Joe and Melissa Gorga are sharing their side of the story!
In case you missed it, The Real Housewives of New Jersey stars skipped out on Teresa Giudice‘s wedding to Luis Ruelas over the weekend. Many fans wondered at the time what caused the shocking decision, assuming something big must have happened between the family members. We mean, bigger even than T cutting Melissa from being a bridesmaid.
Well, according to a Page Six source, it turned out an explosive argument erupted at the taping of the RHONJ finale after Teresa allegedly spread a rumor that would “cause drama” within Melissa and Joe’s marriage! THIS massive argument is apparently what ended up causing Joe and Melissa to ditch the big day. What was the rumor? Get ready…
Melissa allegedly was unfaithful to Joe and kissed a guy named Nick Barrotta while out in New York City a few years ago! Whoa!
Related: Joe Giudice Has Thoughts About Ex-Wife Teresa Remarrying!
The whole situation allegedly started when RHONJ’s Margaret Josephs and her longtime frenemy Laura Marasca Jensen talked about the rumor “a while ago” before they had a falling out. Laura told Page Six:
“I was told about this [by Margaret], who was not even there, herself. She told me that someone told her who was there that night. … I do not think that Margaret was telling me that to ruin Melissa’s marriage. She was gossiping — it’s what she does.”
When Laura went out with Teresa and Jennifer Aydin for four hours in February, she decided to bring up the infidelity allegations about Melissa. While filming the season 12 reunion for RHONJ, neither ladies brought up the bombshell – but it eventually came out during the season 13 taping. However, it was NOT Teresa who brought it up! An insider told the outlet that Jennifer was the one who ended up spilling the beans on-camera.
So why were Joe and Melissa so upset at Teresa? They were enraged at her for meeting up with Laura AND believed she had a hand in helping the rumor come to light on the Bravo series.
Whoa…
Now the two reality stars are breaking their silence on the situation in the latest episode of their On Display podcast. First off, Melissa said there was a “laundry list of reasons” why they did not show up for Teresa’s wedding, explaining:
“Obviously, we did not attend your sister’s wedding. We have a laundry list of reasons in our heads. Obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”
Without addressing whether or not it was about those cheating rumors, she did note that after what had happened on the show, it would have been “strange” for them to attend the wedding:
“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.”
Another factor? Based on what Joe and Melissa shared on the podcast, they felt Teresa was still holding a grudge over the duo joining RHONJ more than a decade ago:
“What you can be upset with is that we actually accepted… the invitation, that we accepted the proposal. Yes, we did. Did we do that? 100 percent. 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.”
While the family may have some problems with each other, Joe expressed how hard it was to not be at his sister’s wedding — especially since they’ve lost their parents:
“We lost our parents and, to me, it was devastating. It really was. It was one of the hardest days of my life. It was bad.”
But the bad blood between the siblings was too great! When Teresa confirmed Melissa would not be one of her bridesmaids during the reunion, Joe said he realized that his sister “really didn’t want” his family there. Noting that he was also never asked by Teresa to walk her down the aisle, he expressed:
“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. She hates us. She really didn’t want us there.”
Although they hate how everything went down, Melissa and Joe ultimately felt like it was time to cut ties with Teresa:
“Sometimes when things are too toxic and you try over and over and over again, and it just keeps coming back around to the same thing, that it’s just sometimes — even if it’s family — you have to let it go.”
Joe went on to add:
“Everybody has seen us for 13 years try to make this family work. We’ve tried, but then you get to a point when you get tired. 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. I don’t want to feel this hate and, you know, in going around and saying, ‘Does she really want me there?’ or ‘Do the kids really want me there?’ or ‘Do they really hate us and we’re faking this relationship?’ so, you know, 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.”
As for those cheating rumors? It sounds like Melissa and Joe are not concerned about that bit of gossip whatsoever. A source told Page Six on Wednesday “they’re laughing about it,” adding that those accusations of Melissa cheating on Joe with Nick are “ridiculous.” In fact, the insider shared that the trio has “all been friends for years.”
So much drama! Reactions to Melissa and Joe’s podcast, Perezcious readers? Thoughts on those cheating rumors? Sound OFF in the comments (below)!
[Image via Melissa Gorga/Instagram, Teresa Giudice/Instagram]