Credit: Udo Salters/startraksphoto.com

Gia Giudice is sharing her thoughts on the backlash she’s received due to her involvement in the drama of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

As the 14th season came to an end earlier this week, the 23-year-old Rutgers graduate and aspiring lawyer appeared on Jason Tartick‘s podcast, where she spoke of the mean comments she’s received from viewers, reacted to John Fuda, 38, and Jackie Goldschneider, 47, bringing her up on the show, and confirmed she’s financially independent from her parents.

“As much as I love having a voice on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, I also got a lot of backlash for it,” Gia revealed on the August 5 episode of Trading Secrets, via Monsters and Critics. “Even though I am an adult now, the viewers — because they saw me from such a young age — they don’t see me that way. They see me as, ‘Why are you getting involved?’ I think that’s the only difficult aspect of it.”

According to Gia, she’s often faced with comments from fans who don’t like her mother, Teresa Giudice, 52.

“I necessarily don’t let those comments affect me, but a lot of the situations were people talking about me, were adults talking about me,” Gia noted, signaling John and Jackie.

“I’m not your child, so why are you talking about me?” Gia wondered.

Because she is the child of a cast member, Gia finds it “weird” when her name is mentioned.

“[It’s] very uncomfortable,” she admitted. “The fans are like, ‘She’s not a Housewife and she should not be involved in this drama,’ which, it’s not like I’m trying to be, trust, me I wanna be far away from all of this crazy.”

As fans may recall, Gia wanted the cast to stop speaking about her after John mentioned the drug analogy Jackie made about her years ago.

During season 11, Jackie suggested that Teresa shouldn’t have brought up rumors about her husband, Evan Goldschneider, allegedly cheating on her since she didn’t bring up supposed rumors she heard about Gia doing drugs.

Also on the podcast, via The Daily Dish, Gia confirmed she does not rely on Teresa or Joe Giudice, 52, for money.

“I am completely on my own in the way of — besides my living situation. I still do live [at] home with my family — but financially, I do cover everything myself,” Gia said. “I don’t really get money from my parents anymore.”

One big financial step Gia recently made was leasing a new vehicle at the prompting of her mom, who told her, “When you graduate college, then your next car is on you.”

When sister Gabriella Giudice, 20, was away at the University of Michigan, Gia was able to use her car. But once Gabriella returned home, that was no longer an option.

“I wanted to save all these months because my dream car has always been a Porsche, so I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ And I was able to do that,” Gia continued. “That was, like, one of the biggest accomplishments that I was able to get myself a car, and I felt like I was signing my life away with all the dealership papers.”

“Financially, I really am on my own, and that’s also a big misconception. People don’t think I’m on my own. People think that I live off of mommy and daddy’s money,” she added.

As for what’s next, Gia wants to start “investing [in] properties” in New Jersey like her dad did before getting into construction and hopes to purchase a two-family home, “take out a mortgage, and start it from there.”

Live Viewing Thread – This is also the live viewing thread for alternate reunion episode of the RHONJ season 14! So please feel free to chat and comment below as the episode airs on Bravo at 8/7c.