Margaret Josephs Opens Up About Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas’ ‘Very Sad’ Tax Drama

Margaret Josephs expressed her sadness regarding the ongoing tax issues faced by her The Real Housewives of New Jersey co-star, Teresa Giudice. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly at the Us + Maidenform Reality Star Style Awards party on April 22, Josephs, 58, shared her sympathy, stating, “It’s very sad. I never wish ill on anyone.” She emphasized, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to Teresa ever.”

Josephs continued, “I never want anything bad to happen to her, and that’s why I always spoke up.”

News broke in March about Giudice, 52, and her husband Luis “Louie” Ruelas, 50, receiving over $3 million in tax liens on the mansion they purchased in 2021. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Giudice owes $2.5 million and Ruelas owes $303,000. A third debt has been settled, and weeks later, Ruelas filed for a mortgage modification request to extend a $1 million loan on the property.

Although neither Giudice nor Ruelas have commented publicly on the legal issues, Giudice’s daughter, Gia, denied that they were facing ongoing financial problems. On her “Casual Chaos” podcast on March 31, Gia, 21, explained, “My mom has been the sole provider for my sisters and I since the minute my father left for prison. She has been working tirelessly to ensure that my sisters and I have a stable life and that my family is financially stable. I can’t stress enough how much my mom has worked. Everything will be resolved.” She added, “My mom has everything under control, and there’s nothing to worry about. My stepdad, Luis, is the most amazing stepfather. He treats my sisters and I like we are his own. He is also working on getting everything resolved, but everything is going to be fine. Thank you for your concern.”

Josephs, on the other hand, expressed that while she felt bad for Teresa and Luis, she also felt “vindicated” in light of the news. She reflected on their past tensions on RHONJ and how she had often been accused of being mean-spirited. Josephs said, “I feel vindicated. The fact is, everybody always said that ‘Marge wants to do something mean, wants to hurt somebody.’ No, Marge is actually protective and wants to say the truth and can sniff out something that’s not great.” She continued, “I think I’m brutally honest, and I think people have a hard time receiving those things. No one wants to deliver unsavory news or hear the hard truth. I never want to hurt anyone intentionally. I don’t want bad things to happen to anybody. And when they do, I feel sad.”