A Complete Timeline Of Teresa Giudice And Luis Ruelas' Relationship
If anyone can claim OG status on "The Real Housewives" franchise, it's Teresa Giudice, giving New Jersey the representation it deserves. The cookbook author has been on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" since the first season and has grown into one of the most recognizable faces on Bravo. She's become something of a venerated presence in the world of reality TV — so much so that "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Cynthia Bailey opened up about how nervous she was to meet Teresa on Bravo's "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip."
Chatting about the cast dynamic on Access Hollywood's "Housewives Nightcap," Cynthia said, "I was surprised that I connected with Teresa Giudice, who I adore!" The "RHOA" veteran admitted that she was "kind of afraid of" the Teresa she saw on TV, but her tune changed after she got to know the "RHONJ" stalwart.
"She's the sweetest woman ... I'm so excited to call her a friend," Cynthia said. "She's so happy and so in love. And I am happy and in love as well. And it's just such a beautiful space to see her in." While we adore the sassy, table-throwing Tre, we are also interested in the lovey-dovey side of Teresa. Let's get into the story of her relationship with Luis Ruelas.
Teresa Giudice meets Luis Ruelas
Fans now know that Teresa Giudice is in love and engaged to Luis "Louie" Ruelas, but she kept things out of the spotlight early on in her relationship. With the security of hindsight, not to mention the comfort of a solid foundation to a relationship kept away from public scrutiny, Teresa told Extra in February 2021 how she and Luis met.
In a perfect New Jersey story, Teresa and Luis crossed paths on the Jersey Shore in 2020. "I was walking and that's how I met him, exercising," Teresa told the outlet. "That week, he rented a house at the Jersey Shore. He ran past me that week a few times." Teresa even admitted to doing the old glance over her shoulder several times when Luis ran past shirtless. He eventually approached her with his business card, but he drove back a few minutes later and said, "Teresa, my son wanted to know why I didn't ask for your number."
Teresa told ET that she believed her late parents are to thank. "I said, 'Ma, Papa, send me someone that is everything that you ever wanted for me. And everything that I want,' and I put it out in the universe," she shared. "I really did. Everything I wanted. A couple of weeks later, I walk by, and I see Louie."
Teresa and Joe Giudice's divorce is made official
In September 2020, Teresa Giudice and ex-husband Joe Giudice finalized their divorce. The couple had been married for 21 years, per Bravo's The Daily Dish. They tied the knot on October 23, 1999, and they had an eventful marriage — especially towards the end. After Teresa and Joe served prison time for fraud, Joe was deported to his homeland of Italy even though he requested to stay in the United States, per ET. The looming possibility of a long-distance relationship was more than Teresa could bear and they decided to call it quits.
The couple's four daughters influenced Teresa's decision to divorce Joe. "I wasn't going to just take my kids and move to Italy," Teresa told ET. "They grew up here. They want to be here, and ... you never know, if my daughters said, move to Italy, then maybe I would've done that. But my kids did not want to move. They don't even speak the language. They had been through so much already."
Joe has since relocated to the Bahamas, and he and Teresa seem to have a successful arrangement made of amicably co-parenting their brood. Clearly, both are committed to putting their daughters first.
They didn't announce anything until the fall
When you're used to as much exposure as reality TV stars are, privacy becomes that much more precious, especially for Teresa Giudice, who has been in the public eye since 2009. So it makes perfect sense that Teresa kept her new relationship with Luis Ruelas quiet for the first few months after they met.
While Teresa and Luis began dating in July 2020, she didn't open up about their relationship on "Watch What Happens Live" until that November, and she didn't make it Instagram official until the final month of the year. Fans were all over the announcement with praise and celebration. "Good for you Teresa!!! He is [hot] and you deserve it girl," one commented. "Congratulations to you both," another fan said, adding a heart emoji, "you deserve to be happy, Teresa." Another follower noticed her glow and wrote, "Congratulations to you both. You never looked so happy." Very accurate.
When asked about things with Luis on the aforementioned "WWHL" episode, Teresa shared, "I'm taking things slow and we'll see where it goes from there." Teresa's shrewd decision to not rush it with Luis no doubt comes from her relationship experience with her ex-husband, Joe Giudice. In fact, shortly before this happy announcement, news broke that Teresa and Joe's divorce was official.
So who is Luis Ruelas?
Much has been made of Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas' relationship already, but Luis is a new face to the world. So what's his deal? Like Teresa, Luis is a New Jersey resident. As Page Six reports, he's from Allendale, New Jersey, where he works as a businessman. Specifically, Luis co-founded the company Digital Media Solutions in 2012 with a group of partners that specialize in advertising on digital platforms.
Luis' company first began in Clearwater, Florida, according to his LinkedIn profile, and has since worked its way up to New Jersey. According to his company's site, Luis has been in the entrepreneurial game since he was 19 and built his empire from a $5,000 loan. Aside from his business spirit, Luis is a father of two sons, according to North Jersey, and he has a special interest in charitable organizations that help children with autism.
Personality-wise, it sounds like he is a direct individual. "Like, I know exactly what he's feeling. He expresses his feelings," Teresa shared on "Watch What Happens Live." "Because he's so open, it makes me express my feelings to him." She went on to share that they both "like a lot of attention," which has worked out well for them.
"We can't keep our hands off each other," she said. Sounds like they're a perfect match.
Rumors about Luis Ruelas surface
It wouldn't be a "Real Housewives" story without at least a hint of scandal. In November 2020, The Sun revealed an ex of Luis Ruelas' alleged that he was "controlling and abusive" but eventually dismissed the lawsuit. The following April, Page Six broke a story that claimed Teresa Giudice's beau had a "playboy past," and that his ex-fiancée Vanessa Reiser even filed a lawsuit again Luis because his alleged high sex drive. "He demanded that I be available for sex whenever he wanted," the court papers read. "If I objected to his demands, Luis Ruelas would punish me. He would be nasty, withdraw from me, and blame me for what happened." According to Page Six, the case was settled outside of court.
As "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" filmed its 12th season in 2021, a source claimed to The Sun that Teresa's costars "have gone as far as to label Luis 'an opportunist' with 'an agenda,'" but apparently, everyone's keeping these remarks relatively under wraps. Well, apparently everyone besides Margaret Josephs, that is. According to The Sun's informant, Josephs has supposedly "been the most vocal on camera" about Luis and the allegations.
When Andy Cohen brought up the accusations at the Season 11 reunion (via The Sun), Teresa disregarded all of them. "I feel bad for him because [the allegations coming out are] because of me," she said. "His exes that are doing this, I mean, these girls are so thirsty." Yikes.
The kids get involved
First comes love, then comes introducing one another to their children. In November 2020, an inside source told In Touch that Teresa Giudice and Luis "Louie" Ruelas "very recently" met each other's kids. Teresa shares Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana Giudice with her ex husband, Joe Giudice. Luis has two sons from a previous relationship.
While Teresa is happy in love and seems wild about Luis, In Touch's tipster made it quite clear that the Bravolebrity's "primary focus remains on her four daughters." They went on to say one of the major reasons she kept her relationship with Luis so under wraps for a little while was because of her family. "Out of respect for her girls and Joe, she waited until her divorce was final to say anything," the source said.
It sounds like everyone hit it off. When Andy Cohen asked about Luis' boys at "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" Season 11 reunion, Teresa said, "I love them." And in January 2021, the Daily Mail caught snaps of the couple at LAX in with his two sons in tow as well as two of Teresa's daughters, Gia and Milania Giudice. Clearly, they're one big, happy group but how do her daughters really feel about the relationship?
What do Teresa Giudice's daughters think?
While Teresa Giudice's daughters have met Luis "Louie" Ruelas, what's their take on their mom's new relationship? Well, by all accounts, everyone's cool with it. A source went to In Touch with what Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana Giudice apparently think of their mother's beau: "Teresa says she's taking it slow, but she's madly in love with Louie. And while her daughters miss their dad, they all think it's great that their mom is happy." In terms of Teresa's divorce from Joe Giudice, a tipster told In Touch that the daughters were not totally caught off guard by the split.
Once Luis was a fixture of Teresa's life, he began really bonding with her daughters, and in February 2021, Teresa revealed to ET what they think of him. "They like him, they do like him," she said. "They're happy for me. They're really happy for me." Teresa told the outlet that when Luis wished Milania a happy birthday via text, "she texted him back, 'Thank you so much for coming into my mommy's life and making her happy.' It was like, it's her birthday and she was talking about me? ... That really meant a lot."
It sounds like Tre's daughters and beau have a nice dynamic. "The girls are very happy for Teresa and Louie," a source told HollywoodLife. "They have always gotten along with him and he treats them like his own while respecting their love for Joe Giudice."
Did Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas buy a house?
Any devoted fan of the "Real Housewives" franchise knows that the homes are a big part of the show; the cameras give the audience a peek behind the curtain at the stars' houses. So what happened with Teresa Giudice's abode after her split from Joe Giudice? Well, the Bravo star took all the reins on the horse, er, house.
She told Page Six in March 2021, "In our divorce settlement, I get the house and Joe walked away with nothing because I paid off all his debt." According to the New York Post, Teresa and Joe bought their home in Montville, New Jersey, in 2002 for $530,000. Teresa finally landed a buyer in March of 2021, the outlet notes, for just shy of $2.25 million.
Right before she sold it, TMZ reported that Teresa and Luis Ruelas scooped up a home in the same city for $3.35 million. But before we jump to any conclusions about them moving in together, the outlet claims that the property was purchased as an investment with Luis footing the bill. TMZ speculates that Teresa will take on the role of property manager. The home they purchased, which sits on six acres, is massive, features a pool that has multiple waterfalls and a slide, and boasts a library. While it might be an investment for them now, it could certainly function as a family home one day.
Luis Ruelas meets Joe Giudice
Taking a big step, Luis Ruelas wanted to meet Teresa Giudice's ex husband, Joe Giudice. Evidently, Joe is fine with his ex-wife moving on. When word got out that Teresa had found love again, Joe told E! News, "What's she going to do, stay alone forever?" He went on to say that it would be "not fair" of him to have that expectation, adding, "Look, if I would have got out and I would have been able to go home, who knows what would happen? Maybe we'd still be in the same situation, maybe not. I don't know. Things change after so many years."
So in April 2021, Us Weekly reported that Luis and his two sons travelled to the Bahamas with Teresa and her four daughters to see Joe. On "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in March 2021, Teresa explained that the two men have "talked over the phone" and added that the trip to the Bahamas was Luis' idea, as he wanted to stress to Joe that he wasn't going to "take his place." Teresa added, "I just thought that was the most amazing thing ever." Clearly, Teresa appreciated Luis' idea of respecting Joe's relationship with his daughters while showing his commitment to Teresa.
Teresa Giudice's coworkers react to the news
"I was really sad," Teresa Giudice told ET when chatting about some of her more tumultuous seasons. "I've been through so much." "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" viewers have seen a lot of what she's gone through — including the harder parts of her life. "[T]hen, all of the legal stuff," she said. "And then I lost my mom. I lost my dad. It's been a lot." Then Luis Ruelas entered the picture and everything changed.
Teresa's blissed out, but what have the other Housewives said about the pairing? While a source did claim to The Sun that some of her costars have allegedly spoken out against him behind the scenes, a few have publicly given the relationship their blessing in interviews and on the show. "I wish them happiness, and I hope everything's great," Teresa's sister-in-law Melissa Gorga told Us Weekly in February 2021. "But it's new. It's the beginning, so you never know. He seems like a nice guy, so we'll see what happens." What's more, Teresa's brother, Joe Gorga, said on the show (via People), "This is the man he like, blows me away." He also told Us Weekly that he cried happy tears when he heard the engagement news.
Fellow Housewife Dolores Catania has also said kind things. "I see a marriage there," she said in Us Weekly. "I see potential for so much and a life together, and I see a lot of love between them."
Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas hit a milestone
In July 2021, Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas celebrated one year together. The pair took to Instagram to gush over each other and share photos. Teresa posted a shot of the two of them dressed in pink and wrote, "A year, wow I would have never imagined how in one year I would feel so loved. You are so kind, supportive & loving. You take great care and consideration in everything you do."
Always the loving mom, she mentioned how Luis is with her daughters. "You have shown my girls so much love," she continued. "I admire your incredible parenting & your work ethic, and the passion you put into everything you do. You have made me smile every single day for the last year and I love you today and all of my tomorrows."
Luis took a more athletic approach and posted a pic of the pair in workout gear, showcasing his abs. "In this exact spot is where I found my soulmate, this is the day I became the awwww luckiest man alive," he wrote. "I found my one true love, I found my one and only and my forever always. I fall more deeply In love with you every single day." It'll come as no surprise, based on their captions, that an engagement was destined to follow soon after. You don't call someone your "one true love" without putting a ring on it, and that's exactly what he did.
Luis Ruelas' decadent proposal
Luis Ruelas pulled out all the stops when he proposed to Teresa Giudice. The pair travelled to Greece in October 2021 and stayed at the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli, according to People. He prepared a series of romantic gestures, including bringing a violinist into the mix and scheduling some fireworks. Luis even had a brightly lit sign that read "Marry Me."
While we all saw it coming based on their anniversary posts on Instagram, Teresa said that she was completely surprised by Luis' proposal. When she popped by an Amazon Live cooking show in late October, she explained what really happened that night. "The proposal was amazing," Tre began (via ET). "I had no idea. I thought we were just going on vacation!"
When she saw Luis' surprise setup on the beach, she said, "I was like, 'Oh my god!' I started crying and it was really nice." However, the aforementioned fireworks went off too soon. "As he's [proposing], the sparklers are going off and then the fireworks are going off," Teresa said, "so I'm like a little kid, just looking all around." Luis had to ask her twice because Teresa didn't hear him the first go around. In a touching tribute to her family, Luis also ran the proposal by Teresa's daughters ahead of time.
Following engagement, a trip to Santorini
After a proposal in Porto Helo, Greece, Luis Ruelas and Teresa Giudice made another getaway to Santorini, a Greek island famous for romance. In classic double dating style, Luis and Teresa travelled with fellow "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Manzo and husband, Dave Cantin, according to People. In fact, the latter pair was present for the proposal too.
Teresa treated fans to several pictures of the stunning island on Instagram. In one candid shot of her fiancé, Teresa wrote, "Love being by your side." In fact, the "RHONJ" star posted so many photos with Luis that fans teased her for the nonstop posts. "[C]hill with the pics," one person commented. "It must be exhausting being photographed endlessly," someone else added. Zoinks.
Teresa and Luis sure do love to share their relationship with the world, and they don't shy away from personal questions. On a May 2021 episode of "Watch What Happens Live" (via North Jersey), Andy Cohen asked Luis what was his favorite part of Teresa's body. "Her heart. It's my favorite part," he said before noting that he's also a fan of her backside. As for Teresa, she liked Luis' lips the best.
Love again for Teresa Giudice
Following the very public dissolution of her very complicated marriage to Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice has moved on and started a brand new love story. On the heels of her October 2021 engagement to Luis Ruelas, a source said in People, "He's given her the ability to laugh and love again, after everything she has been through." The tipster told the publication that while "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star "was always optimistic she would find love again after her divorce," she evidently did not expect to "find what she has with Louie." And as difficult as the divorce was for her daughters, a source told HollywoodLife that the Giudice girls are apparently "very, very happy for their mother to have found love and happiness again."
Teresa captured the joy of falling in love again in her Instagram post celebrating Luis' proposal. "I am so lucky to have found you thank you for coming into my life," she wrote. "I know my parents sent you to me from that day I prayed to them on Bay Blvd. I adore you endlessly. You are the love of my life, my soulmate and my everything." It sounds like Tre is Tre-uly happy.