Long before these recent rumors of Melissa Gorga’s RHONJ firing, things were extremely tense between her and Teresa Giudice.
On screen, we’ve seen Luis Ruelas act as “peacemaker” more than once. Melissa and Joe said that it was BS, that they’ve seen who he really is too many times to buy it.
It turns out that they were right.
On this week’s episode, Luis didn’t realize that cameras were rolling as he showed his true feelings — right in front of Teresa’s daughters.
So, on Tuesday night’s episode, Teresa Giudice was driving to her bridal shower.
17-year-old daughter Milania sat in the passenger seat. 12-year-old Audriana sat behind Teresa.
The camera was running. They are all very familiar with how this work. Audriana in particular has basically been on camera (off and on) for her entire life.
At first, there was just a lot of casual talk and normal mother-daughter banter.
Milania, Teresa said, did not need to bring a date, even though she would have liked to bring her guy as a plus one.
Meanwhile, Audriana teased by asking Teresa if she wanted her to bring a date. Teresa said no.
Then, Teresa and Luis Ruelas, who was her fiance at the time, had a phone conversation.
She put him on speaker while riding in the car with her girls.
While she and her family are very familiar with how any phone conversation might be on camera while filming … it appears that it slipped Luis’ mind.
Teresa and Luis did not have a lengthy conversation by any means.
(Any teen or tween riding in the car with their mom should be so lucky)
However, Luis only needed a couple of minutes to make a complete butt of himself.
See, the reason for Luis’ call was to ask which of Teresa’s friends, enemies, and acquaintances he should invite to the pre-rehearsal dinner.
“I’m going to send a text out for next Thursday night,” he said over Teresa’s phone. “So, who am I sending a text to?”
He listed a number of familiar names — Dolores, Margaret, Jackie, Jennifer, each with a plus one.
“Just put the invite out to all of them?” Luis then asked as Teresa drove while listening.
Then, of his own volition, he blurted out “except Melissa and Joe.”
Luis then affirmed that “I’m not inviting them.”
Horrified by her fiance exposing his true self on camera, Teresa stepped in to warn him. Too late.
“You know the cameras are on, we’re filming, right?” she then asked him.
Not only had the cameras caught Luis giving his future in-laws the cold shoulder despite his “olive branch” act, but he said all of this in front of Tre’s daughters. Awkward.
Clearly, Luis had completely forgotten that his wife spends months out of the year with cameras following her at any given moment.
“Oh s–t, okay,” he replied, clearly sounding nervous.
At that point, they wrapped up the call. And then the scene ended.
After a break, Teresa admonished her daughters that “You have to invite everyone. You can’t just do some and not the others.”
She assured Milania and Audriana that she would invite Joe and Melissa and that they would be there. Milania, who has obviously been privy to a lot of this, wondered why her mom was making the effort.
That’s pretty darn sad. But that can happen in almost any family.