The drama continues. Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Melissa Gorga and Joe Gorga missed out on Teresa Giudice’s wedding to Luis Ruelas due to cheating allegations, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
According to the insider, Margaret Joseph’s longtime frenemy Laura Jensen stirred the pot of camera during the filming of RHONJ season 13 by sharing “a lot of deep dark secrets to Teresa and Jennifer [Aydin]” in order to earn a spot on the show — including a rumor that Melissa, 43, had cheated on Joe, 42, while away on business.
“One of the secrets was Melissa making out with this guy while she was on a press tour in the city,” the source explains. “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.”
While newcomer Danielle Cabral was allegedly the one to bring up the accusations, the insider tells Us that Teresa, 50, encouraged the leak, adding, “Teresa usually uses someone to bring up drama, so she played a part in that.”
The Celebrity Apprentice alum exchanged vows with Ruelas, 42, on Saturday, August 6, with nearly all the RHONJ cast in attendance — apart from the Gorgas. The source previously told Us that the couple chose not to attend the nuptials due to a “blowout fight��� with Joe’s sister that occurred last minute. The insider added that the pair didn’t regret skipping out on the cookbook author’s big day after Melissa was “blindsided” by the rumor.
“Teresa may not forgive Joe after this and vice versa,” the insider told Us of the slight, explaining that the Turning the Tables author “continues to attack Melissa, and Joe isn’t standing for it anymore.”
The pre-wedding fallout allegedly resulted in “both sides having to pay the price,” but the source noted that Melissa and Joe, for their part, are “not going to fake their relationship from here on out.”
Speculation that a feud was brewing between the family members began earlier this month when the “On Display” singer didn’t attend Teresa’s bachelorette party.
One day later, Teresa’s brother made it clear that something was wrong between them when he revealed he was not at the rehearsal dinner. “Blood doesn’t make you family,” he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story snap on Friday, August 5. Us confirmed later that day that neither Melissa nor Joe would be there to witness the Standing Strong writer and Ruelas say “I do.”
While the bride has yet to address the rift, Melissa and Joe opened up about the situation during an episode of the Thursday, August 11, episode of her “On Display” podcast.
“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,” she shared. “Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today. Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
The designer told listeners that the “full, entire story” has not yet been aired out but claimed that some details that have emerged are “obviously not coming from my camp.” She went on to confess that there has been some “crazy” family drama brewing.
“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.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Melissa Gorga and Joe Gorga’s reps for comment.