What Was Teresa Giudice Up To Before 'RHONJ'?

Teresa Giudice is pretty polarizing within the Real Housewives universe. Fans went from loving her for that infamous table flip in Season 1, to siding with her in her family feud, to questioning our allegiance in the same feud, and this was all before the legal troubles that sent her to prison. Needless to say, Teresa and her fans have been through a lot since the start of Real Housewives of New Jersey. But what was Teresa Giudice doing before Real Housewives. It had to be something pretty entertaining for her to get cast in the first place, right?

I did some digging and, to be honest, I was a little bit surprised by some of Teresa's background. Based on her time on the show, it really seemed like she had always been a homemaker. But her background is a little more diverse than I would have expected. There is a lot more than meets the eye with this one. Don't pigeonhole her as a hot tempered reality television star with a criminal record, because she is a lot more than that. Teresa is a hard worker who has a variety of interests and talents, so let's delve into her pre-Housewives life.

Jersey Girl

Teresa was born and raised a Jersey girl through and through. She and her brother, Joe Gorga, grew up in Patterson, New Jersey with their parents who were Italian immigrants. As a result, Teresa's first language was Italian. She met her husband, Joe Giudice, when she was only 14 years old.

A Girl With Many Talents

Teresa was a baton twirler at her Catholic high school. She also played the saxophone. I'm surprised that she's never come out with a music single like some of her fellow Housewives. I could definitely see her twirling around a baton and playing the sax in a music video.

Fashion Plate

I honestly just assumed that Teresa started all of these fashion and beauty businesses because the other Real Housewives do the same thing, but she actually has an educational background in this area. She is a Berkeley College graduate with a degree in Fashion Marketing and Management. Plus, she worked as an associate buyer at Macy's in New York City. And it gets even better, she reportedly also contributed to Vogue.

Wife Life

After knowing each other for most of their lives, Teresa married Joe Giudice on October 23, 1999. And as all her fans know, they ended up having four adorable daughters: Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana. Teresa and her family were spotted by Bravo when they were casting for Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 1 because she had close ties to the Manzo sisters, Dina and Caroline, and their sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita.

And the rest is history. Teresa Giudice was able to combine all of her domestic and business talents into becoming one of the most talked about Real Housewives ever — even aside from her legal drama.