Sharing her side about her relationship with Jackie, Teresa said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Dish, "A friendship is a give and take."
Teresa Giudice may have said that she initially "need[ed]" to become friends with Jackie Goldschneider to take down Margaret Josephs in The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14, Episode 8, but she's now setting the record straight on the nature of their friendship.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member chatted exclusively with BravoTV.com on July 2, and she explained that the two became friends naturally, and not just because they were both disagreeing with Margaret.
"It really was organic. It was really the way it happened on TV," Teresa explained, before noting that she has an appreciation for Jackie's husband. "And, I have to say, I do love Evan [Goldschneider]."
Teresa said that Evan was "a gentleman" when she apologized to him for repeating a rumor she had heard about his marriage to Jackie. "I've always had a special place in my heart for him," she added. "I never wanted to hurt their family."
Speaking about her difficult past with Jackie, Teresa shared that the two have fully moved on. "I know in my heart, I did not mean to hurt her," she said to BravoTV.com. "And she knows that."
Her friendship with Jackie took a bit longer to form, but the two have put a lot of work into their relationship. "With me and Jackie, that's the thing. A friendship is a give and take," Teresa said. "We both have to try with it, and we did. It organically just happened."
She noted that the two weren't friends before because Jackie was still very close with Margaret. "I did always like Jackie, but I know Jackie had Margaret and Melissa in her ear in the past, and that's why she never got close to me," she said.
Though her friendship with Jackie happened "organically," Teresa admitted that they did connect more once Jackie's relationship with Margaret became rocky. "Sometimes you do bond over if someone hurt you," she said. "Because Margaret hurt Jackie, [and] Margaret hurt me."
Separately, Jackie responded, per Reality Blurb, that she understands where Teresa was coming from when she said what she said in season because, "It was at the beginning of our relationship. I knew it was strategic at first."
What's next for Teresa Giudice and Jackie Goldschneider
Teresa says that today she and Jackie have remained in touch. Teresa shared that she's reuniting with her new friend, Evan, and her husband, Luis "Louie" Ruelas, quite soon.
"Jackie, we're becoming friends. I really want to become good friends," she said. "As a matter of fact, this Friday, the four of us are going out to dinner. And I really want to get to know her, because I feel like we would have fun together."
The mom of four revealed why she thinks their friendship will work.
"Because Louie and Evan really like each other. So, I feel like when the husbands like each other, that's a great package. Just like Bill [Aydin] and Louie like each other, Paulie [Connell] and Louie like each other, that's when I feel like a friendship really works. Because then you guys can double date together, hang out together. It's a good pairing. Like, a 'couple dating' and I love that."
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