Joe Giudice has a good reason to smile.
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star looked happy and healthy while beaming with his brother, Pete, after arriving in Italy to continue his deportation appeal.
Pete’s wife, Sheila, commemorated the occasion on Instagram and shared gratitude for the chance to welcome Joe to his home country.
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“A day we’ve all been patiently waiting for. Pete and Joe reunited at last. Smiles bigger and brighter than the sky. Our hearts are so full ❤️❤️❤️,” she captioned the snap.
The reality star flew to Rome on Friday, Oct. 11, Access Hollywood confirmed. Joe’s lawyer, James J. Leonard Jr., revealed in a statement to People that he was “extremely happy” about the latest development, “more than words can describe.”
Joe reportedly spoke with wife Teresa Giudice and their oldest daughter, Gia, on his flight away from the U.S. Gia later shared a screenshot from a FaceTime conversation with her dad and called the long-awaited exchange “one of the happiest moments” of her life.
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“Still can’t get over this,” she wrote on her Instagram story, alongside a trio of heart emojis. “I love you more than words can describe.”
Joe had been residing in an ICE facility for seven months following more than three years behind bars for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud. The 47-year-old was previously denied a request to move back to his New Jersey home but remains hopeful that he and his loved ones can live under the same roof again, his attorney said.
“We are still fighting and it is his desire to return home to the United States to be reunited with his family,” Leonard told People.
Despite living in the U.S. most of his life, Joe is not an American citizen. In October 2018, he was ordered to return to his native Italy upon leaving prison.
A final ruling in his deportation case is reportedly expected in November.
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