Free Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again by Teresa Giudice, K.C. Baker Page B

Housewives shows, either—just the Disney Channel with the girls, or the History Channel with Joe.
    Even after speaking to the producers, I wondered if it was a scam. I remember thinking, Why would anyone want to do a show about regular wives and moms like us and document our day-to-day lives? Even though my fantasy was to become a movie star when I was little, I was now a mom with three young daughters, so becoming a star was no longer on my radar and not part of my decision-making process at all. But Jacqueline was going on and on about it and kept saying it would be fun for us to do, so I thought I would at least listen to what they had to say.
    When the producers came to see me, I was still skeptical. We talked outside of our house in Montville, which was under construction. I introduced them to my three girls and answered their questions about what my life was like. Joe was busy working on the house, so he said hi and that was it. The producers told me they loved me and wanted me to be on the show just from that initial meeting. They sent me a contract, but I still wasn’t sure about this. My friends and family didn’t know much about being on a TV show, either, but told me to think about it carefully. So for me, this was stepping into the unknown.
    It took eleven months for me to agree to do it. The producers would call me regularly to check in, saying how perfect I would be for the show. I took so long to decide because I really wasn’t sure about what I would be getting myself into. I asked Joe about it. He said, “It’s up to you, honey. I will support you in your decision, but I really don’t want to be on TV. You can be on there with your friends.” Of course, he did end up being involved with the show, but at the time we didn’t think that would happen.
    Toward the end of those eleven months, I met Jacqueline for lunch at this Chinese place we liked in Franklin Lakes. She and all the other ladies had signed their contracts long before. She brought a blank contract—a contract meant for me—and said, “Are you going to sign it, already? If you’re not going to do the show, then I’m not going to do it either.”
    She was like, “Come on, do it with us.”
    Maybe it was peer pressure or maybe I was feeling spontaneous, but I bit the bullet and signed the contract right then and there—without a lawyer to look it over. Jacqueline took it and immediately mailed it, so I couldn’t back out.
    In the end, I said yes because I figured it would be fun. They were just going to follow us around and film what we did every day: going out for lunch or dinner together, or just hanging out with each other and our families. Honestly, what went through my mind was the amazing memories we’d have—I pictured it being a televised home video of my daughters.
    I definitely didn’t do the show for the money or the glamour. I didn’t get paid much for the first season, and for the most part, we did our own hair and makeup! I remember trying to get ready for a scene and doing my makeup with my daughters right there, Velcroed to my side, as I tried to keep my hand steady to put on lip gloss and liquid eyeliner. They were asking me questions right and left, trying on my blush and mascara, and running around with the energy only kids have.
    I ended up spending that season’s salary on show-related expenses including pricey dresses, shoes, and handbags for the various parties and events. I had to put aside money for taxes, so in the end, I didn’t make anything that season. But again, I was just doing it for fun. I remember thinking, What possible harm could it bring? I truly had no idea that being in the limelight meant that everything you did or said would be scrutinized and would bring on a jealousy I had never seen before, from strangers, friends, and family alike. Talk about malocchio .
    Looking back, it was so easy to just sign a piece of paper. I had no idea it would change my life forever—for good and for bad.