Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga opened up about filming season 14 with Teresa Giudice amid their ongoing feud during an exclusive interview with In Touch.
“It’s not an easy navigation. Never was,” Melissa, 44, said about working with Teresa, 51, while speaking to In Touch at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on December 8. “I feel like it always just finds me the drama on this show.”
Despite constantly feeling like she’s in the middle of the show’s drama, Melissa said that she has chosen to “stay true” to herself. “I always have. And I call a spade a spade and if I see bulls–t, I call bulls–t,” the Bravo star added. “And that’s how you do Housewives.”
Melissa and her husband, Joe Gorga, have had drama with Teresa for years. However, their feud escalated during season 13 when Teresa accused Melissa of cheating on Joe, 44. After the “On Display” podcast host denied the accusations, the drama continued when Teresa excluded her from her bridal party. Following the snub, Melissa and Joe chose to skip Teresa and Luis Ruelas’ wedding in August 2022.
“I found out a few days before my wedding that they weren’t coming. I’m totally fine with it,” Teresa explained about Joe and Melissa’s absence during an August 2022 episode of her “Namaste B$tches” podcast. “You’ll see it play out on TV … The way that everything played out with my wedding, everything that happened is the way it was supposed to be. I’m all about that. I’m all about good energy, and whoever wanted to be at my wedding was there.”
The tension didn’t cool off after the wedding special aired in May, and Melissa accused Teresa of using her and Joe for a “storyline” during the RHONJ season 13 reunion.
More recently, Teresa shut down any possibility of her reconciling with her brother and sister-in-law during BravoCon in November.
“Listen, my parents are not here anymore. So no,” Teresa told the crowd during her panel. “First of all, I’m living this journey and I’m all about family and respect and trust. Sorry. That chapter is closed with my brother unfortunately. It really is.”
Meanwhile, Melissa said her current dynamic with Teresa and her other costars was “unfortunate” while reflecting on their drama during BravoCon. “There is not a real team happening here so it’s just it is what it is,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the event in Las Vegas.
The mother of three added that she and Teresa had been around each other since they wrapped season 13, though they hadn’t filmed much together for the upcoming season. “We have been in the same room together. I don’t know who is saying that we haven’t,” the reality star explained. “We both have zero desire to communicate and I think it’s better that way. Like, boundaries.”
