Teresa Giudice, 48, is not the only one happy about her relationship with New Jersey businessman Luis “Louie” Ruelas, 46. “Her brother [Joe Gorga] is relieved that Teresa has met a nice guy. He worried about his sister being alone with the girls,” a source close to the family EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife, referring to Teresa’s four daughters whom she shares with her ex-husband Joe Giudice: Gia Giudice, 19, Gabriella, 16, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 11. Joe has been in Italy since Oct. 2019, meaning he could not celebrate Christmas Eve with his family; however, Teresa wasn’t lonely on the holiday.
Luis came to Teresa’s New Jersey mansion to celebrate Christmas Eve with The Real Housewives of New Jersey star on Dec. 24, along with Teresa’s brother, his wife and Teresa’s co-star Melissa Gorga, their children Antonia, Gio and Joey and Teresa’s daughters, of course. “Christmas Eve was fun for all of them and went really well,” our source added.
However, the holiday party did not serve as “the first time that Teresa introduced Louie to her daughters,” our source told us. “The family has met him on several occasions before and they all like him and are in favor of the relationship so long as it makes Teresa happy. You can tell just how happy he makes her.”
As for when Teresa’s daughters will reunite with their dad, “there aren’t any concrete plans,” our source revealed, adding that “they’re wanting to once it’s safe.” Joe reunited with two of his daughters — Gia and Milania — in Italy in November, but hasn’t had a reunion with all four of his daughters since the last Christmas season in Dec. 2019, due to traveling restrictions amid the pandemic. Teresa’s ex has been living in Italy since Oct. 2019, after requesting to leave custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and instead fight his deportation order from his home country.
Nearly a year after Joe’s big move, he and Teresa finalized their divorce in Sept. 2020. Not long after, Teresa revealed her “new boyfriend” in an Facebook post at the beginning of November, and they have been happily together ever since. Teresa even went Instagram official with Luis a few days before the Christmas Eve party, writing, “BEST thing that came out of 2020.”