Melissa Gorga has responded to critics of her new, controversial book.
With many readers believing the reality star is advocating some form of marital rape – due to a passage written by husband Joe in which he tells men that their wife "wants to be taken" – Gorga tells E! News:
"That word [rape] is so disgusting to me and that’s horrible.
Melissa and Joe both talk about women being subordinate to their men in "Love Italian Style," yet Melissa says critics are taken their words out of context.
"My book is about mutual respect with your partner, for one another," Gorga says. "It’s about honesty, it’s about loyalty, it’s about making your partner first in your life. Where that word comes into play, to me, is awful and disgusting, to be honest with you."
The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member also writes about wives allowing their husbands to yell at them (as a stress reliever), while also saying they ought to do housework (to "stay grounded").
"Listen, I knew it was going to be controversial, there was no doubt in my mind," Gorga says. "But it’s about my marriage and what works for us. And it does work for us and I think there are some really great tips in there."
As for the advice she gives when it comes to the bedroom?
"It’s about being aggressive and trying new things in the bedroom. That’s what it’s about."
Why anyone would care about Melissa Gorga’s take on this or anything else, that’s a whole other story.