’s bond request was denied, and by October, he had requested to leave ICE custody so he could return to Italy. Around that time, he boarded a flight back to the country where he was born.

October 2019

That same month, the couple opened up to Bravo TV host Andy Cohen about the status of their relationship amid the deportation and cheating allegations during a tell-all special. “I mean listen, I don’t like that she said that and I don’t like that she took a photo with another man,” Joe said. “[But] as long as she’s happy, that’s all that really matters … I’m not going to tell her what to do. If she doesn’t feel like she wants to be with me anymore, that’s the thing to do.”

Teresa admitted that she didn’t “see it working” from separate continents. “How are we going to live apart?” she said. “I don’t think, like, that he would be faithful. I don’t. I think he would have someone there and have me here. I don’t want to live that life. I just don’t.”

November 2019

When asked about the future of her marriage, Teresa revealed they were planning to “figure that out” in person when she visited Joe in Italy with their daughters in November. And that’s exactly what they did.

December 2019

The answer? It’s over. In Touch confirmed the couple is separating after 20 years of marriage. “Teresa and Joe have split, but everyone saw it coming. No one is really surprised,” a source revealed. “Even their daughters knew it was coming and their recent trip to Italy was all about spending quality time together and discussing the real issue at hand — they were splitting up.”

September 2020

Teresa and Joe finalized their divorce after 20 years of marriage on Wednesday, September 2, In Touch confirmed. Teresa put their marital home on the market one day after their divorce was finalized.

November 2020

Joe enjoyed a reunion with daughters Gia and Milania in Italy after nearly one year apart. “It would be nice if all four came,” the reality TV dad previously told E! News, “but the little one’s got dance and Gabriella is very on top of her game, she doesn’t like to miss anything.”

That same month, Teresa went public with her new man, Luis “Louie” Ruelas, whom she met during the “very end of summer at the Jersey Shore,” an insider told In Touch at the time.

She also shared a cryptic quote seemingly aimed at ex-husband Joe via her Instagram Story. “Be patient, sometimes you have to go through the worst to get to the best,” the message read.

December 2020

Following his ex’s romance reveal, Joe was proud to share the news of his budding relationship with girlfriend Daniela Fittipaldi.

February 2021

Joe gushed over his new flame, Daniela, on Valentine’s Day. “Thank you for accepting me and not trying to change me. Thank you for seeing the best in me,” he wrote alongside a video and photo montage. “I love the way your eyes light up when [we are] together. I love hearing about what matters to you. I am thankful for you and your family. And most of all, I love the way YOU [LOVE] MY KIDS. My life is so much better because you are here with me.”

Meanwhile, Teresa shared a big update on where he was staying. “[Joe is] living in the Bahamas right now,” she told Extra TV. “He’s gonna be fighting. He’s doing a celebrity fight.”

April 2021

Joe opened up about his “awkward” reunion with ex Teresa and her new man, Luis, in the Bahamas. “You can all imagine how I felt when they walked in the room. It was awkward to see my ex after a lifetime together with someone else,” he told Us Weekly about their meet-up in March. “Teresa and I decided to be honest and remain friends with one another for the girls.”

“Parenting should always be about giving your children the best outcomes for every situation,” he explained, revealing he has no ill will toward the couple. “I believe we deserve to all be happy and our children will thank us for it. I am genuinely happy for both Teresa and Luis and wish them the best!”