What really happened with the Luis video on Real Housewives of New Jersey?

 Teresa Giudice and Louie A. Ruelas attend Antonia Gorga's Sweet 16 Birthday Celebration on August 19, 2021 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Luis video Real Housewives of New Jersey
(Image credit: Manny Carabel / Getty)

"Never even saw it!" Teresa Giudice exclaimed about that infamous Luis video. Real Housewives of New Jersey fans, however, believe otherwise. 

The clip in question is of Teresa's fiancé, Luis "Louie" Ruelas, who is seen on a beach surrounded by a group of men he calls his "brothers." The video has been the talk of The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 12 since its premiere and things finally came to a head on the show's March 1 and March 8 episodes, after cast member Margaret Josephs brought the video up at Teresa's pink party. 

"I think everybody was curious about the video. It's not a nosy thing. People care about you and are concerned," Margaret tells Teresa. "Whatever happened in Louie's past stays in his past," Teresa snaps back. "Whatever happens in Louie's present and future, that's all I focus on."

When Louie decides to explain his side of the story to the group, Teresa tries to stop him. "You don't owe anybody here an explanation!" 

But what's the big deal with the video in the first place? See the clip below, along with Louie's explanation and what RHONJ fans have to say about the whole drama. 

What really happened with the Luis video? Real Housewives of New Jersey fans are talking

In the clip, the businessman can be seen on a beach surrounded by a group of men. "I’m coming home to see you, get engaged and bring our family together and finally get married and have a life together. I’ve been here for a week," Louie says to the camera, seemingly addressing his ex-wife. 

He continues: "I love our children and I hope you receive this message well. Thank you, I love you. Thank you for your time. I hope that this hits your heart… And I hope to come home to have the opportunity to talk to you, and share with you my experience with my life."

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The admittedly bizarre video got Teresa's RHONJ castmates concerned about Louie's intentions for Giudice. His explanation of the video did little to alleviate their worries. 

"Here it is. So I grew up with a lot of trauma in my life. A friend of mine went out and started this thing called [Wake Up] Warrior out in California and a lot of men go revisit their pain, to see their pain, get clarity," Louie told the group. "I was in a relationship with a woman so I had to learn in that moment how to be vulnerable to that woman and tell her, I'm sorry ... because I didn't want to commit to a marriage, I didn't want to commit to a bad woman. So I went to apologize to a woman for not being honest and saying it's over. Does that make any sense to you?"

Not really, according to Margaret, who says in a later scene: "The video we all saw, he was proposing and now he's saying it was a breakup video?"

Louie continues his speech, saying: "I'm actually proud of that, I'm proud of the work that I've done. That video came from that situation."

According to former Wake Up Warrior coach Kevin Voisin, who appeared alongside Ruelas in the beach clip, the video is from "over 5 years ago," reports Us Weekly

"A lot of time in the events, what happens is guys have a really big moment, revelation or feeling," Voisin said of the video. "That’s this powerful moment that takes over them. That was a very real capturing of what was being felt and realized in that moment."

Fans react to the Luis Ruelas video:

While some RHONJ viewers vocally supported Teresa and her relationship with Louie, others were quick to doubt both Louie's explanation and Giudice's insistence that neither she nor her daughter Gia ever saw the video clip. See some of their social-media reactions below:

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Who is Luis Ruelas, Teresa Giudice's fiancé?

Luis Ruelas is a cofounder behind Digital Media Solutions, a digital marketing company based out of Florida. Teresa Giudice first met the tech entrepreneur in the summer of 2020, went Instagram official with him by the end of that year, and announced their engagement in September 2021.

Since his introduction on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, allegations have been lobbed against Louie.

With regards to his sister's fiancé, Joe Gorga said: "I just don't know what to believe anymore. There's so many allegations out there. What if all of these rumors out there are real...what happens then?"

Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on Bravo, and is available to stream on Peacock (US) and Hayu/Sky TV (UK). 

Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 


When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.