Gia Giudice is willing to go to great lengths to bring her dad home.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Gia and her mom Teresa Giudice, who will appear together on the fourth season of FOX’s hit show, “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” discussed Joe Giudice’s deportation to Italy in October 2019. He currently lives in the Bahamas.
Following President Trump’s decision to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, and their subsequent release from prison, Gia said her family was “inspired” and were given new hope.
“The Chrisley family was blessed to have their family reunited again. I know every situation is different, but it kind of gave our family hope. We were kind of in a rut. For the time being. My dad is in the Bahamas, and we were kind of just like, I guess it is what it is,” she said.
TODD AND JULIE CHRISLEY REVEAL HOW MARRIAGE SURVIVED 28-MONTH SEPARATION
Gia continued: “And then when we saw that with the Chrisley family, it kind of gave us hope and inspired my dad to push a little bit on social media. I decided to make a video and, at the end of the day, we just want our dad home and that’s all that it is, and I think any daughter, son, family member would want that for their family as well.”
Joe’s deportation came after he served 41 months in federal prison for fraud charges. After his release from prison in March 2019, he was held in ICE custody while his deportation was processed. Although he moved to the United States when he was a baby, he never became a naturalized citizen and instead remained a green card holder.
WATCH: GIA GIUDICE WAS INSPIRED TO REACH OUT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP AFTER THE CHRISLEY FAMILY REUNION
Both Joe and Teresa were convicted of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud and failing to file tax returns. While Joe served 41 months in prison, Teresa served 15 months.
“Even though Joe and I are not together, I would love for him to come back to America,” Teresa said. “I feel like he does belong here. He’s been here since he was one… And it was paperwork that he went away for. I’m hopeful too, that he comes back.”
While Gia says she never heard back from the president, Teresa told Fox News Digital she is “proud of her” for trying.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
The mother-daughter duo can be seen competing together on the upcoming season of Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.” Looking back on their time filming the show, Gia called it “the hardest thing I probably will ever do in my life,” but proudly stated that she and her mom “made it through.”
Although the conditions were difficult, with Gia explaining they used the same water to wash their hands, shower and clean their clothes, the two were happy to have each other to lean on.
WATCH: TERESA GIUDICE BELIEVES HER EX-HUSBAND BELONGS IN THE UNITED STATES
“You can’t prepare. I thought I was prepared for this because I’ve done fitness competitions and I work out all the time and I lift heavy weights, but nothing could compare,” Teresa explained. “Unless you’re in the Navy SEALs, in the army, then you know what this is all about. I mean it was really no joke. But I’m glad we had each other because we definitely motivated each other and I mean we are close, but this bonded us even closer, and it is something that we’ll never forget.”
Gia recalled one particular challenge which involved a “very intense” hike that they completed with “30 pound Bergens on our backs.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“This hike took over an hour. It was crazy. It came to the point where I couldn’t feel my legs. I was so fatigued, and then we got to the top of the mountain, and we thought it was going to be over, but we had to do a challenge,” she explained. “Like, it was so scary. That was the worst day. I really thought I was going to quit that day, and I didn’t. But yeah, that was a rough day for me.”
WATCH: TERESA AND GIA GIUDICE GREW CLOSER WHILE FILMING FOX’S ‘SPECIAL FORCES: WORLD’S TOUGHEST TEST’
Both Gia and Teresa walked away from the show with new skills. Teresa told Fox News Digital she learned to swim for the show and is now more comfortable in the water, with Gia adding, “I don’t have anxiety anymore, which is amazing,” and that she “definitely learned a lot about myself and built amazing friendships.”
“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” premieres on September 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
