Teresa Giudice on Tuesday pushed back against reports that The Real Housewives of New Jersey is filming without her, saying the claims are "speculation" while arriving at the premiere of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test with her daughter, Gia.
Giudice, 52, and her 24-year-old daughter posed together on the red carpet, drawing attention for their resemblance. Teresa wore a black velvet pantsuit with a plunging neckline, while Gia wore a cut-out gown. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Teresa said, "Obviously they are not. Because if they were filming it would actually be out there. So it's just speculation, people putting stories out there." She added, "Because if they were actually filming there would be actual pictures out there. Correct? Right, you know that would be a fact. It's just people putting out stories there," and warned viewers not to "believe anything you read, unless Bravo is saying it."
Teresa also discussed why she agreed to take part in the Fox competition series, which adapts elements of Special Forces training to test celebrities' physical and mental endurance. "Everyone says I am a strong person, so I wanted to test my limits," she said. Gia said she pushed her mother to sign on after the opportunity arose, telling reporters, "When the opportunity got brought to both of us, I told her we needed to do it together." Gia said the experience left her emotionally raw at times — she told reporters she "cried 90 percent of the time" — but praised herself for completing challenges she described as having been executed "perfectly."
Both women discussed the program's emphasis on mental resilience. Teresa said the experience "changed" her, and Gia added, "As much as it's physical, it's mental. You don't have to be the most physically fit person, but if you are weak mentally you will not survive this course. You will leave day one."
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test announced its season-four lineup last month and is scheduled to premiere Sept. 25 on Fox and stream on Hulu. The cast of 18 includes a mix of reality personalities, athletes and entertainers, such as Barstool podcaster Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia; Sister Wives patriarch Kody Brown; Vanderpump Rules alum Brittany Cartwright; NFL players Randall Cobb and Johnny Manziel; former NFL player Eric Decker and his wife Jessie James Decker; Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East and her husband Andrew East; Kristin Cavallari's ex Mark Estes; actor Ravi V. Patel; soccer star Christie Pearce Rampone; and NBA player Nick Young.
One inclusion that drew particular attention was actor Jussie Smollett. Smollett was convicted in 2021 of orchestrating a staged hate crime, served six days of a 150-day sentence, and later had his conviction reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court last fall. Producers have faced questions about the casting choice since the lineup was revealed.
Contestants and viewers have described the show's tasks as intense. LaPaglia said after the cast reveal that she "cried every day" during filming and joked on social media, "Y'all thought I was in Love Island. While I was getting water boarded!" The series uses modified Special Forces-style drills intended to simulate pressure, endurance and survival challenges while maintaining legal and safety boundaries for civilian participants.
Gia said some of her siblings were envious of the opportunity and suggested the network consider casting their father, Joe Giudice, and sister Milania Giudice in a future season. Teresa has four daughters and has been a central figure on Real Housewives of New Jersey since the show's early seasons.
Teresa's comments come amid periodic reporting about cast dynamics and participation on reality series. Bravo, the network that airs The Real Housewives franchise, has not issued an immediate public response to the specific claims Teresa addressed at the premiere.
The Special Forces season premiere and Teresa's participation in the series are expected to bring renewed attention to her television career at a time when reality programming continues to mix personalities from different formats and backgrounds. The show will be available on Fox and on-demand via Hulu beginning Sept. 25.