When Teresa Giudice reportedly unearthed a false cheating rumor about her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, their fragile relationship was seemingly broken.
Soon after the scandal, Melissa and her husband Joe chose to skip Teresa’s wedding. Multiple castmates on Real Housewives of New Jersey have hinted that the relationship is over – perhaps permanently.
In an interview with Page Six, costar Dolores Catania revealed the feud is still strong.
“It’s definitely at a high stage of bad,” she explained.
Is the relationship beyond repair?
“I wouldn’t say this is terminal yet, if I were to speak in medical terms,” she said. “I’ve seen people come back from a lot worse.”
Regarding the rumor itself, Dolores shared, “I would never believe such a thing.” She called the family discord “very sad.”
“They had a very small family to begin with, and now all they have is each other,” Dolores went on. “They weren’t raised to not get along. They weren’t raised to not have their families together.”
Dolores is now “praying” for peace in the family. “They have beautiful children, both of them,” she expressed. “And those children should be able to be together.”
“When things are emotional between people — as they are right now — you stay out of it, away from it, let things calm down, and then hopefully they’ll come back together at some point,” Dolores continued. “They’re different versions of themselves right now. I think it’s better that they are away from each other.”
The star added, “This is years of things happening between them that just finally came to a head, a real head … To be honest, I think they’re both at peace with whatever this is.”
As for Dolores, she’s determined to remain neutral. “Never, ever, ever will I pick a side amongst friends unless something is done to one of them that is so egregious,” she said. “I love them all.”
Dolores is now promoting her episode of Celebrity Beef, where she faced off with RHONJ alum Caroline Manzo, a close friend of hers.
How would she feel if Caroline returned to Bravo?
“I would love to do [RHONJ] with Caroline because fans love sincere, organic relationships — which is something that we have,” said the star.
Dolores also addressed Teresa’s feud with Caroline. She said the former castmates “don’t belong in the same room together sometimes,” but Dolores would film with both of them, regardless of the complications.
“They are two very dear people in my life,” said Dolores. “Listen, it wouldn’t be easy on me, but it would be something I’d have to handle. That’s it. That’s life, and that’s the experience I’ve had with friends that don’t get along.”
In a surprising twist, Dolores shared that Teresa is open to the idea.
“Teresa has said, ‘Bring it! Bring her. I’d love to see her back. Let’s do this.’ She said it herself,” said Dolores. “Teresa is ready … But everybody wants Caroline back.”
Speaking with E! News, Dolores further addressed her friends’ drama.
“Caroline was always like a big sister to me,” said the 51-year-old, “and although it’s been hard that her and Teresa have had a real beef, we have an understanding—none of us would tell anybody who to be friends with. They always know I support the friends but not the beef.”
Though Dolores is often the group’s peacemaker, she herself was in conflict with Jennifer Aydin, after a dramatic season of fighting. Amid the reunion, Dolores hinted she could never be friends with the costar again.
Celebrity Beef season 1 airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on E!