Their side of the story. Joe and Melissa Gorga are opening up about their decision to skip Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas’ wedding.
“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, 43, began on the Thursday, August 11, episode of her “On Display” podcast. “Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today. Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
The singer added that the “full, entire story” is not out there, adding that “stories that are out there [are] obviously not coming from my camp.”
“I am not going to sit here and say that there wasn’t drama, that it wasn’t crazy. Yes, there was a little aggression from certain people that could have been a little scary,” she continued. “There definitely were moments. There was plenty of reasons 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, like, wishing them well on their wedding day.’ It would be strange.”
Joe, 42, chimed in to say it “bothers” him when people blame RHONJ for their family drama.
“People are saying, ‘Oh, because you guys are on this reality show, you know, get off the show. It affects you and your family.’ I disagree with that,” he said. “I know we’re on a reality show, but if you’re pure and you’re honest and you go in with open arms, why do you have to fight? Why are we fighting? Why is this going on? Is there a jealousy thing going on? Not with us. We’re not jealous.”
Melissa went on to deny (again) Teresa’s previous claims that she went on the show behind her back, with Joe adding, “What’s sad is that it’s still going on and if we took that opportunity, it should be OK. That’s what I’m still baffled over. … You’re so angry and you hold this anger for 13 years. It’s insane.”
The real estate developer revealed that he thinks the drama that goes down during season 13 stems from the season 12 reunion.
“[Skipping the wedding] was one of the hardest days of my life. It was bad. But listen, let’s go back to the reunion. She did this. You know, this was all on her,” Joe said. “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. I was asked after all this information went out to be in a wedding. And that’s what saddens me. … When I left that reunion, I looked at you in a car and I was like, ‘Wow, she hates us.’ I’ve never seen her like this. I said, ‘It’s terrible.’ And Melissa immediately texted her and said, ‘Listen, we’re all good. Let’s move forward.’ She never responded.”
He added that the couple were “holding in” things about Ruelas for their sister’s sake.
“We covered up a lot of things,” Melissa said. “A lot of things we know and now I’m sitting back — I’m not gonna lie — second-guessing, like, why?”
Joe said he doesn’t want to “hurt” his sister or “bring Louie down.”
“If they broke up or if they had a night that they ran home and started fighting over it — the things that we knew or could say — I don’t want to be the one responsible for a couple going home and being miserable,” Melissa explained. “I don’t want to be the one that says, ‘Really? Because I know this, this, this and this.’ And then send a family home to kids. … And even if we know we’re right, we’re still not going to send you guys home, it’s not going to be on my conscience that I did this and I let this go and that I put this out there because I do believe in karma.”
Giudice and Ruelas wed on Saturday, August 6, and while the Gorgas weren’t in attendance, the rest of the RHONJ cast was there, including Dolores Catania, Jackie Goldschneider, Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin.
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