Teresa Giudice Defends Louie Ruelas’ Comment About Margaret Josephs’ Son

Heavy/Peacock Teresa Giudice of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey."

Teresa Giudice defended her husband, Luis “Louis” Ruelas, after he made a controversial comment about Margaret Josephs and her son on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” season 14 finale.

During a wrap-up watch party that aired on August 11, 2024 on Bravo, the cast gathered to watch the finale episode, “After All is Said and Done.”  In the episode, Ruelas said he hoped Josephs and her family would “suffer” after she accused him of harassing her son at work.

Giudice downplayed her husband’s comments about Josephs during the watch party, titled “Off the Rails.” “I don’t care,” she said, before adding that Josephs’ past accusations about her husband put her family through turmoil.

“Listen, my kids suffered! My stepson suffered. My daughters suffered,” Giudice said.

“He was upset,” the RHONJ star added of her husband. “People make mistakes. I know he did not mean to say that. I’ll make sure he says sorry.”

Margaret Josephs Was Horrified By Louie Ruelas’ Comment

PeacockRHONJ cast members react to Louie Ruelas’ comment.

In a shocking scene in the RHONJ finale, Ruelas ranted about Josephs before Giudice left to meet her co-stars for a finale luncheon filmed at Rails Steakhouse.

“Tell her to stay away from our family,” Ruelas said of Josephs. “And you know what? I hope Margaret and her family suffer. You know, I hope her [expletive] son suffers the way I suffered, the way other people in our family have suffered with a woman like that. She is a disgusting, vile human being. She’s a real piece of garbage.”

The RHONJ cast appeared shocked as they watched the scene for the first time.

“I’m horrified,” Josephs said. “I had to make the sign of the cross. That’s disgusting.”

“You should be [horrified]. You have to be a special [expletive] human to say [expletive] like that,” said Giudice’s estranged sister-in-law Melissa Gorga. “That was one of the lowest lows I’ve ever seen said on ‘The Housewives of New Jersey.'”

“I was in shock that he said that. Even if he thought it, that he said it,” co-star Jenn Fessler added.

Giudice’s friend Dolores Catania noted that Ruelas would get “a lot of [expletive]” for what he said about Josephs’ son. “That’s wrong,” Catania said as she shook her head “no.”

“If I could stand here and back him up all the time, as I do, I cannot not say that that was wrong. That’s wrong,” Catania said, prompting Giudice to say, “Dolores, don’t stick up for her in front of me!” She also warned Catania to “drop it.”

Louie Ruelas Apologized For His Remarks

PeacockLouie Ruelas.

After the RHONJ final aired Ruelas did issue an apology for his remarks. But he reiterated that Josephs’ claims about him contacting her son were not true.

In a post to his Instagram story on August 6, 2024,  Ruelas wrote, “The finale was very tough for me to watch, and I want to address it with you all. After watching the finale, I was disappointed in my actions in bringing up Margaret Josephs [sic] son.”

The businessman alleged that the reason he brought up Josephs’ son was because he had been “falsely accused” of calling and threatening him. The allegations were made during the RHONJ season 13 reunion.

In his apology message, Ruelas wrote: “For the last year Margaret kept putting this narrative out there that I called her son at work, and I have had to deal with it knowing I am being lied on. Still, I know better not to bring someone’s child up and it is something I deeply regret so I do want to apologize and acknowledge that I was wrong.”

“We are dealing with a lot of frustrating things behind the scenes, and it has been very hard for our entire family and our children who have been really impacted by all that’s happened at the hands of certain people,” he added.

During the watch party, Giudice said there is only one way she would ever move forward with Josephs. “If she gets on her knees and begs me and says sorry for what she has done,” Giudice said. “It’s been a hard four years. Look how many people this woman tried to destroy. It’s been tough. Louie and I, we’ve been though a lot. But thank God we made it through and it made us stronger.”