Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice has been the center of the series, for better or worse, for years. In the early seasons, we saw Teresa married to “Juicy” Joe Giudice. The couple shared four adorable daughters.
People reported in July 2013 that the couple was indicted on federal fraud charges. Teresa and Juicy were accused of hiding their assets in their bankruptcy filing and applying for loans while misrepresenting their income. Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in prison. When Teresa returned “from camp,” her husband went in for 41 months. After serving his sentence, he was deported to Italy. The couple divorced in 2021.
Enter Luis Ruelas. Some of her RHONJ co-stars had concerns about Luis’ past, but all Teresa saw was “love, love, love.” After dating for two years, Luis and Teresa were wed in a spectacular ceremony.
Spirits were high, just like Teresa’s matrimonial tresses. But her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, chose not to attend the ceremony. US Weekly reported that Luis called Juicy the day that he married Teresa. At least her two husbands get along.
I think it is safe to say that our Jersey queen has a type. Let’s look at all the similarities between her two husbands, Joe Giudice and Luis Ruelas.
Joe and Luis both have tempers
Juicy was prone to belittling Teresa, especially if he was drinking. One night, viewers saw him threaten to “smack” his wife’s head against the wall. He had consumed his body weight in wine, but his behavior wasn’t acceptable.
Teresa’s new hubby also possessed a fiery temper. Page Six reported that his ex-wife, Marisa DiMartino, alleged that in 2012, during a “heated” argument, he shoved her into a metal pole.
According to another report from Page Six, Luis was allegedly involved in a road rage incident in August 2018. He was charged with simple assault.
And RHONJ fans have seen Luis lose his temper and scream at people, including Teresa. At the Season 13 reunion, he was straight-up scary when he low-key threatened his co-stars. I’m concerned about this marriage, and not just because Luis has rocked Nonno’s pajamas.
Both Luis and Joe have stirred the pot
Juicy wasn’t afraid to spar with Joe Gorga or insult his wife, Melissa. But Luis perfected his pot-stirring skills. He managed to interject himself into the family drama between Teresa and her brother under the guise of being Zen and trying to mend the rift in the family.
During Season 13, he claimed to have hired a private investigator named Bo Dietl to dig up dirt on all his co-stars. He later denied it, attributing the claims to speaking while angry. Well, Luis’ behavior at the reunion and claims he hired someone to investigate them shook up the cast.
Both men had shady business dealings
I think that Juicy and Teresa’s stints in jail speak volumes about her ex-husband’s business practices. Apparently, Teresa didn’t read the papers that Juicy asked her to sign. That was a big mistake. Who says Real Housewives isn’t educational?
Now let’s take a look at Luis’ business problems. The U.S. Sun reported that Luis’ company, Produce Depot, was sued by several vendors for not paying for produce that was delivered. The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2022, to the tune of $1,660,488.10.
According to US Weekly, in May 2023, his company Digital Media Solutions was sued for supposed harassment. Juanita Williams was allegedly receiving telemarketing calls from both Digital Media Solutions and Choice Health Insurance. She filed a class-action lawsuit against the companies.
In the trailer for Season 14 of RHONJ, there were rumors that Luis burned through a lot of Teresa’s money and that there was tension in their marriage. Let’s not forget that the couple didn’t sign a prenup. Oof.
They both have beef with Joe Gorga
Juicy Joe and Joe Gorga blamed each other for Teresa’s stint in jail. Joe blamed his ex-brother-in-law for valid reasons. But Juicy and Teresa believed that Joe or Melissa turned them into the feds. And Juicy even claimed to Celebuzz that Joe stole from his parents. “The only person that hurt Teresa and Joe’s dad was Joe Gorga,” Juicy alleged. “The parents lost their home because of Joe Gorga.”
There was also bad blood between Luis and Joe. The feud started over a business idea for a pizza oven. Joe said that the business would honor his late father, Giacinto “Nonno” Gorga. Joe said that Luis put some money in, and Joe thought that the business would be split evenly between the two families. But Luis reportedly stole the idea from Joe.
Of course, Teresa had a different spin on the story. She alleged that Luis put in “all the money” but her brother still wanted 50 percent of the profits. “My fiancé lost a quarter of a million dollars,” Teresa stated. Perhaps most distressing of all? Teresa claimed that she was just doing what her husband told her to do. Has Teresa learned nothing from her first marriage?
There are so many similarities between Joe Giudice and Luis Ruelas that it is crazy. Stay tuned to Season 14 of RHONJ to see what is going on between Teresa and Luis in their marriage.
Season 14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on Bravo on Sunday, May 5.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN JOE GIUDICE AND LUIS RUELAS? WILL TERESA AND LUIS STAY MARRIED?
