RHONJ’s Melissa Gorga On Relationship With Teresa Giudice: ‘I’ve Been Smacked Around, And Come Back For More’

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga is speaking out about her strained relationship with sister-in-law Teresa Guidice. The women share details of their difficult relationship during season 13 of the Bravo series. During this season, Teresa prepares to marry Louis Ruelas, and Melissa and Joe find themselves at a personal crossroads. Melissa discussed their broken family ties on her podcast, saying, “I’ve been smacked around and come back for more.”

The sisters-in-law have had a tense relationship for years

The beginning of Melissa and Teresa’s tense feud dates back to 2011 when Melissa and Joe were first introduced on the reality series. While Teresa had been an established character on RHONJ since season one, Melissa and Joe’s introduction during season 3 caused a messy dispute.

Teresa’s brother Joe called his sister “garbage” at his son’s christening. The comment led to a brawl between Joe and Teresa’s then-husband Joe Giudice.

Teresa believed her brother was being “taken away” by Melissa. Teresa later called her sister-in-law a golddigger, leading Melissa to exclaim to E! News that the accusation “hurt” her. 

While Teresa served jail time in 2014 for fraud charges related to her ex-husband Joe Giudice’s bankruptcy trial, Melissa and Joe helped her husband, Joe Guidice, with their four daughters. Upon her release in 2015, Teresa and Melissa decided to bury the hatchet once and for all. However, their truce didn’t last long.

Melissa Gorga discusses her current relationship with Teresa Giudice

The current strife between Melissa and Teresa came after the latter revealed on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that Melissa nor her brother was going to be part of her Aug. 2022 wedding to Luis Ruelas. Teresa said she was having eight bridesmaids, but Melissa wasn’t included in the group.

Melissa and her husband were invited to the wedding, but the pair backed out from attending just days before. People Magazine reported that during BravoCon 2022, Melissa said she and her husband were officially “done” with Teresa.

“I got off the roller coaster,” she explained. “I don’t want to be on it anymore. We’ll see what happens. Melissa exited the building in that situation. I’m done.”

She later said during an episode of her podcast Melissa Gorga on Display, where she was joined by her husband Joe, that they were upset to hear that Teresa was “done” with them in the new RHONJ trailer.

“It’s such a joke to me to hear those words,” she added, explaining that her and Joe’s current situation with Teresa and her family are actually “opposite of what I’ve always wanted and always tried to do: move forward and forgive.”

“I’m not saying I’m perfect by any means or I have done nothing wrong because I have,” Melissa continued. “But I’ve definitely been smacked around and come back for more and tried again.”

Melissa is hopeful that watching the episodes will give their family some clarity

As season 13 unfolds, Melissa is hopeful that rewatching the drama of the past year will give the family some clarity now that these moments are in the back window of their lives.

“I always hope it’s gonna help, and I truly do from all angles,” Melissa told Us Weekly after being asked if watching the episodes back will allow everyone to see each other’s perspectives and reconcile. “But sometimes it doesn’t because we end up on that couch in the reunion wanting to go crazy.”

As for Teresa, she is already looking forward to the season’s reunion episode. Addressing the drama on her podcast in October, she made a statement. Teresa said, “I just wish that [Joe] would stop talking about us to try to make himself relevant. This is the last time I’m talking about this. There are going to be a lot of things addressed at the reunion. And then, after that, I’m done.”

Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey debuts on Tuesday, February 7, at 9 p.m. EST.