Gia Giudice didn’t like her famous aunt, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga, from their very first meeting.
Though Gia, now 21, was just three years old when Joe Gorga started dating Melissa, her mom, Teresa Giudice, has revealed the then-toddler took an instant dislike to Melissa – and she didn’t shy away from showing it.
“Gia did not like Melissa when they first met,” Teresa said, “because Gia was three years old, and she adored my brother.”
On the latest episode of her Namaste B$tches podcast, Teresa opened up to her cohost, Melissa Pfeister, about her troubled bond with her in-law, sharing her first impressions of the Gorgas’ relationship.
Before Melissa, Teresa said, her younger brother Joe was her “best friend” and would come over every day to spend time with the young Gia.
“Every single day for three years,” the RHONJ star said before adding, “until Melissa.”
According to Teresa, that closeness with her brother dissolved when he got married. Gia must have sensed this dynamic, Teresa said, because the jealous tot would shoot Melissa what Tre called “dirty looks.”
Teresa Giudice ‘wanted to be close’ to Melissa Gorga
Teresa said that in the early days of Joe and Melissa’s relationship, she made an active effort to bond with her new in-law, revealing that she called Melissa “every single day.”
Despite her young daughter’s aversion, “I wanted to be close to her,” the reality TV star told her podcast cohost. “I wanted a sister that I never had.”
Teresa said the rift with her in-law was “heartbreaking.”
To her, she added, “family means the world. I go by the Godfather movie — like, that’s so me.”
RHONJ’s Teresa Giudice opens up about sibling feud
OG Jersey Housewife Teresa opened up about her on-and-off feud with her brother Joe and his wife, Melissa.
The Gorgas’ latest rift with Teresa was reportedly sparked during the taping of the finale episode for the upcoming 13th season of RHONJ. In August, when Teresa married Luis Ruelas, the Gorgas chose not to attend. The two couples have been estranged since.
But on the podcast, Teresa said the idea that she “just never liked Melissa” was a “misconception.” When Joe started dating Melissa in 2004, the star said she was initially “happy for him.”
But the relationship moved too quickly for Teresa’s liking. She revealed that Melissa had moved in with Joe after just one month of dating. The couple were engaged after five months and married after ten months.
“Everything happened so quick, so we kind of kept our mouths shut,” Teresa said.
“My brother was engaged twice before,” she added, noting, “I guess third time’s the charm.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently on hiatus.