Stress behind the scenes. Melissa Gorga and her husband, Joe Gorga, admitted that recent cheating allegations have gotten to them — but they’re trying not to let the chatter keep them down.
“Almost definitely the rumors,” the Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly at the VMAs on Sunday, August 28, when asked to name the biggest test the show has put on her relationship. “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.”
Earlier this month, Us confirmed that the “Melissa Gorga On Display” podcast host and her husband, also 43, skipped Teresa Giudice‘s wedding because of rumors that Melissa cheated on Joe during a business trip. Joe, for his part, admitted that he and his wife haven’t spoken to his sister, 50, since the wedding.
“It’s been tough,” the Gorga Guide to Success author told Us. Asked what it would take for him to get back on track with his sibling, he replied: “Let’s see what the future holds.” Melissa, for her part, added, “We don’t know. That’s a very long answer.”
According to an insider, the pre-wedding drama started during filming for RHONJ season 13 when Margaret Josephs‘ frenemy Laura Jensen shared “a lot of deep dark secrets to Teresa and Jennifer [Aydin]” in order to earn a spot on the show.
“One of the secrets was Melissa making out with this guy while she was on a press tour in the city,” the source explained. “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.”
Newcomer Danielle Cabral was allegedly the person who brought up the accusations, but the insider claimed that Giudice, 50, encouraged the discussion, adding: “Teresa usually uses someone to bring up drama, so she played a part in that.”
The conversation allegedly led to “a blowout fight” between the Turning the Tables author and her sister-in-law, and as a result, the Gorgas decided not to attend the wedding. “Melissa was blindsided by the ‘rumor’ that was revealed,” the source explained. “That’s when things escalated and got out of control.”
The Celebrity Apprentice alum and Luis “Louie” Ruelas tied the knot on August 6 at the Park Chateau Estate in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Days before the ceremony, Melissa was in attendance at her sister-in-law’s July 30 bridal shower, but she wasn’t present for the bachelorette party on August 4.
“Teresa may not forgive Joe after this and vice versa,” a source told Us of the Gorgas’ decision to skip the nuptials. As for the “On Display” songstress and her husband, the insider noted, “They’re not going to fake their relationship from here on out.”
The Skinny Italian author, for her part, claimed she was unbothered by her brother missing her big day. “Listen, I found out a few days before my wedding that they weren’t coming, and I’m totally fine with it,” the Bravo star said during the August 17 episode of her “Namaste B$tches” podcast. “The way that everything played out with my wedding, everything that happened is the way it was supposed to be. I’m all about that. … I’m all about good energy, and whoever wanted to be at my wedding was there.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
