Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Teresa Giudice's Final Words to Her Family
Plus: can Joe and her daughters visit her in prison? Details of her life now.
Staying strong!
Teresa Giudice began her 15-month federal prison sentence on Monday, and even in her last hours of freedom, she was showing some backbone.
Teresa's lawyer, James J. Leonard Jr., has been speaking out about how she handled her final moments, telling E!, "[she] was very upbeat and positive...talkative and lively. There was some nervous energy there, but not because she was scared. She was just anxious about getting started."
When Teresa parted ways with her attorney—early on Monday morning, he escorted her to the Danbury, Conn. facility where she'll serve out her term—she continued to be upbeat, according to the lawyer: "She said, 'Tell Joe and the girls I'm good,'" he told People.
There was some nervous energy there, but not because she was scared.”
The lawyer shared other details about what Teresa can expect over the next few months. "When we got there," he said, "I asked the prison officials two questions. First, when can she make her first call? Because she brought money for her [commissary] account with her, they said she would be able to make a call within 24 hours. Second, when can she have her first visit? We were told her first opportunity would be this weekend. I told this to her husband and he was very, very excited."
According to the lawyer, Teresa has $200 in her personal commissary account, which she can use to buy food and other items. Her attorney also presented her with rosary beads and a necklace with two medals—one for St. Christopher and one for St. Teresa, according to People.
While Teresa is adjusting to a new way of life, the lawyer added that her focus remains on the well-being of her four daughters, Gia, Milania, Audriana, and Gabriella. "Her kids aren't just the No. 1 [priority] in her life," the lawyer said. "They are the only one. The entire time I have been involved with her, the only thing she has talked about in connection with this prison sentence is how it is going to affect them—not her."