For years, the feud between Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga has dominated the show and headlines.
It has also shaped the direction of both of these women’s lives — and those of their family members.
But when did it start?
And when did it all spin out of control?
Take a look below as think back to how it all begin … and where things went so, so wrong.
Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice
Maybe these two were never going to be friends. But the story of how they became enemies goes back a long time — back to when Melissa first made her debut on The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 3’s premiere. She’s Teresa’s sister-in-law, but they clashed from day one.
It wasn’t love at first sight
What’s really interesting is that Melissa is more beautiful now than she was on Season 3 of the show. That’s unusual, given how time and aging work. Joe’s better-looking these days, too. What hasn’t changed is how Teresa and Melissa instinctively react to each other. Joe (Gorga) referred to Teresa as “garbage” at his son’s christening, then we learned in an unrelated clip that Teresa already felt that Melissa was “taking” her brother from her. Teresa didn’t visit Melissa in the hospital after she gave birth. She also threw out cookies that Melissa gave her. Melissa later explained in an interview that the two women were basically opposites.
Teresa Called Melissa Gold Digger
In 2011, Teresa hurled the insult, claiming that Melissa had married Joe for money. Melissa noted that she felt hurt … and also shared how she and Joe had struggled financially. Also? They already had three kids and seven years of marriage under their belts at the time, she pointed out. Which … is not generally how one digs for gold.
Then Teresa Accused Melissa of Cheating
As she has often done, Teresa spread rumors. This was 2012, and she decided to spread a rumor that Melissa was cheating on Joe Gorga. Melissa noted that Teresa’s intentions were transparent, even at the time. She also pointed out how bad things could have been if Joe had actually believed his sister.
In 2013, Joe fought Joe
Joe (Giudice) heard that Joe (Gorga) had called Teresa “scum.” Who told him this? Teresa. So the two Joes fought each other, fists flying. Melissa ended up trapped in a corner while the men grappled, urging Teresa to get help. It did not really help things.
Then, Prison
In 2013, Teresa and Joe received their prison sentences. The family called a truce. Teresa didn’t even end up serving a full year, but she and Joe had four kids. So Melissa and Joe (Gorga) helped to look after their nieces. It was all sort of sweet, despite the circumstances.
In Season 7, They Wanted Peace to Continue
It was 2015, and Melissa and Teresa vowed to keep things peaceful. They wanted to remain in, or even get back to, a good place. And for a while, it worked.
Remember Jacqueline Laurita?
In 2016, both women began to see Jacqueline as an enemy. They found themselves on the same side, with Jacqueline the odd woman out.
Gorga’s Homemade Pizza & Pasta
In 2017, Melissa Gorga, Joe Gorga, and Teresa Giudice went into a pizza restaurant together. It was, Joe said, a tribute to his late mother. However, just one year later, despite (allegedly) high interest, they had to close down. According to them, the management was shady in some way. A lot of fans still have questions. But the business going south cannot have helped things.
Danielle Staub v Margaret Josephs
Remember that nasty incident when outshopping? Danielle Staub attacked Margaret Josephs, yanking very memorably on her ponytail. Well, in the aftermath, Teresa defended Danielle, while Melissa tried to talk sense into her. To no avail, unfortunately. Jennifer Aydin also entered the fray, swiftly becoming one of Teresa’s minions.
Another Joe Fight
Joe Gorga said that Joe Giudice owed a public apology over Teresa having served prison time. Meanwhile, Teresa and Melissa said that the feud between the men (with Joe Giudice no longer in the US) was hurting their daughters, all old enough to read what their respective uncles had said about their respective fathers. At the time, Teresa and Melissa seemed to be on the same side.
Ultimate Girls Trip
In 2021, both women appeared on the Peacock spinoff. Here, Melissa revealed that Teresa had threatened to not return to RHONJ back in the day if production went forward with casting Melissa and Joe. In other words, that she tried to keep them from joining. Meanwhile, Teresa claimed that they’d never told her that they were auditioning.
Sudden Escalation: In 2022, Teresa Didn’t Invite Melissa to Be a Bridesmaid
After a couple of years of proxy warfare — Teresa using Jennifer Aydin as a “minion” to badmouth and spread rumors about Melissa — she amped things up as she announced, on television, that Melissa would not be a bridesmaid. It was a weird snub for her castmate and sister-in-law, especially since Melissa didn’t really get a heads up about it. She found out like the rest of us did — watching Watch What Happens Live.
Not Speaking, Not Friends, Not Pretending
A month later, Melissa and Teresa were no longer really on speaking terms. That was April of 2022. By May, Melissa was publicly acknowledging that she and Teresa were clearly never going to be friends. And they both gave up on the “fake it ’til you make it” attempt at friendship, too.
Another Escalation: Another Cheating Accusation
Remember way back when, when Teresa spread a nasty rumor that Melissa had cheated on Joe? She did it again. Melissa heard it long before her Season 13 castmates told her … because Teresa and Luis Ruelas (then her fiance) had summoned Joe to their home and told him the rumor. Joe had told Melissa that she was up to her old tricks. Melissa had initially planned to not bring it up ahead of Teresa’s wedding, but then it came up, and Melissa spoke her mind. Luis and Joe had already been butting heads, and Melissa reached a decision: she couldn’t go to Teresa’s wedding.
Melissa Didn’t Go to The Wedding
Teresa’s much-hyped wedding went by without her brother or her sister-in-law present. At the time, fans only knew that Teresa had “betrayed” them. It would be more than half a year before we knew for sure that it was over bogus cheating rumors. That was, it seems, the final blow.
Season 14?
In May of 2023, just weeks ahead of when Season 14 would have begun filming, reports came out sharing that the show was on “pause.” It wasn’t for the usual issues, but because Teresa and Melissa’s estrangement was making it impossible to film. Yes, there really is such a thing as too much drama.