Heavy Prison fence.
Teresa Giudice opened up about the prison sentence she served nearly a decade ago. In 2015, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star turned “Dancing With the Stars” contestant served 11 months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn. for charges of bankruptcy fraud.
In January 20234, Giudice opened up about the experience in an interview on the “Hollywood Raw” podcast – and her recollection was surprisingly positive.
Giudice described a “camp” setting at the correctional facility that housed inmates convicted of “white-collar crimes.” “My roommate was a politician, there were doctors and lawyers, and there were a lot of cool people there,” she told podcast hosts Dax Holt and Adam Glyn.
“It wasn’t bad where I was,” the RHONJ star added. “I tell my daughter it’s like being at college, but the only thing is I just couldn’t leave. I had to stay there.”
Giudice added, “I mean, I was able to go outside and get fresh air. And I have to say the grounds were so beautiful. The scenery was beautiful.”
Teresa Giudice Spent Time Cooking, Doing Yoga & Writing a Book
Giudice previously told TMZ she passed the time in prison by working out, practicing yoga, and manifesting what she wanted. “I wrote my book when I was in prison,” she added, in reference to her 2016 memoir, “Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again.”
In addition, Giudice also spent time in the prison kitchen. “I actually cooked there also because I’m a cook — I’m a three-time New York Times best-selling author, three of my cookbooks,” she told “Hollywood Raw.” Giudice told the podcast her signature prison dish was a chicken stir fry.
In 2015, an insider told the New York Post of Giudice’s assignment to kitchen duty was one of her chores. “She’s not in laundry (as had been incorrectly reported), she’s in the kitchen cooking,” the source said at the time.
Teresa Giudice’s Return Home From Prison Aired on RHONJ
While she didn’t have a terrible time in prison, Giudice couldn’t wait to get out and reunite with her then-husband, Joe, and their four daughters, Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana.
Her return to her New Jersey home played out on the 7th season of RHONJ, which aired in 2016. In the reunion episode, Giudice’s eldest daughter Gia got her sisters up for their mom’s early morning return days before Christmas in December 2015. Bravo filmed the tearful reunion as Giudice entered her home after nearly one year away. “I was dreaming about this moment for the past 11 months,” she said in a confessional.
While paparazzi surrounded the driveway as she returned home, Giudice told “Hollywood Raw” that she set up a paid deal for her first post-prison photo.
“I was like, ‘If they’re gonna get it anyway, I might as well make money off of it,’” she explained. People magazine obtained the first photo of Giudice after her jail sentence. Hours after her release in December 2015, the outlet shared a photo of Giudice standing next to a black SUV. The RHONJ veteran’s release came at 5:01 a.m. on December 23, 2015.
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DWTS Alum Compares Prison Stint to College