Credit: Jocelyn Prescod/Bravo
Teresa Giudice believes her brother Joe Gorga and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga are in need of therapy.
As the Giudice and Gorga families remain estranged following a drama-filled 13th season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which saw Teresa being accused of pushing a rumor that suggested Melissa had cheated, Teresa is doubling down on her statements about the Gorgas as her co-stars slam her for suggesting Melissa has “daddy issues.”
“I think [she was] very annoyed that me and [Luis Ruelas] were talking alone,” Melissa explained of Teresa’s problem with her at the Shore on the June 6 episode of the RHONJ: After Show. “I think it was driving her crazy. I know her. She walked over multiple times and Luis kinda told her that we were having a conversation and I think she was getting very frustrated because she would turn around and walk back and there was a piece of me that felt like anyone said anything to her even slightly off, she was gonna lose it.”
“She was definitely wanting to be like, ‘That conversation, whatever they’re doing needs to stop now, and like, I’m gonna cause a ruckus.’ I know her like a book,” Melissa added.
But regardless of Teresa’s frustrations with Melissa and Luis’ conversation, her statement about Melissa having “daddy issues” didn’t sit well with many of her castmates.
“She says that her own daughters have daddy issues. And she like, didn’t think that that was offensive. I was horrified,” Rachel Fuda admitted.
“I think all of us were just like [shocked],” added Jennifer Fessler.
Meanwhile, Margaret Josephs, who insisted she was not defending Teresa, said Melissa could have brought the comment on herself.
“Melissa has said herself, Joe has been her everything because her father died when she was young,” she explained. “She looked at Joe as like, he was her entire world, took care of her, was her husband, was her life. He was like, everything to her because her father did die young. So I understood what Teresa was saying, though it came across very harsh.”
Marge then joked, “If anyone has daddy issues it’s Luis. He’s wearing Nonno’s pajamas.”
Still, Jackie Goldschneider was majorly disgusted with Teresa’s dig.
“I think that when someone’s father has died in such a tragic and jarring way, to say they have daddy issues so flippantly is so cruel,” she noted. “But all I did was say [gasp] and she just like, lost it.”
“[And] how is that applicable to anything that’s between [them]? That’s not affecting [their] relationship,” Rachel further noted.
Then, after Melissa said that she has “no daddy” and “grew up without one,” continuing on by saying, “Daddy issues would be more between a husband and wife I think than a sister-in-law,” Teresa stuck by the claim.
“They do need therapy,” she declared. “I think my brother definitely needs therapy. I can’t speak for Melissa because I don’t know Melissa, but my brother, I’m gonna speak for him because we were really close and I don’t know what happened to him and if he can’t get past certain things, then he needs help.”
Melissa also addressed Teresa’s “daddy issue” comment on Watch What Happens Live in April.
“My father passed away when I was 16 so I like to be the only one who says I have daddy issues if I’m gonna say it,” Melissa shared on the After Show. “I don’t really want to hear anyone else say it. [And] I would never say anything like that about my father-in-law and her. I just, ugh. I was 16 when … you know. So. I just think that if someone’s gonna say they have daddy issues, it should come from my own mouth and I should explain my story that way.”
“That’s kind of a rough blanket to put on someone who lost their father when they were 16,” host Andy Cohen agreed.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13 reunion concludes on, Tuesday, June 13, with part three at 8/7c on Bravo.