Teresa Giudice Reveals She Extended An Olive Branch To Joe And Melissa Gorga Amid Family Feud

“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice^[1] recently revealed she reached out to her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, amid their years-long family feud. The olive branch comes at a peculiar time, as production for the newest season of the Bravo reality series is rumored to be starting soon. Giudice has feuded with her brother, Joe, and his wife, Melissa, since season 3 of the series aired in 2011. Now, it sounds like the OG of the Jersey is ready to leave it all behind her.

During her time on the “I Do, Part 2” podcast, Giudice, 53, said she plans to meet up with her brother, Joe, and her sister-in-law, Melissa, to discuss their years-long family feud, which viewers have seen play out on screen for over a decade.

“Time does heal all wounds. And when time goes by, you forget things,” Giudice said.

It’s a different tune from what she sang in June 2023 during the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” season 13 reunion, in which Giudice vowed never to speak to her brother or his wife again.

“You’re f-cking disgusting. Disgusting,” she screamed^[2]. “This is not how I would raise my children, ever! You should be ashamed of yourself. And don’t come following me!”

She went on to slam her brother for allegedly lying about her daughter, Gia Giudice, before revealing she was finished with their relationship.

“I don’t want to make up with him. I want this over. I am done with him,” she said.

While the three of them had been arguing for years before that tense moment, the straw that broke the camel’s back was Joe and Melissa’s decision to skip Giudice’s fairytale wedding to her husband, Louie Ruelas, in the summer of 2023.

The special day was filmed for a Bravo special, “Teresa Gets Married,” and showcased the bride and groom navigating the chaotic day while also battling with the Gorgas.

“Not coming to this wedding is really f-cked up,” Ruelas said on camera, per PEOPLE^[3].

Giudice, on the other hand, seemed at peace with Joe and Melissa’s decision, telling her co-star, Jennifer Aydin, that everything would be OK. “I’m done too, this is the way it’s supposed to be,” she said.

So what prompted Giudice’s change of heart after two years? According to her, it was a moving encounter with her daughter, Gia, on “Special Forces” that challenged her to see things from a different perspective.

“Gia and I were on Special Forces. We spent a lot of time together before we went on Special Forces, and we talked a lot about a lot of things. So I want to be a good example for my children,” Giudice said on the podcast mentioned above.

Giudice explained that she wants to be a good example for her four daughters and always wants them to support each other through life’s biggest storms.

“Be a beautiful family,” she said. “If someone doesn’t get along, be the bigger person. Try to make it work. I’ve got to practice what I preach.”

Giudice’s revelation comes just a few weeks after the reality star admitted the door was cracked for her to reconcile with her family, telling Jeff Lewis on his radio show, “Never say never.”

Giudice’s willingness to reconnect with her brother and sister comes at an interesting time, as reports suggest that production for the newest season of the show has begun and that Giudice might not be part of it.

Melissa seemed to pick up on the peculiar timing^[4], saying, “Neither of us had any contact in probably two years at this point,” adding that Giudice’s recent statements came “out of nowhere.”

Giudice, however, rejected the notion that she’s only attempting to smooth things over with Joe and Melissa for the sake of keeping her job on “RHONJ.”

“Everyone is saying, ‘OMG, she’s desperate because she needs her job,’” she said. “No, I’m not. I’m not desperate. Like I said, if Bravo doesn’t want me back, I’m fine with it. If they want me back, I’m fine with both.”