Teresa Giudice & Luis Ruelas Dish on How They Keep Family Strong as Teresa Says RHONJ “Wouldn’t Be the Same Without [Her]”

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Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas opened up about their marriage and family during an interview earlier this month.

As she and her oldest daughter, Gia Giudice, 24, celebrated the upcoming premiere of the fourth season of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, the 53-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey star and her 50-year-old husband of three years explained how they keep their family, including the four daughters Teresa shares with her ex-husband Joe Giudice, and the two sons Luis shares with his ex, connected amid the chaos.

“We don’t play when it comes to staying connected with family,” the couple shared with Miami Vibes Magazine for its September issue. “Even if it’s just a group chat full of memes and emojis, we stay in touch.”

“We know how to banger pause,” they continued. “When it’s family time, phones go down (unless we’re taking cute pics, of course!). The holidays are sacred — we bust out the old-school playlists, cook up cultural classics, and make time to just be us. In the chaos of everything else, our roots ground us. They remind us that success doesn’t matter if you forget who you are and where you came from.”

While Teresa and Luis have faced a number of financial issues since tying the knot in August 2022, including $3 million in tax liens, much of which were incurred by Luis, they have continued to support one another.

“We’re each other’s hype team, sounding board, and safe space,” they stated. “We make it a point to pause — even in the middle of chaos — to check in, show up, and just be real with one another … It’s like a tag team: when one of us needs to hustle, the other steps in and holds it down. We don’t just do life together — we win at life together.”

Among their favorite hobbies to do as a family is cooking.

“Food is sacred in our house. Our moms’ recipes are basically handwritten heirlooms. From arroz con pollo to empanadas, those dishes are our way of saying ‘I love you’ without saying a word,” they explained.

“Faith is another big one — we pray together and keep our spiritual roots strong,” they added.

During a separate interview with Gia, Teresa addressed ongoing rumors about season 15, some of which have suggested she won’t be included.

“I’m the OG, so I think it wouldn’t be the same without me,” Teresa said during a September 9 interview with TooFab. “So I guess the fans, they speak — I want them to tell Bravo and Andy Cohen, like, ‘Definitely let’s bring Teresa back.’”

“I’m glad everyone’s so excited about New Jersey coming back. So I hope it does come back,” she continued.

As for her stint on Special Forces, Teresa said she spoke to fellow Bravolebrities who’d appeared on the show before filming began.

“I knew it was hard because I spoke to two past Housewives that did it, [Kenya Moore] and [Denise Richards] and I knew it was not a joke,” she shared. “It was something that I’m going to do with my daughter and I’ll never forget it. And she’ll never forget it and she’ll get to tell my grandkids about it.”

According to Teresa, it was actually Gia who pushed her to do it.

“She was like, ‘Mom, you got this, you gotta do this,’ so she did push me because I was just terrified of her after watching last season, and I’m not a swimmer, but I learned. So immediately I feel more comfortable in water,” Teresa added.

In other RHONJ news, Luis also shared his up-to-date business venture with the magazine. 

“I’m diving headfirst into the world of LIVE commerce—it’s like QVC meets TikTok, and I’m here for it. I’m helping brands and creators turn their fans into customers, all while keeping things authentic and fun,” he explained. “It’s the future of shopping.”

“I’m bringing the Latin hustle to the forefront,” he added.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season four premieres on Thursday, September 25, at 9/8c on FOX.