‘RHONJ’ Star Joe Giudice Denies Deportation Rumors, Will Return To Wife, Kids

“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Joe Giudice rubbished rumors that he was being deported back to Italy before his prison term ended in 2019.

In a statement to the People Magazine, James J. Leonard Jr., the Giudice family attorney, said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not approached them to begin deportation proceedings against Teresa Giudice's husband.

“I can state with absolute certainty that no decision has been made regarding the immigration status of Joe Giudice,” Leonard Jr. said. “The same immigration detainer that was lodged against him in March of 2016 remains in place today, but I want to be absolutely clear about this, no judicial authority has made any decision regarding what will happen with that detainer.”

“Mr. Giudice has immigration counsel who are and have been working aggressively on his behalf so that he can return home to his wife and four young daughters and we remain optimistic that that is how this will end,” the statement added.

Joe was sentenced to the 41 months in jail after being convicted in a mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud case. Rumors that Joe is in the process of getting deported started making the rounds after Radar Online published a report that the 46-year-old reality star “in deportation proceedings while he’s in custody.” According to an identified ICE spokesperson, the agency “has lodged a detainer, and he (Joe) is in removal proceedings.”

“If he is ordered deported while in custody, he will be removed from the U.S.,” the spokesperson added.

Deportation seemed to be an inevitability for Joe, as the report also mentioned that if the father of four happened to complete his sentence in the U.S., he will be sent back to Italy once he is released from jail. He also reportedly attended a hearing via Virtual Teleconference on June 20 regarding his imminent deportation.

This means that he will not be going back to his wife and four kids once he is free from prison – a reunion that according to an unnamed source who spoke to People, the family was looking forward to more than anything else.

“These last few years have been tough on everybody,” the insider said, adding Teresa “can’t wait to be reunited” with her husband.

Teresa served an 11-month-long prison term after she was convicted for the same crimes as her husband, back in 2015. After she was released from prison, Teresa put on a brave face during a RHONJ reunion show, hoping that her husband got whatever was best for him.

“I mean, Italy’s a beautiful place to live,” Teresa told the show’s host, Andy Cohen. “I wouldn’t mind, you know, I’m just saying. Listen, whatever God has planned for me, that’s what’s going to happen. I will embrace it the best I can.”

In 2014 the couple pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud, and Joe pleaded guilty to not paying about $200,000 in taxes. In September 2017, he admitted he was under an ICE detainer, but maintained that removal proceedings had not begun against him.