It’s more bad news this week for Real Housewives of New Jersey‘s Teresa and Joe Giudice, as media outlets like InTouch Weekly and Radar Online persistently release stories about Joe’s alleged infidelity. But are these stories really warranted?
According to InTouch Weekly — whose “insider” keeps breaking the news on the reported trysts — Juicy Joe Giudice hooked up with Atlantic City model/party girl Jamie Jackson just weeks before his wife’s incarceration at the beginning of the year for bankruptcy, mail and wire fraud.
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The magazine additionally published photos showing the two posing for pictures together, and it claims to also have a secret video, although its existence has yet to be verified.
So, listen. I’m not a huge fan of Joe Giudice. I’m not a fan of the way he gambled with his family’s well-being for the sake of fame and fortune. I’m not a fan of his seemingly over-inflated ego. Still, I’m a little irked by the way certain outlets are sinking their teeth into these tabloid-style reports right now.
Before you jump on the “but he deserves it” bandwagon, consider these reasons.
1. To state the obvious, the rumors are in fact unfounded
In Radar Online’s reports, they refer to “an insider” who spoke with Teresa and “a source.” In InTouch Weekly, the exclusive scoop is credited to “the insider” or, at times, no one in particular. I mean, I get it — I work in entertainment media. Sometimes conjecture is the news. Still, when there isn’t any hard evidence and an entire family is involved, it seems to be in poor taste at best to drag a man through the mud before his transgressions have been confirmed.
2. Every unfounded headline takes his attention away from his daughters
Which brings me to my next, and perhaps, to me, most pressing point: Teresa and Joe’s four daughters. Yes, Teresa and Joe are responsible for their own actions and should be held accountable. But they are — hence the prison stints. Right now, while Teresa is serving her 15-month sentence, Joe is the sole caregiver for Gia, 15, Gabriella, 10, Milania, 9 and Audriana, 4.
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And with each unfounded story that is published, his attention is taken away from the girls and shifted to the headlines. Regardless of what you think of Joe Giudice, surely we can all agree these little girls shouldn’t suffer any more than they already are. Their eldest, Gia, even felt compelled to respond to the rumors, dismissing them and tweeting:
honestly hilarious how people go out of their way to make my family looks bad..😂✋ #nicetryppl
— Gia Giudice (@TrueGia) March 12, 2015
And later…
https://twitter.com/TrueGia/status/576222529792176128
A little heartbreaking, no?
3. He has gone out of his way to dispel the rumors
Remember last year when Hank Baskett was first accused of cheating on Kendra Wilkinson? Even after proof surfaced corroborating the claims, Baskett remained mum. Quite to the contrary, Giudice has gone out of his way to dispel any rumors about Jackson — going on record with Us Weekly to refute the claims, saying, “No, I did not flirt with her. I did not make out with her. Nothing happened between us. Everything InTouch is saying that happened between us are lies.”
4. His alleged mistress insists nothing happened
For her part, Jackson echoes Joe’s version of the story. The two were photographed together, sure, but it was at a business dinner with several other people present. “I definitely never slept with him,” she said. “Nothing happened with me and Joe. I didn’t know him prior, nothing inappropriate happened at any time. We did not hook up, kiss or anything more. I saw him at the two business meals and nothing more. It’s all made-up bullshit.”
5. Past behavior does not a lifetime offender make
It would be really easy to simply scoff at Joe’s side of the story, given the fact he will be starting a 41-month prison stint at the end of the year for, well, not being the most morally upright man. Not to mention the fact that these aren’t exactly the first infidelity rumors to plague the couple. If we apply the “once guilty, always guilty” logic, though, we have to accept that no one can ever change, and who wants to be saddled with their old misgivings forever? Not me.
6. The photos weren’t that incriminating
Unless my eyes scrolled right over some super-scandalous snapshots (and I like to think I’ve trained them better than that), the pictures InTouch published of Joe and Jackson weren’t exactly damning. Are the selfies a little suggestive? Maybe. Does she show off some serious cleavage? You betcha. But I can find far more incriminating pics on Facebook most days of the week, and they — like the photos of Joe and Jackson — don’t prove anything other than questionable judgment.
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