Taking the high road! Teresa Giudice got real about where she stands with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, after their wedding fallout.
“I wish them well. I swear I wish them all the best,” Teresa, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season 13 premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which airs on Tuesday, February 7.
When asked whether she still “holds a grudge” toward her relatives, Teresa replied, “No,” insisting that she is “working” on herself and her four daughters — Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 14 — whom she shares with ex-husband Joe Giudice.
Teresa Giudice. Andrew Eccles/Bravo
“I need to heal myself. I’ve been through a lot the past 10 years with them,” she told Us, claiming, “I’m happy for them. I wish them well and I wish they wished me the same back.”
The Turning Tables author continued: “I’m focusing on my family, my daughters, on my stepsons, on my husband. So that’s what I’m working on. And putting myself first because for a long time I haven’t put myself first. So now this is my time.”
Teresa has feuded with her brother, 43, over the years, but in August 2022 their dynamic seemed to shift. Joe and Melissa, also 43, were noticeably absent when Teresa married Luis “Louie” Ruelas, which raised eyebrows among their fans.
The trouble, however, appeared to begin in March 2022 when Melissa learned via live TV that she was not part of the wedding. Teresa revealed during a Watch What Happens Live With Any Cohen appearance that her sister-in-law was not a bridesmaid.
Us later confirmed that the couple chose not to go to the nuptials after rumors surfaced that Melissa had cheated on Joe. A source exclusively told Us at the time that the Gorgas believed that Teresa “played a part” in the affair claims coming out as they filmed the season 13 finale. The duo have since denied the cheating allegations.
Joe and Melissa Gorga. Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Joe previously told Us in October 2022 that things had not gotten better between him and his sister following their summer drama. “No one knows how difficult it is, you know? And somebody said to me, ‘Well, why [do] you do it?’” he exclusively revealed. “I said, ‘Well, you know, why I do it because I’m already involved.’”
Teresa, for her part, confirmed to Us last month that she hasn’t looked back since distancing herself from Joe and Melissa.
“We don’t speak. I didn’t see them for the holidays,” she confessed while promoting RHONJ. “We don’t speak. And it’s better that way. Like I said, I wish them well. I want them to wish me well and I just need to heal myself. I’ve been through, like, too much.”
The Standing Strong author concluded: “I don’t want [any] toxicity around me. I want people that are actually happy for me. That’s what I’m focusing on.”
Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on Tuesday, February 7, at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi