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Melissa Gorga offered an update on where her kids stand with Teresa Giudice‘s daughters on Sunday night’s Watch What Happens Live.
While also speaking out on her issues with Jackie Goldschneider, 47, Jackie’s falling out with Margaret Josephs, 57, and Dolores Catania‘s ability to remain Switzerland in the group, the 45-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey star addressed her ongoing estrangement with Teresa, 51, Teresa wanting her fired, and Teresa’s claims about her and Joe Gorga‘s run-in with Joe Giudice, 51, in the Bahamas.
“They text happy birthday and all that. They don’t hang out but they text,” Melissa said of her kids and Teresa’s children on the May 12 episode of WWHL.
Regarding her status with Jackie, Melissa confirmed they haven’t spoken.
“It’s surprising and disappointing. I feel like she’s doing it all for the wrong reasons so that’s why it’s hard to take it all in with her,” Melissa explained. “I just think that she’s picking a fight to kind of, I don’t know if she wants her full-time spot back or what it is, but I feel like she really wanted to ruffle feathers, and it’s so out of character for her because I do know her and I’ve always respected her, I’ve always liked her a lot.”
“She didn’t do it the right way if you ask me,” Melissa added of Jackie, who became close to Teresa amid production on season 14.
At the start of the new season, Teresa accused Margaret of hosting a pre-reunion meeting to take down Luis Ruelas, 50, at the season 13 taping. And while Melissa was unaware of what John Fuda, 37, brought to filming in manila envelopes, she said meeting beforehand is nothing new — for any of the cast.
“We were all being investigated by a PI. That was a first. I’ve been on this show for a very long time. We were being investigated at the time. First of all, it’s a meeting of the minds. It’s not like a, ‘We’re gonna come and attack.’ [It’s the norm] everywhere. You think they don’t meet and say, ‘What are we gonna do,’ with attorneys involved. At least we just ordered sushi and opened a bottle of wine,” Melissa noted.
When a fan wanted to know how she felt about Teresa claiming Joe Gorga’s reunion with Joe Giudice in the Bahamas was “opportunistic” and “staged,” Melissa said that was “ridiculous.”
“We were really just on a vacation with our friends, and I actually think he knew we were. We were in the same casino at the same time. We literally just ran into him, so I think anything to try to spin something that was a positive or that we were friendly with him at the time,” she explained. “It was a very nice encounter between the two guys, there’s always a spin to make it like somebody’s evil and doing something wrong. But it was the most innocent thing there could be.”
Looking back at the season 13 reunion, during which Teresa suggested she’d be fired, Melissa said it felt good to be back.
“She was trying to do your job,” she told Andy Cohen, 55. “Of course, it was like, you’re not gonna place demands. She’s not you.”
Then, after Andy confirmed, “She didn’t say, ‘If she comes back I’m not coming back,'” Melissa signaled to her statement at the reunion.
“We did hear what she said at the reunion when she’s like, ‘I’m saying we’re never gonna see you again,’ and I’m like, ‘No actually, here I am,’” she shared.
According to Melissa, her estrangement from Teresa is real.
“The gloves are off, the masks are off. There’s no relationship. You might as well stop asking me. It’s not happening anymore,” she told Andy. “Play your games. Do whatever you want to do. [But] it’s so over.”
Also on the live broadcast, Melissa reacted to Teresa swearing on her daughters that she and Luis weren’t involved in the call that was placed to Margaret’s son.
“I thought that was ridiculous,” she stated.
Later, on the WWHL: After Show, after being asked what surprised her most about season 14, Melissa said it was the falling out between Jackie and Margaret.
“I would say the most surprising thing would be that Jackie and Margaret are no longer friends, and they’re not just not friends, they‘re like enemies,” she explained.
When asked if she was equally surprised by how Dolores is able to be Switzerland, Melissa admitted she’s not sure how Dolores gets away with it.
“I love Dolores. I’ve known her since before [RHONJ] … She gets away with murder,” Melissa stated. “I think we all truly love her, and she’s very good at hearing everyone’s side without totally taking a side. She’s mastered it.”
As for whether she and Joe would be in a better place with Teresa if they never joined RHONJ, Melissa said she didn’t “fully know” how to answer that question.
“Maybe on speaking terms, but before the show, there was more than, you know, more than we’ve ever said out loud,” she revealed. “She just came out the bat saying, ‘Oh my god, behind my back, came on behind my back,’ which is untrue, and that’s what everyone thinks, [that] this show created this.”
“I married into like, ‘Whoa, what goes on? This is not how my family rolls,’” she added.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
