Congrats are in order for Teresa Guidice’s oldest daughter, Gia, who graduated from high school on Thursday, June 20. However, one person was noticeably missing: her dad, Joe Giudice, since he remains in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Despite the deportation drama, Gia, 18, seemed to make the best out of the situation as she wore a white graduation robe with a decorated cap that read, “R U Ready,” with the number “23,” referring to Rutgers University — where she will be attending in the fall. The teenager posed for photos with her friends by the pool before the ceremony.
Teresa, 47, uploaded several videos from the night where she cheered Gia on as she accepted her diploma on stage. The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s stars daughters Gabriella, 14, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 9, also came to support their big sis.
After the event, Joe Gorga and his wife, Melissa Gorga, joined in on the festivities. “And now this one is officially a high school graduate. Love you, Gia,” Melissa, 40, wrote on Instagram.
The 47-year-old Italy native was released from jail in March — after he served a 41-month sentence — since he pleaded guilty to multiple charges of fraud including mail, wire and bankruptcy in March 2014. Immediately afterward, the businessman was moved into ICE on March 14.
In October 2018, a judge ordered that Joe would be deported to Italy after his release. The pair found out Joe’s deportation appeal was officially denied on April 11, but on April 25, a judge granted him a “temporary administrative stay” until the court has the time to review his motion for a “stay of removal.”
Previously, Gia spoke about how her dad would miss all of these milestones since he’s not able to attend. “My father is there for us in every possible way a father could be,” she wrote on Change.org — an online petition she started in hopes of bringing her dad home. “He had always been our handyman, our confidante, our cheerleader, our challenger and most importantly, our protector. This [deportation] would rob us of my father screaming from the stands at our graduations, meeting our future husbands for the first time, of walking us down the aisle, of being there when his grandchildren come into the world.”
The one silver lining in all of this is that Gia wants to study law — possibly to help others if they’re going through a similar situation. “[Gia] wants to be a lawyer,” Joe Gorga told Us Weekly in May. “Look what’s going on with her dad.”
Stay strong, Guidice family!
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