Source: Entertainment Weekly

Gia Giudice is calling on the highest office in the land to bring her father home.

The eldest daughter of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and her ex, Joe Giudice — who spent 41 months in prison for bank, bankruptcy, mail, and wire fraud and was then deported to Italy in 2019 — Gia shared a public plea to her Instagram on Friday for her father’s return. The intended audience? President Donald Trump.

“My name is Gia Giudice. I’m the daughter of Joe Giudice, and today I’m using my voice for something deeply personal,” she begins in voiceover in the selfie video depicting her writing character letters on her father’s behalf. “My dad was deported over four years ago. Since then, our family has lived in an emotional limbo. No matter how strong we try to be in the absence of a father, of a parent, it’s something that never stops hurting.”

The star of Bravo’s new reality series Next Gen NYC didn’t concoct her call for mercy out of the blue, but cited clear precedent for reality star clemency.

“Watching the Chrisley family receive a second chance inspired me,” she said. “It showed me that people can be forgiven, that families could be restored and that sometimes the justice system has room for grace. That gave me hope.”

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the USA Network reality series Chrisley Knows Best, were pardoned by Trump in May after being convicted of crimes similar to those of Giudice: bank fraud and tax evasion, which landed Todd with a 12-year sentence and Julie with 7 years jail time.

Gia explained that “a pardon for me would mean more than just legal forgiveness, it would mean healing for my sisters, for my mom, for my family, and for me.” The Giudices share four children: Gia, 24, Gabriella, 20, Milania, 19, and Audriana, 15. Teresa and Joe were both sentenced to prison in 2014, but Joe, who moved to America from Italy as a child and never gained full citizenship, was deported after he completed his sentence. He currently resides in the Bahamas so he can be closer to his family.

“We’ve missed birthdays, graduations, even the small moments that matter the most,” Gia continued. “This isn’t just about one man, it’s about a family that deserves to be home again…. We are not asking for sympathy, we are asking for a second chance, so let’s bring Joe home together. President Donald J. Trump, I really hope you receive these character letters about my dad Joe Giudice.”

Gia’a plea comes less than two weeks after Joe made one of his own to Trump, who has granted clemency to over 25 individuals convicted of various financial crimes since taking office in January.

“I’m Joe Giudice. I served my time, and I’ve been deported from the U.S. for nearly a decade. I was raised in Jersey, I’m a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again. President Trump, I respect you and I’m asking for a second chance,” he wrote in a June 26 Instagram post over a picture posing with his daughters.

While Teresa and various Giudice daughters showed their father support in the comments, the tone in the comments of Gia’s post was decidedly more hostile, with many users calling the reality star’s request insensitive in light of Trump’s recent wave of mass deportations targeting many immigrants who haven’t even been charged with a crime.

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to Gia Giudice for comment.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.