Teresa Giudice has revealed the full story behind reconciling with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 53, revealed at BravoCon 2025 that she had buried the hatchet with her younger brother, 51, and sister-in-law, 46, following a feud that lasted over 15 years. After fans were shocked by a viral video of the formerly estranged family members hugging, Giudice opened up about how the relationship was repaired.
“I reached out to him and at first, we were gonna meet — the four of us,” Giudice told People, referring to herself, her husband Luis Ruelas, Joe, and Melissa. “But then I was thinking about it, and I was like, you know, I wanted to talk to my brother first.”
“I wanted him to really see me, and I wanted him to feel it from me, and vice versa, I wanted to feel it from him. So I felt like the two of us should meet first,” she said. “The two of us should meet first, and then the four of us, and that's what we did.”
Giudice said she was inspired to make amends by her 24-year-old daughter, Gia Giudice, who asked her to forgive her father, Teresa’s ex-husband, Joe Giudice. The former couple share daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana.
“[Gia] wanted me to let go of the past with her dad. As a mom, we have to be good role models for our children and I'm always a mom first,” Giudice told E! News. The reality star was so encouraged by finding peace with her ex-husband that she began to consider reaching out to her brother.
“When I thought about my husband and letting the past go, I thought about my brother. I want my brother back in my life. I came home and then I reached out to him. As soon as I reached out to him, he, of course, responded,” she told E! The siblings then met up at the graveyard where their parents are buried, Bravo reported.
The feud, sparked by multiple rifts, lasted for over a decade, but hit a breaking point when Giudice and Ruelas reportedly spread a rumor that Melissa Gorga had cheated on Joe Gorga, which led Melissa and Joe to skip out on attending their wedding in August 2022.
She said that after hashing things out with her brother, she also made things right with Melissa, after the two sisters-in-law publicly sparred throughout their time as castmates on RHONJ. Giudice has appeared on the show since its premiere in 2009, while Melissa joined the cast in 2011 for season three.
“I want Melissa in my life, my nephews, my niece,” Giudice said. “Life's too short, so if you have a brother or sister, make sure that if you don't speak to them, that you reach out to them. “Sometimes things happen in life, but you have to let the past go. Talk about it and then let it go."
