As previously reported, Melissa Gorga skipped Teresa Giudice’s wedding to Luis Ruelas last week.
And we now have a much clearer understand behind the reason why.
Upon relaying the initial facts behind this story a few days ago, we quoted an anonymous People Magazine source who said:
“Teresa betrayed [Melissa and Joe] in a way that’s unforgivable. They’re not going to celebrate Teresa’s new marriage when all she does is try to tear apart theirs.”
How ominous, right?
According to Page Six, meanwhile, the point of contention between Teresa, her sister-in-law and her brother (the latter of whom Giudice tore into on Season 12) centers around rumors of infidelity on Melissa’s part.
In a storyline that will reportedly play a huge role on The Real Housewives of New Jersey next season, Margaret Josephs’ long-time friend-turned-foe, Laura Marasca Jensen, will accuse Melissa of cheating on Joe.
She’ll bring up a rumor that Gorga made out with actor Nick Barrotta after a night out in New York a few years ago.
From what we can gather, Teresa won’t exactly take Melissa’s side when this speculation starts to run rampant, leading to a feud between loved ones… and the aforementioned snub of Teresa on her wedding day by the Gorgas.
As for whether this unethical spit swap actually took place?
“This is just completely ridiculous,” someone close to Barrotta told The Daily Mail this week, adding:
“Nick and his wife Liz have been close friends with the Gorgas for years.”
This same insider says Nick was blindsided and stunned that anyone would dare to make up a rumor about him making out with his good friend.
“He is shocked that someone would make up something so nasty in an attempt to destroy two families,” The Daily Mail writes.
For the record, Barrotta is an entertainment host and actor who worked on the reality series Divorce Court from 2018–2020 as a bailiff.
He then landed a role onTyler Perry’s BET series The Oval in 2020.
Joe and Melissa, meanwhile, talked about their decision to NOT attend Teresa’s wedding on the August 11 edition of their podcast.
“Obviously, we did not attend your sister’s wedding,” said Melissa.
“We have a laundry list right of reasons in our heads [of] why and I will let all my listeners know this — obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey
“Those exact details, I obviously cannot say today.
“Anything that we have filmed is something that I am not able to talk about.”
While remaining vague, Melissa added:
“I am not going to sit here and say that there wasn’t drama, that it wasn’t crazy.
“Yes, there was a little aggression from certain people that could have been a little scary.
“There definitely were moments. There was plenty of reasons for Joe and I to say it would be very strange — including everyone in that room, by the way — to look at Joe and I to say like, ‘Yes, it would be very strange for you guys to just be sitting in the pews tomorrow, like, wishing them well on their wedding day.’
“It would be strange.”