Melissa Gorga isn't ashamed of her current relationship, or lack thereof, with her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 44, opened up about their relationship on the latest episode of her Podcast One show, On Display with Melissa Gorga, telling guest Denise Richards that their communication these days is nearly non-existent.
And Allah will deliver those who were mindful ˹of Him˺ to their place of ˹ultimate˺ triumph. No evil will touch them, nor will they grieve.(The Quran - Chapter Az-Zumar : 61)
"You are in a very tough spot... and I give you a lot of credit because I can imagine it's gotta be extremely hard for you and your husband," Richards, 52, said of their family dynamic on the Bravo show. "Family stuff, oh my god, that's very difficult."
"It's definitely a rollercoaster, up and down," Melissa, 44, responded. "And we're about to air again in the spring, sometime this spring. And it's very, very different ... we don't even speak to each other."
"There's almost zero [communication]," she added. "It's a very, very different season."
When asked if Giudice speaks to her brother and Melissa's husband Joe Gorga, Melissa quickly responded with a "no."
"Zero," she said, as Richards suggested that "maybe one day, you guys will get to a place [of understanding.]"
But Melissa noted that they have come to terms with the circumstances and feel it may be for the best.
"I think it took us awhile to get to that point, to realize that this might be what it is and we need to accept it," she said. "I think finally everyone's breathing, we're actually all — including the other side — everyone is happier how it is right now."
Fans of RHONJ have watched the ebbs and flows of the duo's feud for more than a decade. Over the years, Melissa and Giudice, 51, have traded insults in between uneasy stretches of peace for family's sake.
Years of misunderstandings, plus business dealings between Giudice's now-husband Luis “Louie” Ruelas and Joe had put a strain in their relationship, but things only got worse throughout the season when attempts were made to repair it.
Season 13 ended with Joe and Melissa deciding not to attend Giudice's wedding after it was revealed Giudice and Ruelas had met with Joe behind Melissa's back to tell Joe about cheating rumors they'd heard involving Melissa (Melissa has vehemently denied the "baseless" allegations).
"Teresa betrayed them in a way that's unforgivable," a source told in August 2022. "They're not going to celebrate Teresa's new marriage when all she does is try to tear apart theirs."
For that point on, lines were drawn between the sister-in-laws. The two traded insults on social media and on their respective podcasts. They were even split into separate panels on BravoCon in October 2022 to mitigate the noise.
Things didn't get better by the season 13 reunion. Taped in April, the three-parter included plenty of name-calling. And though the Gorgas offered hope they could build a relationship again in the future, Giudice made it clear she never planning on seeing them anymore.
During BravoCon in November 2023, the two kept their distance once again, remaining on separate panels and avoiding each other at the fan convention.
"I've come to a point in my life where, you know, you can try, you can try, you can try, but at some point you need to protect your peace and you need to create a boundary and I think that's what I did and that's what we're doing," Melissa said during her panel at the event. "I think, you know, when something is really toxic and it doesn't work for you and it makes you uncomfortable, you don't need to force yourself to be around it. It’s okay to let something go. I am protecting my peace. We should all protect our peace. I think that’s a wonderful thing and everyone should do that."
The Real Housewives of New Jersey can be streamed on Peacock.
