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Teresa Giudice Asks Housewives to Be Respectful

The RHONJ star talks about returning next season despite legal issues.

By Kevin O'Donnell Sep 30, 2013, 8:39 AM ET

During last night's special interview with Andy Cohen, Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe spoke out for the first time about their legal issues. The couple were indicted last month on 39-counts of fraud, which could result in jail time if they are convicted.

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Despite the upcoming trial, Teresa opened up about returning for another season on the show. "I still want to keep working," she says. "And I just hope that the other women on the cast have the same respect and give me the respect because if this was happening to them, I would give them that respect."

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When asked by Andy how she would like to see that respect manifest itself, she said she doesn't want the indictment to be a focus on the show. "I can't speak about legal issues," she said. "I don't want them jumping down my throat, like, 'Why aren't you telling me this?' Nothing can be discussed, the only person I can discuss anything with would be my attorney."

For his part, Joe said he has always had a strong work ethic and his family never lived "beyond our means...Whatever I could afford to buy, I would buy. We work hard, so what, we are allowed to make money. It's part of what we do. I'm a business man and I make money."

The trial is set to begin in February, and Teresa has resolved to keep her head high. "I am not crawling under a rock and hiding. That's not me. I am still going to be the person who I am today and the day I go to court, when we resolve this, everyone will see who Joe and I really are. I am not just running away."