Setting the record straight. Melissa Gorga explained why she deleted a comment on Gia Giudice‘s Instagram account after her niece slammed her uncle Joe Gorga.
The “On Display” singer, 43, initially responded to Gia, 22, after she called out her uncle, 43, for filming his reunion with Joe Giudice. “We both spoke poorly about each other,” Melissa wrote via Instagram on Sunday, February 19, in a since-deleted comment. “It was a nice moment. We have a lot of history together. Get the hate out of your heart.”
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Love Italian Style author removed her comment before her husband reposted the same message using his own account. According to Melissa, Joe Gorga wrote the original comment, but he accidentally posted it while logged into her Instagram account.
“That was actually Joe writing that,” the “I Just Wanna” songstress wrote via Instagram. “He had my phone in his hand and he didn’t even realize he was writing it on my phone. I was showing him Gia’s comment.”
The drama began earlier on Sunday when the Gorga Guide to Success author shared a video of himself reuniting with Joe Giudice, 50. The Italy native was previously married to Joe Gorga’s sister, Teresa Giudice. The former couple — who shares daughters Gia, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 14 — called it quits in December 2019 after 20 years of marriage.
“Both walked into the same bar at the same time,” Joe Gorga wrote via Instagram, sharing a video of himself hugging his former brother-in-law. “A lot of history there. We have memories since we were kids. I’m happy he’s doing well and looks good. We were both happy to see each other and catch up. Glad someone caught it.”
Gia, however, didn’t buy her uncle’s sentimental words. “This is honestly comical knowing you were with him for not even 5 minutes and [were] able to have somebody take a video of the interaction meanwhile all you have done is talked so poorly about my father,” the G.G. x Hazel designer wrote via Instagram on Sunday. “You are such a [sic] opportunist to take advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity to see my father and use it for a post.”
The Gorgas have been at odds with the Giudices for years, but the tension escalated last year when Teresa, 50, didn’t ask Melissa to be a bridesmaid for her wedding to Luis “Louie” Ruelas. The “On Display” podcast host and her husband subsequently didn’t attend the August 2022 nuptials.
“Obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Melissa said during an episode of her podcast at the time. “Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today. Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
Us Weekly later confirmed that the drama centered on allegations that Melissa cheated on her spouse during a business trip. “This ‘rumor’ was something that Teresa had known about for over a year and had been pushing for it to come out,” an insider explained in August 2022, adding that the season 13 finale taping was “perfect timing” to broach the topic.
Ahead of the season 13 premiere earlier this month, the Turning the Tables author exclusively told Us that she doesn’t hold a grudge against her brother and his wife. “I wish them well. I swear I wish them all the best,” the Dancing With the Stars alum said. “I need to heal myself. I’ve been through a lot the past 10 years with them. I’m happy for them. I wish them well and I wish they wished me the same back.”
