After 20 years together, Joe and Teresa Giudice have officially ended their marriage. According to People , after separating in December 2019, they have finalized their divorce.
“Joe and Teresa are in an amazing place and are very supportive of one another,” a source said. “They still have love for each other, they just aren’t in love with each other.”
Things fell apart for the couple when Joe was deported back to his native Italy following the completion of his sentence behind bars for fraud.
Reportedly, neither one of them wanted to have a long-distance relationship and Teresa was determined to stay in the United States to raise their girls.
While the couple had a prenup before getting married — that included a clause for cheating by either party — there was some worry among Teresa’s family that Joe would come after her for spousal support. Teresa’s brother, Joe Gorga, said that he had urged her to hurry the process along.
“I’ve been talking to her and pushing her, like, ‘When are you getting a divorce?’” he said previously. “Send him the papers, sign!”
In April, Joe Gorga confirmed that the couple was nearing completion on the paperwork. Since then, the two have largely been supportive of each other in public and have been focused on their four daughters.
Vikki Ziegler, former star of Bravo’s Untying the Knot , weighed in on the news. She cheered the couple for reaching a divorce agreement without the messy involvement of a drawn-out court battle. Instead, the pair used the mediation process.
“Despite the pandemic and difficulty of Joe residing in Italy full time, with the use of technology, the couple was able to work together for the best interests of their children to come to terms on all open topics relative to their marriage,” she said.
She added that a divorce through the courts could have cost them years and tons of money.
The news comes just a day after a source claimed that Teresa was still in love with her ex and wasn’t rushing to divorce him because she wanted to use the separation as a focus of her storyline on the Real Housewives of New Jersey , as The Inquisitr reported.
Dolores Catania reportedly felt that Teresa would do anything to be with her former husband, but she needed a story that could overshadow Dolores’ own philanthropic work. The newcomer to the show reportedly wants Teresa off so that other stars can shine.
