Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice aren’t the only ones feeling the toxicity of their bitter family feud.
Melissa opened up about how her and Joe Gorga‘s ongoing rift with his sister is negatively affecting their kids—cousins Antonia Gorga, Gino Gorga, Joey Gorga, Gia Giudice, Milania Giudice, Gabriella Giudice and Audriana Giudice—on The Real Housewives of New Jersey‘s Feb. 28 episode.
During Teresa and fiancé Luis “Louie” Ruelas‘ Love Bubble Party celebrating their engagement, Melissa had an icy conversation with nieces Gia and Gabriella, with Gia crediting the awkwardness to not having seen their aunt in some time.
“Every time my mom and Zio Joe have drama, automatically the kids get separated,” Gia explained in a confessional. “Like, a wall just goes up.”
Melissa also acknowledged the coldness between them, adding in her own confessional, “It’s just sad, because I truly love the girls deep down inside and I know they have hate for us. I know they do. It’s terrible. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”
As for Joe, he skipped the event, saying he wasn’t ready to see his sister amid their still volatile relationship.