Melissa and Joe Gorga have been in the headlines for over a week when it was discovered that they refused to attend sister Teresa Giudice’s wedding over the weekend.
The wedding of Teresa and her now-husband, Luis Ruelas, has been a focus of Season 12 and 13 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, which just wrapped filming last week, only days before the wedding.
More information has been released since Teresa’s wedding on why the Gorga’s did not attend her star-studded wedding, and both Melissa and Joe have written social media posts indicating that things were toxic between them and Teresa.
Both sides feel the other has betrayed them in unforgivable ways, so it is clear that the family fracture may be too large to heal this time. But what does that mean for the future of RHONJ?
The Gorga and Giudice families have long feuded every season, but with this most recent fight, it seems impossible that both Teresa and Melissa would be able to star together on the same show amicably.
Melissa said she isn’t going anywhere, and has no intentions of leaving the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
RHONJ: Melissa Gorga has ‘no plans’ on leaving the hit Bravo show
Melissa took to Instagram yesterday to clear up any speculation that she is going to quit RHONJ after the dramatic week she and Joe have had dealing with the aftermath of Teresa’s wedding.
“People are taking pieces from my podcast and assuming I’m leaving the show,” Melissa said in her Instagram Story. “‘This is how rumors get started.’ I never said I was leaving the show. I was just clarifying how we felt after a difficult weekend. We have no plans on leaving. #RHONJ.”
On Thursday, Melissa released an episode of her podcast, On Display, when she spoke about the events that unfolded which led to her and Joe ditching the wedding. “Obviously, we did not attend your sister’s wedding. We have a laundry list of reasons in our heads,” Melissa revealed. “Obviously there was something that went down at the finale of filming the Real Housewives of New Jersey.”
Melissa would not go into specifics about the incident that took place during filming, instead only admitting, “There was plenty of reason for Joe and I to say it would be very strange — including everyone in that room, by the way — to look at Joe and I to say, like, ‘Yes, it would be very strange for you guys to just be sitting in the pews tomorrow, wishing them well on their wedding day.’ It would be strange.”
Teresa Giudice is still upset her family is on RHONJ
When Melissa joined the cast of RHONJ 11 years ago, Teresa had an issue with it, and she appears to still be carrying that grudge.
Melissa said of her auditioning for the show, “What you can be upset with is that we actually accepted… the invitation, that we accepted the proposal.” She continued, saying, “Did she, deep down, not want us to do that? I’m sure. I’m sure that’s what’s irked her, but guess what? I can take an opportunity just like anyone else.”
Joe said, regarding the Season 13 reunion, “Let’s go back to the reunion. She did this. This was all on her. This is what she really wanted. She didn’t want you in the wedding. She didn’t want any of my children in the wedding. She barely wanted me.”
Joe also said that Teresa never asked him to walk her down the aisle. “She hates us,” he said of his sister. “She really didn’t want us there.”
Melissa said the family situation is just too toxic, and it’s time to let it go. Joe added that he is sick of always trying to make it work with his sister. “When is it too much? I have to think about my life now. I don’t want to be depressed. I want to go to someone’s home or go into the same room and feel loved and feel like I’m wanted,” Joe admitted.
Finally, Joe concluded, “I had to make a decision: what’s important to me? Which is my wife, my children. I have to make them happy. I have to put them in a healthy environment, so is it time to let go?… I decided yes, because she forced all this. She did all this.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is on hiatus.