Gia Giudice Says Her Dad Joe Has ‘Grown So Much’

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Real Housewives of New Jersey‘s Gia Giudice gushes about how much her dad, Joe Giudice, has grown since living in the Bahamas post-prison.

Gia Giudice is beaming with pride regarding her dad, Joe Giudice, and the new life he has built for himself in the Bahamas.

As Bravo fans know, Joe Giudice was deported from the United States in 2019 after serving a 41-month prison sentence for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud. Initally Joe moved back to his native Italy before relocating to the Bahamas to be closer to his four daughters, Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 14, who live in New Jersey, with their mother, Teresa Giudice.

“WhatsApp is our best friend. FaceTime is, too. But we honestly see him as often as we can,” Gia Giudice tells PEOPLE. “We do our best, and he’s doing amazing.”

The 22-year-old says she’s “so happy” her dad has found his passions and built a life for himself in the Bahamas.

“He loves The Bahamas. It’s honestly so much more Americanized than people think. It really is the closest you could get to the U.S.,” she explains. “He makes sure all the workers are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, corrects them if they’re doing something wrong. So he’s basically back in doing what he loves to be doing and what he’s so good at.”

“He also has a chartering company that he does on the side,” she continues. “I’m so happy that he was able to find his niche again because it’s definitely not easy. And just being deported somewhere and having to start from scratch it’s definitely not easy on anybody. But he’s really grown so much, and he’s really happy. So I think that’s the most a daughter could ask of her dad. As long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”

Gia Giudice also says her dad’s new life in the Bahamas includes a new girlfriend.

“He’s been with this girl for a pretty long time,” she shares. “They seem really happy, and she’s awesome. I really like her a lot. So yeah, I would love to start meeting her family and seeing what happens… I’m sure at one point my mom [Teresa Giudice] and Louie [Ruelas] will meet my dad’s girlfriend, and we’ll have a huge blended family.”

Over the years, Gia has also found the silver lining in her dad living in the Bahamas despite wishing he lived even closer to her and her sisters.

“The Bahamas is a beautiful place,” she notes. “You can’t really be that mad that that is our second home! … But yeah, he’s doing really good. So we’re happy.”

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RHONJ will return to Bravo for season 14 in 2024.

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