Gia Giudice Admits She Felt ‘Really Bad’ About the Timing of Her Post Calling for Dad Joe’s Pardon (Exclusive)

Despite “getting so much crap” for sharing her plea on the Fourth of July, Gia tells PEOPLE she was “not disappointing” her dad, who was deported to Italy in 2019

Gia Giudice is addressing the criticism she faced after making a public plea for President Trump to pardon her dad, Joe Giudice.

While speaking with PEOPLE alongside her costars from Bravo's Next Gen NYC on July 9, Gia admitted that the timing of her Instagram post was not ideal.

"I apologize for posting that on the Fourth of July. I got so much crap for that. I felt so bad," the 24-year-old reality star says, explaining that she was simply intent on keeping her promise to her dad.

Joe, 53, has been living in his native Italy since being deported in 2019 following a stint in federal prison for mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud.

"I made the video on Thursday [the day before the holiday], and it was more so I didn't want to let my dad down because I told him that the video was done, and when I tell him things, he expects it — like, you know, an Italian household, it better be done the next day," Gia continues. "It better be done right away."

So, she says, she got up on the morning of the Fourth of July and "just hit post."

Gia's post featured a video of herself handwriting and addressing a stack of letters to various political figures, including Trump, 79. In the caption, she wrote: "Let’s bring Joe Giudice; my father home together ♥️," tagging Trump.

In a voiceover, Gia made her impassioned plea.

"My name is Gia Giudice. I'm the daughter of Joe Giudice, and today I'm using my voice for something deeply personal," she said, noting that she was speaking "not just as a public figure, but as a daughter who deeply misses her dad."

She shared that since her dad's deportation, she and her family have "lived in an emotional limbo."

"No matter how strong we try to be, the absence of a father, of a parent, is something that never stops hurting," said Gia, the eldest of the four daughters Joe shares with his ex-wife, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice.

Gia went on to call out another well-known reality TV family, the Chrisleys, who were given a "second chance" via a pardon from Trump.

"Watching the Chrisley family receive a second chance inspired me," Gia said. "It showed me that people can be forgiven, that families can be restored and that sometimes the justice system has room for grace."

She added, "That gave me hope. Hope that maybe my dad could come home, too."

Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of Chrisley Knows Best, were granted full pardons in May, and subsequently released from prison after both spending more than two years behind bars following convictions for tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022.

Gia tells PEOPLE that immediately after posting her video, the comments began "flooding" in — many with a similar tone of, "How privileged are you to post this on the 4th of July?"

"And I'm not privileged, I'm not entitled," Gia insists. "The first thing on my mind that morning was just getting a point across and not disappointing my dad. That was really it."

Despite the backlash, she says she never considered taking the video down.

"At that point, the video had gotten so much traction, I wasn't going to delete it, and that would've also just looked bad, I feel. So there's no right move," she explains, acknowledging that she should have more carefully considered the timing. "That's why you always have to be cautious when you post and what you post and the time of day. But I did feel really bad about that, but I'm also happy that the message is getting out there."

Gia noted that navigating this and other difficult family situations — including her parents' divorce —while in the public eye is tough.

"You just always try to do the right thing, but you're always going to be, I guess, judged from your parents' actions or things that they've done in the past," she says.

Joe made his own plea for a pardon, posting a message to Trump on his Instagram on June 26.

Alongside a series of photos of himself with his four daughters, he wrote: "I’m Joe Giudice. I served my time, and I’ve been deported from the U.S. for nearly a decade. I was raised in Jersey, I’m a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again."

"President Trump," he added, "I respect you and I’m asking for a second chance."