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"I am genuinely happy for both Teresa and Luis and wish them the best!"
Joe Giudice is opening up about meeting his ex-wife Teresa's boyfriend for the first time.
Speaking to Us Weekly on Thursday, the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star recalled being introduced to Teresa's boyfriend, Luis "Louis" Ruelas, while at dinner in the Bahamas earlier this week.
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View Story"You can all imagine how I felt when they walked in the room. It was awkward to see my ex after a lifetime together with someone else," said Joe, 48, who now lives in the Bahamas. "Teresa and I decided to be honest and remain friends with one another for the girls."
"Parenting should always be about giving your children the best outcomes for every situation," he added. "I believe we deserve to all be happy and our children will thank us for it. I am genuinely happy for both Teresa and Luis and wish them the best!"
On Wednesday, Joe and Teresa, 48, both posted a family photo of themselves posing alongside their daughters: Gia, 20, Gabriella, 16, Milania, 15 and Audriana, 11 at Graycliff Restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas.
"I truly appreciate & hope i will continue to be present in my best friend life. A great person, mom, and confident individual," Joe wrote alongside the pic, tagging Teresa and Luis. "@teresagiudice @louiearuelas great meeting you and your boy🍷"
Gia and Milania also took to their Instagram Stories to share several videos from the dinner. Joe reposted a screenshot of one of the clips to his Instagram profile, writing, "Great night out."
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Joe and Teresa's daughters reunited with Joe in the Bahamas last month. Teresa and Luis, along with Luis' sons, traveled and met up with them later, according to Us Weekly.
During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" last week, Teresa revealed that her boyfriend and her ex-husband had spoken on the phone.
"They've talked over the phone and Luis wanted to go to the Bahamas and meet him," Teresa said. "Which I thought that was like the most amazing thing ever. Because he said he just wanted to talk to him and let him know that he's not trying to take his place or anything. But he just wanted [Joe] to meet him because we have daughters and I just thought that was the most beautiful thing ever."
Teresa and Joe separated in December 2019 following 20 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in September. Teresa went Instagram official with Luis in December.
While speaking to Extra back in February, Teresa shared that Joe had moved to the Bahamas in order to train for his boxing match. (According to TMZ last June, Joe is set to fight Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa.)
Before relocating to the Caribbean, Joe was living in his native Italy after he was deported from the US following his release from prison in 2019.
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