Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga Should Actually Be Best Friends (2024)

It's undeniable that Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga are the stars of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. But throughout their time on the reality show together, the family drama has engulfed the series. Families fight, but with this family it's excessive! With real-life issues making their way onto the Bravo platform for millions to see, viewers have had a front-seat view of all the unfortunate actions. But is it possible, that even though they're at each other's throats, that these women are more similar than they'd like to admit?The answer is yes.

Though the truth will likely never come out, when Melissa and her husband Joe Gorga (Teresa's brother) joined The Real Housewives of New Jersey, regardless of why they were cast, there had always been a target placed on their backs by Teresa. Whether it is drama over sprinkled cookies or more heated arguments through damaging allegations, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has always focused on the tumultuous family drama between the Gorgas and the Giudice's. As Season 13 came to a close, it was clear that the relationship between the families had been severed. While fans have been used to the roller coaster of highs and lows from both parties, Season 13 truly seemed to be the official nail in the coffin. With accusations of Bo Dietl investigating the Gorgas, as well as Margaret Josephs and Rachel Fuda's lives, and the pain of Melissa and Joe not attending Teresa's wedding, the fiery reunion opened up a Pandora's Box of questions about how Season 14 would be fair. It seems they both have filmed and are both content with the other out of their lives. The families are estranged, so perhaps how they live their lives separately might be the new focal point of the franchise. But if they both truly looked inside themselves, they might just realize they're way more similar than they'd ever like to admit.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

TV-14

Reality TV

Another installment of Bravo's "The Real Housewives" reality show. In this series, they focus on housewives living in New Jersey.

Release Date

May 12, 2009

See Also

RHONJ: Joe Gorga tosses card from sister Teresa Giudice into fire pitHow Does RHONJ's Luis Ruelas Make His Money?Joe Gorga Throws Card and Gift from Sister Teresa Giudice Into Fire Pit at Housewarming PartyJoe Gorga is the Master Manipulator on 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey'

Cast

Teresa Giudice , Melissa Gorga , Joe Gorga , Dolores Catania , Gia Giudice , Milania Giudice , Jacqueline Laurita , Margaret Josephs

Main Genre

Reality TV

Seasons

14

Melissa and Teresa Live a Life of Vanity

Even though their fellow Housewife Jennifer Aydin's husband Bill could have done it for them, both Teresa and Melissa have explored the world of vanity through the world of cosmetic surgery. And neither woman has been secret about it. Melissa has admitted going under the knife after watching herself on the show and seeing imperfections. Some of the work she has done includes her lips and her nose. Like Melissa, Teresa has undergone rhinoplasty. Melissa, though, has thrown out some allegations that Teresa has had her forehead lengthened, something that Teresa has not fought back against.

Melissa and Teresa Have Jealousy in Their Blood

It's hard to believe that a family could fight the way that this family does, but lying underneath are deep-rooted issues that even family therapy might not be able to solve. While neither woman would likely ever admit it, there is jealousy coursing in their veins. Being the older sister, it must have been hard for Teresa to accept a new woman in her brother's life. Like most older siblings, you always want to look out for their best interests. Viewers are aware of the animosity Teresa and Melissa have had, but before the show, it might be harder to pinpoint the true evolution of their relationship. There's no denying how much Teresa loves her brother and vice versa, but she might have some jealousy that Melissa is the number one in Joey's life.

From Melissa's perspective, the jealousy can be pinpointed toward the attention and treatment Teresa gets as the original star of the franchise. Even when Andy Cohen admitted that Teresa had gone too far and might have gotten on his nerves a bit, there's no way he would part ways with his prize star. Throughout her 13 seasons of the show, Teresa has often been treated with kid gloves when she goes off the rails. And fans could see the visible frustration on Melissa's face. Despite being one of the central characters of the franchise, Melissa's jealousy toward Teresa as top bidding may be the tipping point of some of their struggles. Regardless, understanding that there is mutual jealousy on both their parts could partially bridge the gap between them.

Being a strong, independent woman is part of the DNA of both Melissa and Teresa. Part of the platform that being part of the Housewives franchise affords is the opportunity to use their celebrity to be a business owner. While the families did try to run a pizza place together, Teresa and Melissa had their own businesses to be proud of and bond over. Melissa opened the boutique Envy, where she sells fashionable and high-end designer clothes. She even tried her hand at a jewelry line on HSN. Teresa's business ventures include a line of bellinis called Fabellini, as well as a hair care line named after her daughter, Milania. But what they do have in common is they both are authors, though Teresa has a couple more books than Melissa, and they both have their own podcasts, Melissa's being On Display and Teresa's called Namaste B*tches. What better way to lift each other up than boost each other's business ventures!

Family Will Always Come First for Melissa and Teresa

At the heart of The Real Housewives of New Jersey is family. Teresa and Melissa both had an immense passion for the concept of family. They just go about it differently and view the ground rules quite drastically. Being so far apart about what family means has caused a lot of dissension for the families. They share a connection about the definition of loyalty and who should be loyal to whom at what moment. However if you track it throughout the series, loyalty does seem to shift depending on the argument at hand. No matter what, they can both agree that the children are off-limits. Though they do get dragged into the drama when needing to shove a dagger into a situation.

The importance of parents has been greatly displayed on the show. Melissa lost her father when she was 17 to a car accident. With such a difficult loss at such a young age impacted Melissa. Teresa has used this against her when alleging she and her brother were having marital woes. Just like watching the children grow up on television, Teresa and Joe's mother and father were often featured throughout the series. Sadly, they lost their parents during the span of filming. It caused an emotional strain for the siblings, as well as Melissa, who noted that her father-in-law had been like a father to her. Even with their parents gone, Teresa, Joe, and Melissa have used their names against each other. It's just one of the low blows the Giudice's and Gorgas spewed at one another.

When it comes to marriage, it has been a touchy subject. At the start of the series, Teresa was married to Joe Giudice. As the series went on, they experienced marital strain due to the pair's conviction for fraud. Despite serving time, the time away from each other and Joe's deportation led to the pair's divorce. For Teresa, it must have been difficult to watch her brother happily in love. And her jealousy towards their marriage compared to her deteriorated marriage caused a massive strain. Joe and Melissa have seemingly had a near-perfect marriage on the show. The Gorgas have had some marital issues that Melissa has discussed on camera, but their lives were rocked when Teresa and her new husband, Luis Ruelas, engaged in rumors that Melissa was cheating on her husband. A big part of Teresa's later arc in the series was her new romance and proceeding nuptials with Luis. The pair had a stunning wedding, televised as part of the thirteenth season, sadly without the presence of the Gorgas.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey has been centered around the rocky relationship of the Giucides and Gorgas. Oftentimes, it was difficult for the fans to watch. They picked sides, but should the fans truly weigh in on family matters? I suppose if it airs on reality television, all's fair in love and reality TV! While they might be more likely to see a unicorn or Big Foot, if Teresa and Melissa took the time to set aside their differences and learn who they are inside, they would realize that they are much more similar than they'd ever admit. Could they be besties? Maybe when pigs fly!

Seasons 1-14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are available to stream on Peaco*ck.

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