The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion kicked off on May 3 with a whole lot of drama. And it wasn’t just this season’s drama that got rehashed. While fighting with Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice brought up how Melissa and Joe befriended Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita and turned them against her, after joining the show many many years ago. But host Andy Cohen refused to let the ladies rehash old quarrels. Even so, it became evident pretty quickly that Teresa never got over Melissa and Joe joining the show (shocker).
And let’s be honest — Teresa may sometimes say that she and Melissa are on good terms, but her actions have always said otherwise. And in Part 1 of the reunion, she finally admitted that they’re not in a good place. The admission came after Melissa revealed her feelings were hurt when she learned Teresa would not be asking her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. They have years of history with each other, but Teresa doesn’t think they’re close enough to have Melissa in her wedding. Instead, she asked Luis Ruelas‘ sisters, who she’s only know for one year, to be in her wedding, so we can’t blame Melissa for being upset.
“I don’t feel close to you,” Teresa told Melissa, to which she said, “Let’s stop faking like we have a relationship [then] because you’ve proved to everyone that we don’t.”
#RHONJ Season 12, Episode 14 SNEAK PEEK. Reunion, Part 1. All new, Tonight 8/7c on @BravoTV. (Source @BravoTV @NBCUniversal) pic.twitter.com/lX4JphLWTT
— OMFGRealityTV (@OMFGRealityTV) May 3, 2022
Melissa then revealed that Teresa sat her and Joe at the “friends” table at her engagement party, while Luis’ sisters sat at the “family” table. Teresa claimed she didn’t make the seating chart and had no idea Joe and Melissa would be put at a different table, but this is the same woman who didn’t invite Dolores Catania to the engagement party because she and her then-boyfriend, David Principe, never double dated with her and Luis. Teresa said that she and Luis only invited couples that they hang out with. This is also the same Dolores who has gone to bat for Teresa for many many years. But Dolores chose not to get mad at Teresa for it, and instead, left the arguing to Melissa and Teresa.
Melissa went on to say that Teresa was one of her bridesmaids, so it would have been nice for her to be one in Teresa’s wedding, too. But in an effort to not let Melissa look like the better person, Teresa noted that she was 8 months pregnant while a bridesmaid in Melissa’s wedding and Melissa shouldn’t have had her wedding while she was expecting. “Good sisters-in-law wait,” Teresa told Andy, when he questioned what he was hearing. Like us, his jaw hit the floor.
Following that comment, Joe was brought out to join the ladies. He told Teresa that she was “wrong” for not asking Melissa to be a bridesmaid. He admitted that he was asked to be a groomsman, but because Melissa was disrespected by Teresa, he’s not sure whether it’s a good idea. Then, when the seating arrangement from the engagement party was brought up again, Joe tried telling Teresa that if the same were done to her, she’d be furious. Teresa disagreed and barely let Joe say anything. Then, she said the seating arrangement was a result of their history.
“[Melissa] came on the show. She became friends with Caroline and Jacqueline and went against me,” Teresa said aloud, to which Melissa replied, “This is crazy. You’re talking about 2010. Do you want me to talk about Kim. D, Jan and everyone you became friends with?”
Teresa said they don’t have a “close relationship”, but she wants one. Joe and Melissa both said that they have tried, and Teresa claimed she has, too, but they didn’t agree. Andy even read a fan question, in which the fan asked Teresa if she could name examples of when she ever had Melissa’s back, and she couldn’t think of a single example. She begged producers to “roll the tape” to show all the alleged examples, but nothing was shown. The only thing Teresa could think of was when she told Jennifer Aydin to stop being mean to Melissa. But Melissa said it wasn’t good enough — she said Teresa shouldn’t have stayed at Jennifer’s house after Jennifer got physical with her.
Next, Andy brought up how Teresa’s daughters got involved in the adult drama this season before asking Teresa why she allowed it. She just said her daughters have “strong” opinions and they saw how Joe and Melissa kept bashing their dad, Joe Giudice. But when Joe brought up how Joe Giudice has been talking trash about him in the press, Teresa took a random and far-fetched dig at Joe for once “siding with [cousin] Kathy [Wakile]” over her in 2011. Joe then said his kids also watch the show and Teresa said they probably hate Joe Giudice, but not her because she “didn’t do anything” to them ever. But Melissa reminded Teresa how she accused her of being a stripper, insinuated that she might cheat on Joe, among many other things over the years, so she’d beg to differ.
Teresa refused to see anything any other way than the way she sees it, and when she called her brother, a “bitch boy”, he had enough. He told Andy he’s quitting the show and stormed off set.
Want more drama? New episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey air Tuesdays at 8pm on Bravo.