It’s kind of incredible that the year is 2023, and we are still talking about Gorga versus Giudice drama. Yet here were are with another chapter in the legendary Real Housewives of New Jersey feud. In case you missed it, Joe Gorga and Joe Giudice went viral recently after sharing a video of the two reuniting in the Bahamas for the first time in years. Immediately, fans questioned the moment’s authenticity. So, Melissa Gorga has taken to her podcast to explain what really went down between the two Joes.
In the original Instagram post by Joey Gorga, he showed a video of himself embracing his former brother-in-law while at a casino in the Bahamas. He captioned the post, “Both walked into the same bar at the same time.” He continued, “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,” he added.
Amid the latest feud between the Gorgas and Teresa Giudice, fans immediately thought the interaction was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Even Gia Giudice chimed in, slamming Joe as opportunistic for sharing the reunion on Instagram. Us Weekly reported that Aunt Melissa is firing back, and she’s denying that the meeting of the Joes was staged.
Melissa opened up about the interaction during a recent episode of her podcast, Melissa Gorga On Display. She claimed that she and her husband wanted nothing more than to share a positive moment between estranged family members.
“We truly wanted to shed light on a positive moment, and that’s why Joe decided to post this video,” Melissa said. “As everyone knows, this show runs on negative most of the time, and it’s negative this, negative that. Right now the feud that is going on — which, it’s very hard to deny — between the families is extremely sad. It’s just a Debbie Downer 24 hours a day.” Melissa added, “So, I think Joe was happy to post this video and show a little bit of positivity, and just show a ‘bygones be bygones’ type moment.”
Although Melissa did admit that some RHONJ fans gave her a heads-up that Juicy Joe had been spotted in that same casino the night before, she’s adamant that no one staged the reunion between the two Joes for Instagram points.
“It 100 percent was not planned,” Melissa reiterated. “We had no idea that we were gonna run into Joe Giudice.”
Melissa points out that the video showsa bit of awkwardness between the two Joes. She said that for Joe Gorga, the uneasy feeling came because he doesn’t have much family in his life. For Joe Giudice, it was awkward just because it was a surprise to see his former in-laws.
During the podcast, Melissa also took the time to shut down the rumors that she filmed the interaction between the two Joes. In an attempt to defend her husband, she claimed it was natural for a reunion like that to be captured for social media.
“When Joe and Joe run into each other after all these years, you can bet your ass the cameras are gonna go up,” Melissa explained. “It’s like hell froze over for a minute, honestly.”
Since so much animosity is brewing between the New Jersey families, Melissa was determined on her podcast episode to tell the world that the reunion between her husband and Joe Giudice was genuine and positive. Will her explanation stop anyone from calling the Gorgas’ authenticity into question? Probably not. But still, you have to commend her for standing up for her and Joe’s side of the story.
“All of the drama that you guys have always seen happen on camera literally was set to the side,” Melissa said, reflecting on the mini-family reunion in the Bahamas. “And it really brought them both back to a time when they were truly good friends and family. They say time heals all wounds. I think that this moment was huge proof of that.”
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE REUNION BETWEEN THE JOES? DO YOU BELIEVE MELISSA’S EXPLANATION THAT IT WASN’T STAGED?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]