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Gia Giudice Says ‘Special Forces’ Healed Her in Ways She Never Expected

November 25, 2025

Growing up on reality TV is one thing. Growing up on The Real Housewives of New Jersey as Teresa Giudice’s eldest daughter is something else entirely—and Gia Giudice is finally ready to talk about what that actually felt like. Now 24, she’s stepping out of the shadow of her last name with a career that spans Bravo’s Next Gen NYC, two podcasts, and a standout performance on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test—a competition she unexpectedly won.

On The Pre-Game, host Kayla Nicole sits down with Gia for a revealing conversation on what it took to grow up emotionally, how reality TV forced her into early self-reflection, and why pushing herself on Special Forces ended up healing old wounds she didn’t know she still carried.

Below, the strongest moments from their conversation—adapted into a Q&A format.

What did Special Forces reveal about your mental strength — and your biggest triggers?

“It was day 6 for me…We literally climbed up this mountain, it felt like Mount Everest. The terrain on this mountain was just so insane, and my legs felt like they were going to fall off…But then we get to the top and we had to do the rope course. We had to walk across a rope from mountain to mountain, climb down the mountain…

…Billy screwed with me every time there was something with heights, anything. There’s a 300 ft drop, there we are walking across a tightrope basically from mountain to mountain. I’m about to go and Billy’s like shaking me over the ledge and he’s like, ‘Don’t disappoint me, don’t let me down,’ and I’m like, ‘Billy, please stop. I’m having a heart attack, like, why are you doing that?’ I get on the rope, we have our helmets, we have GoPros. We’re walking across this rope. This rope now gets caught on my GoPro and is pulling my helmet down over my eyes…I can’t see. And then I started getting really nervous because I couldn’t see. So then I start screaming…

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…I finally get off the rope and I look at Foxy, and he was screaming at me like, ‘Why were you freaking out up there?’ And I was like, ‘Because I was scared, the rope, I couldn’t see.’ And he was like, ‘I don’t give a damn’…We got into a little tiff so I started crying like immediately once Foxy started yelling at me. But then then we get to the bottom of the hill and they didn’t show this, but…they punished the whole crew…I’m crying because I’m in pain. I’m also crying because I feel like such an asshole for making my teammates go through this.”

Why was your mom’s exit from the show such a turning point for you?

“I got so emotional because she was like my person on that course, like she was my safety net. So when she left, it was a trigger for me for sure…They asked me to fight and she was like, ‘Nope, I can’t watch my daughter fight and I can’t be here and I don’t want my daughter to see me fight, because I don’t want to show my daughter violence,’ and I think it was really a turning moment for her too, because being on Real Housewives, there’s always tension and arguments and fighting, and she wanted to show me, because we talked a lot throughout that course, and I wanted her to do this course to kind of let her anger go. It was mainly towards my father about the legal issues and things like that. I really wanted her to just kind of let the anger go and move on…

…So, I understood why she left, but I was also so shocked, and it obviously pulled at my heartstrings, and I was very emotional during it. But you know, I was contemplating it that day like ‘Crap, like, can I really continue?’ But then it was like, ‘No, I need to do this for myself.’ Now this is my time to shine and I did do that.”

Did the experience help heal anything from your family’s hardest years?

“One hundred percent. And that’s why I say I’m a different person now than I was then. I really just feel so at peace. I think Special Forces also gave me the outlet to know that I’m okay. Like I can do this on my own, and I don’t need to feel like I always need to be there for my family. Like they will be okay. Which is why I kind of came home from Special Forces. It was the end of June, and I started looking at apartments in September, moved out a couple weeks ago, and Special Forces really healed for me…I am ready to do this chapter of my life and really be on my own. And also just not worry about the small stuff, not sweat the small stuff, and just really focus on the bigger picture.”

How did being the eldest daughter shape who you are—and what do you hope your sisters see in you?

“I hope they just see how hard I love them, and how hard I work, and just that I am always there for them and will do everything for them. I think I have always tried to teach them to be the best version of themselves and to always show yourself in a way that you would be proud of, and I think they know that of me, and I want them to know to shoot higher than the stars, shoot for the moon. And that I’m always there for them.”

What has navigating divorce and a blended family taught you about love?

“I just think sometimes people make mistakes, and people come into your life for a reason. Sometimes, you know, the chapter closes and you have to move on. And love is amazing. I think everybody should have love in their life. And that’s why I think my parents, unfortunately, things happened…It was something that wasn’t sustainable. And it was a marriage that I would never want for my mom or my dad. So within that, it’s just to know that people deserve love and happiness. And I’m happy that they’re both in that stage of their life, and they both have found that.”

What are you learning about reinventing yourself with Next Gen?

“Season one, it was a little difficult going from the transition of being with my mom on Real Housewives to the Next Gen. I think I was always used to being in this like motherly role and always like looking out for my family and sticking up for what was right, and I think I did that a little too much season one…They did not show a full picture of me either. They only showed when I was a little irritated or in a confrontation with somebody or had something to say…

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…So going into season two, I made sure that everything I did with my work life and within the cast, that people were included…How can I tie in my cast members to really like make the audience see what I I do on a day-to-day basis and like what my work life looks like and what I do because I don’t stop…

…I think the relationships and the dynamic between the group is a lot stronger because Season 1, we were getting to know each other and it was very new and very fresh….but let’s just hope season two is better because I feel a lot better about it.”

What’s on the horizon for Gia Guidice?

“I did a lot this year. After Next Gen wrapped…A lot just happened. I introduced my podcast Casual Chaos. I’m also a part of another podcast called Dirty Rush. I was on Special Forces, Next Gen NYC. So a lot has happened within this past year. But going forward now, I really want to focus on expanding my brand. I really want to create a line or really create something that I am passionate about…I wanna also do something that is really full circle for my brand.”

To hear the full conversation, listen to The Pre Game with Kayla Nicole wherever you get your podcasts.