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For years, audiences have watched Gia Giudice grow up in front of the cameras on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Now at 24, Gia is ready to carve out a space of her own — without leaving her family behind.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Gia Giudice opens up about launching her iHeartRadio podcast Casual Chaos and starring in the upcoming Bravo series Next Gen NYC. Reflecting on the unique challenges of growing up on reality television, she admits it hasn’t always been easy.
“I think it’s definitely a lot,” Gia says about her family’s highly publicized ups and downs. “It is my family, but at the end of the day, I am an individual. I obviously take care of everything that’s going on in my life, but overall, my entire family is very responsible.”
The daughter of RHONJ original cast member Teresa Giudice, Gia has spent more than a decade living her life under the scrutiny of the public eye — from her parents’ 2014 legal troubles to her father Joe Giudice’s 2019 deportation and ongoing family rifts with Joe and Melissa Gorga. Still, Gia is clear that while she’s forging her own path, she remains fiercely loyal to her family.
“Like I said on my podcast, everything is getting taken care of,” Gia says of the recent $3 million tax liens filed against her mom Teresa and stepfather Luis Ruelas. “But at the end of the day, I will always defend my family whether people like it or not, and you’re either going to love me or hate me for it. As much as I am stepping out on my own, I will always have my family’s back. And that’s all I was doing, and that’s all I’ll keep doing.”
With her new podcast and Bravo show on the horizon, Gia is excited to finally be in control of her own story. “In a way, I’m one of the main characters now — I am driving the bus, I’m in control,” she says. “So it’s really cool to be on my own and in my own light.”
Growing up in the public eye has forced Gia to develop resilience, especially when it comes to criticism on social media. “My whole family’s in the public eye, so whatever goes on with my family, [I’m] associated with it. It’s just how it goes,” she admits. “So even though it might not be me, I will still get the wrath of it in the comments, and my sisters will. So it kind of affects the whole family, which is unfortunate, but you just have to build tough skin. People are going to love to hate you, hate to love you.”
Still, Gia is optimistic about what lies ahead and is eager for people to see her true, unfiltered personality. “I’m excited for people to get to know my fun, lighthearted self,” she shares. “And I just want them to feel like they’re in a conversation with me while listening to my podcast. I want them to feel how casual and easy I am, and I also want them to really feel like they can relate to me.”
Gia isn’t shying away from serious conversations either, and hopes that opening up about her experiences will help others. “I’m super excited to talk about topics like divorce, and talk about how I manage my parents’ divorce and maybe see if that can help others, or how I dealt with my parents’ incarceration if any of my viewers are dealing with their parents, family members or friends going through incarceration,” she continues. “I’m super excited to really dive deep.”
Next Gen NYC premieres Tuesday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Meanwhile, The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently streaming on Peacock.
