Teresa Giudice's lawyer opens up about her time behind bars

As rumors about Teresa Giudice's life behind bars swirl, E! News nabbed an exclusive with her lawyer James J. Leonard Jr. They asked him to set the record straight about how the "Real Housewife of New Jersey" is really doing, and if her marriage is actually in jeopardy as all the tabloids say.

When asked about Giudice's alleged "diva" behavior, her lawyer was quick to shoot those accusations down. He explained that Teresa has "neither asked nor has received special treatment."

"Teresa has made friends with everybody," Leonard Jr. says. "All these reports about, you know, Teresa's doing this or Teresa's doing that -- if you have a problem with someone in a prison setting, you confront the person. You address it you move on, you don't call an entertainment gossip blog. So I read these reports, these erroneous reports, about her diva behavior -- absolutely false. There's no such thing as being a diva in prison."

Leonard Jr. explained that when he's with Giudice, he can really feel how much she's suffering. "Her loss is palpable," he said. "It's still extremely difficult for her obviously every day to be away from Joe and her children, but her ... strength amazes me."

Leonard Jr. explained that Giudice is doing as well as possible, and that she did get to see her children on Mother's Day, although this time the holiday was obviously much different than ever before. The family was able to visit until about 3 P.M., and Teresa struggled with their goodbye.

Though she's not there day to day, Leonard Jr. said that Teresa is still very much a part of her girls' lives. "Teresa is an email away. In many cases she's a phone call away. While she's not physically there, she's involved in every fascet of their lives, so while there's that loss, they can speak to her. They can communicate with her. This is a very, very strong family unit."

When E! host Alicia Quarles asked him about the divorce rumors, Leonard Jr. said they are "100 percent false." He continued, "If anything, this situation is bringing them closer. I think Joe has a very strong appreciation for everything that Teresa did. I think now he recognizes how difficult it is to look after four young children."

As for Giudice's time in jail, her lawyer says she's eating clean and exercising.

When it comes to her meals, Leonard Jr. explains that Teresa has to "be a little creative." When she makes commissary purchases, it's usually "tuna in bulk. Just because they're serving macaroni and cheese for dinner doesn't mean you have to eat macaroni and cheese. She's kinda carved out a very unique diet thats allowing her to get probably in the best shape of her life."

Though she's obviously not going to fancy exercise classes, Giudice is still keeping toned. "Now that the weather's breaking they have an outdoor track. She told me that she's spending alot of time running, walking, she's doing pilates she's doing ... she looks extremely lean and fit," Leonard Jr. said.

Giudice is also focused on her release date (December 23rd, though it could be moved up) and is "counting down the days." Leonard Jr. is confident that she'll be out before Christmas.

As for when her husband Joe will report, Lenoard Jr. says, "I don't think it'll be any time prior to march of 2016."

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