Jacqueline Laurita doubled down on her previous claim that Melissa Gorga is “very good at manipulating people” – including herself.
“I was also upset and confused about the way Melissa turned her back on me on camera after I was a good and supportive friend to her. I felt used by her,” the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum, 52, told AllAboutTRH in an interview published on Sunday.
Laurita claimed that Gorga, 43, made her feel “paranoid” over her relationship with Gorga’s sister-in-law and Laurita’s former friend, Teresa Giudice.
“I believe Melissa was jealous that Teresa and I were getting along and she knew that producers were pushing for us to be friends again,” she said, adding that Gorga was ultimately able to create a “wedge” in their years-long friendship.
“That’s when I realized who she really is and I had no interest in ever talking to her again from that day on,” Laurita said. She later noted that Gorga “can lie with a straight face.”
Gorga’s rep had no comment on the claims.
As for her future on Bravo, the mom of three emphasized she has “zero interest” in returning to “RHONJ” and can’t “realistically” see herself on the “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” spinoff – unlike her sister-in-law Caroline Manzo who is currently filming Season 4 of the Peacock show in Morocco.
Laurita’s statements came after she made various claims about Gorga – including that she was “very good at manipulating people” and referred to Manzo, 61, as “too old and boring” to return to “RHONJ.”
For her part, Gorga denied using those words to describe Manzo and commented on Page Six’s Instagram post, “I love Caroline always have.”
Season 13 of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” premieres Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.