Turning the drama up a notch. After wrapping up their feuds ahead of season 13, it wasn’t long before the Real Housewives of New Jersey cast once again found themselves at odds.
Fans initially noticed signs of trouble after Teresa Giudice confirmed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that Melissa Gorga would not be a bridesmaid at her August 2022 wedding to Luis ‘Louie’ Ruelas. The “On Display” performer, for her part, admitted it was a surprise to hear the news on television.
“I did find out on TV that I’m not going to be in Teresa’s wedding and I’m not a bridesmaid, which I’m OK with. I’m fine with [it],” she said during an episode of her “Melissa Gorga on Display” podcast in March 2022. “I understand. To each their own.”
The Envy by Melissa Gorga creator noted that she would still show her support for her sister-in-law on her big day. “We’ve always backed her up and we haven’t said much on the show in a negative light regarding her and Louie and it’s for a reason,” the singer, who has been married to Joe since 2004, added. “It’s because we want her to be happy and we want it to be good. So I hope she sees that and realizes that, and I wish her nothing but happiness and I’m sure her wedding will be absolutely beautiful.”
Things took a turn, however, when Melissa and Joe Gorga announced their decision not to attend the cookbook author’s August nuptials.
“Obviously, we did not attend your sister’s wedding. We have a laundry list right of reasons in our heads [of] why and I will let all my listeners know this — obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Melissa revealed on her podcast that same month. “Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today. Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
At the time, Us Weekly confirmed that the trio’s most recent drama began when a rumor about Melissa spread during season 13. “One of the secrets was Melissa making out with this guy while she was on a press tour in the city,” a source exclusively told Us. “This ‘rumor’ was something that Teresa had known about for over a year and had been pushing for it to come out. Finally, the finale was perfect timing.”
The designer later elaborated on how false cheating allegations affect her marriage, telling Us in August, “There’s a lot of rumors that come out about me, and you know what? We just keep hitting ’em, swatting ’em like flies, [and] they just keep coming.”
Teresa, for her part, noted that viewers would see the full story on the hit Bravo series. “It’s gonna blow your minds away,” the Dancing With the Stars alum told Us in September. “It’s very sad. … People thought a certain way about me, and then they’re gonna be like, ‘Wow, we were so wrong.’ I think … when you watch this season [you’ll see that] I kept my mouth shut a lot over 10 years.”
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