"RHONJ" star Teresa Giudice is featured with her family members - husband Joe Giudice, 42, and two of their four daughters - on the cover of Us Weekly in the first photo taken since she began her 15-month prison sentence for bank fraud.
The recent photo was taken in the visitation room at the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut and shows Teresa in a way that most are not accustomed to seeing her - sporting a green jumpsuit and shorter, curlier hair.
The 42-year-old mother was pictured wearing minimal amounts of makeup, as well, and has since adjusted to a new beauty regimen.
"She's got a little group she hangs out with and does her thing with every day, and who she goes to the gym with and who she hangs out with, and who does her hair and who does her nails ... They have their little thing going on every day," Joe said of Teresa's routines in an exclusive 4-hour interview with Extra at his Towaco, N.J., home.
Joe admits that although he is playing the role of mom and taking care of his girls to the best of his ability, he misses Teresa terribly and has developed a newfound appreciation of her.
"I cry more than the girls. I pretty much cry every time I leave. Like a little baby," he said.
Teresa expressed that she feels similarly. "I miss Joe and my girls terribly," she told Us Weekly.
As far as the couple's daughters - Gia, 14, Gabriella, 10, Milania, 9, and Audriana, 5 - the lines of communication are always open, and the girls email Teresa daily. Joe said that they "try to make it up there every weekend and we bring her mom up every weekend," though their youngest daughter believes Teresa is "away at work."
"When you have four kids you have to stay strong," Joe said.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars pleaded guilty to bank fraud, mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud in March 2014, earning upwards of $5 million for their actions.
The couple was arranged to have consecutive sentences so that one parent could be home to take care of their children. When Teresa is released before Christmas - two months earlier than her original prison term - Joe will begin his 41-month sentence.
"We're not bad people, we're not, you know, these criminals or whatever, I don't know whatever the hell they make us out to be," Joe said.
When asked if the two will return to the Bravo show that brought their family into the spotlight, he said, "The numbers would have to be very big in order to go back so um, we'll see... as of right now there's nothing."
You can watch the interview with Joe Giudice here.
