Bravo Star’s Ex-Husband Reveals ‘Ridiculous’ Salary She Made During First Season of Her Show

Joe Giudice is spilling the details of ex-wife Teresa Giudice’s “ridiculous” salary for the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Appearing on Monday’s episode of daughter Gia Giudice’s Casual Chaos podcast, Joe recalled the beginning of his family’s reality television endeavor after they signed their contract with Bravo.

“Did you guys ever have a conversation with us about being on TV?” Gia, 24, asked her dad, 53. Joe admitted that while he didn’t “think so,” everything was a “big blur” for him at the start of filming for RHONJ.

Something he was clear on was the financial side of the family’s deal, as he recalled throwing “that big party in my great room” during Season 1 and admitted, “I think that show cost me $150,000 the first year.”

“We got paid nothing the first season,” he claimed. “I’ll even say, it was like $25,000. I mean, it was ridiculous, but whatever.”

Gia explained to her listeners that Housewives don’t get paid “that much money” while filming a first-season show, but that their salary “grows as the seasons go on.”

“When you’re throwing parties and stuff like that, especially for the first season, you’re putting in more money than you’re actually getting out of it,” she explained. “So then obviously, you grow and make your way and make your name. But for the first season, when you’re obviously trying to, but this wasn’t anything out of the norm.”

Joe and Teresa, 53, were original RHONJ cast members, appearing on the Housewives franchise since 2009. Joe was deported in 2019 after serving time in prison for fraud, and he and Teresa divorced in 2020.

While Teresa has appeared on every season of RHONJ, Joe has certainly made his mark during his periodic appearances on the show. Having been caught on camera during Season 4 calling Teresa his “b—h wife” and a “c—” on a phone call, Joe told his daughter during Monday’s podcast appearance that he did regret that moment.

“I called your mother something. I know it wasn’t very nice,” he said of his regrets from his time on RHONJ. “That was just out of pure, you know, drinking wine, and enough was enough.”

Joe continued that during the cast trip to Napa, Calif., “We were stuck there for like a week, I think in this house, just drinking wine every day.”

“Sometimes it just gets so chaotic with everybody around because all they want you to do is just start drama and do this and do that,” he continued. “They don’t want you to just hang out and have a normal time.”

Joe said that was the “only” part of his time on camera that didn’t feel like him. “I don’t even use that word. I hate that word,” he said. “Why it came out of my mouth, I have no idea.”