Closing up shop … for now. The Envy by Melissa Gorga boutique is closed temporarily after the Real Housewives of New Jersey star had a “difference of opinion” with her business partner, Jackie Beard Robinson.
Rumors started swirling that the Montclair, New Jersey, retailer was shutting its doors after only a year when customers saw the entire store was empty — but the Bravo star’s rep tells Us that it will reopen in a few weeks with spring inventory.
“Melissa Gorga is and has always been an owner of the Envy by Melissa Gorga boutique,” Gorga’s rep tells Us Weekly exclusively. "Melissa and Jackie have had a difference of opinion on how the store should be run and at this point, Jackie is no longer involved in managing the boutique, but Melissa intends to maintain the success of the boutique by managing it on her own, and she is excited to open with a new inventory of spring fashions.”
A source tells Us that the reality star, 37, hasn’t seen eye to eye with Robinson for a while now, so Robinson decided to go into business with Kim DePaola, who owns Posche and has made cameos on RHONJ. The source says Robinson moved the inventory from Envy to DePaola’s store.
According to the source, the Love Italian Style: The Secrets of My Hot and Happy Marriage author disagreed with Robinson over spending and how to run the business. “Melissa was unhappy, and she was like, ‘You aren’t operating this store to make a profit. This isn’t working.’ She wanted to dissolve their agreement,” the insider continued. “But Jackie wanted Melissa to just give up her stake and be a paid spokesperson.”
However, DePaola tells Us a different side of the story. “Envy is closed. Jackie was the real owner all along,” she said. “I’m going to help her liquidate everything that was in the store. The store is empty. They stripped the chandeliers, the furniture, the computer, the cameras, all the clothes, it’s all gone. Jackie stripped it all because she owns it.… We’re going to have an Envy liquidation sale at Posche, the new Posche in Allendale.”
DePaola claimed that Gorga was never a true owner in the business. "Melissa made a deal with Jackie that she would promote, she would put pictures of herself on Instagram and she would get a percentage of what was sold,” she told Us.
While Envy at first was completely empty, the storefront was later covered in paper with a sign that said, “Temporarily closed for inventory. Will reopen very soon."
