Teresa Giudice Reveals Her Father Is ‘Struggling’ & Asks Fans For ‘Extra Prayers’

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice asked her followers on Instagram for prayers and love for her father, Giacinto Gorga.

“At this trying time I’m graciously asking for any extra prayers, good vibes, love….please send my fathers way. My father is struggling and my girls and I need him, we need his love, his presence & his strength,” she wrote in a post featuring her and her four daughters surrounding a smiling Giacinto.

The family patriarch has been in and out of the hospital over the past year, though Teresa didn’t mention whether his current health challenges were related to his previous illness. In January, Teresa confirmed that he had been admitted to the hospital, and her brother Joe Gorga shared that he was also hospitalized in December 2019.

It was later revealed that the 76-year-old has been hospitalized several times for pneumonia.

After publishing her memoir in 2018, which detailed some of her father’s health issues, Teresa said that the family had taken precautions to try to ensure that he didn’t catch any diseases from them.

“That’s the thing, none of us can be sick around him because he catches it right away. We’re constantly always washing our hands,” Teresa explained. “Like when you have a baby and you make sure everything’s clean, that’s how you have to be with him because he gets sick easily.”

Given the current coronavirus pandemic, some people speculated that Gorga had either contracted COVID-19, or his family was extremely worried that he might. He would be considered a high-risk individual, given both his past health challenges and age.

The post received an immediate outpouring of support, with fans and fellow housewives including Margaret Josephs, Erika Jayne and Vicki Gunvalson liking the post and sending messages of love and prayers. Teresa’s estranged husband Joe Guidice responded to the post, sending love back to her followers and asking for prayers for his father-in-law.

Within an hour, the post racked up nearly 6,000 comments from well-wishers and followers.

Teresa’s sister-in-law Melissa Gorga previously asked for prayers for Giacinto last month as she was celebrating her birthday. She also posted on Instagram, sharing a picture of her daughter Antonia with her “nono” on a boat, which showed the two smiling for the camera. She told fans that for her birthday she wanted “a couple extra prayers” for her father-in-law.

Giacinto has appeared on the The Real Housewives of New Jersey numerous times throughout its ten seasons.