Teresa Giudice, 50, walked down the aisle on Aug. 6 — however, her brother Joe Gorga, 42, and his wife (and former Teresa BFF) Melissa Gorga, 43, did not attend the nuptials, per People magazine. The confirmation followed a report earlier this week from Page Six that said while “they were invited,” the married couple is declining the invitation to the wedding of Joe’s only sibling. “There was a very tense Housewives finale filmed earlier this week,” the source offered by way of explanation, though no other details were given.
On the evening before the wedding, both Joe and Melissa took to Instagram with “family” related posts that appeared to shade Teresa. “Blood doesn’t make you family,” he wrote over an image shared to his Instagram story, which was a re-shared group photo from Melissa’s sister Lysa Simpson. Melissa also shared a video from the hangout, writing, “God blessed me with amazing family.”
Teresa’s social media pics of her joint bachelor/bachelorette party with Luis did not include pics of Joe and Melissa. But trouble had been brewing for a while. The Real Housewives of New Jersey castmates fell out earlier this year, with Melissa admitting she had “no guilt” over the loss of her previously fast friendship with Teresa.
“I truly feel like I have hit every avenue,” Melissa told the Betches’ Mention It All podcast in May. “I have no guilt.” She also said she felt “free” after they came to an understanding during the RHONJ Season 12 reunion. “It’s OK to say that we don’t have the best relationship and I don’t feel guilty saying that because I tried really hard and know that I tried hard — for my in-laws and for Joe,” she said. Teresa told Melissa that they are “not close,” and Melisaa then further dug in the knife. “Let’s stop faking like we have a relationship [then] because you’ve proved to everyone that we don’t.”
It didn’t help that Teresa also lashed out at her brother during the reunion episode taping, causing him to walk off the set, saying, “you gotta stop putting me down” and “act like a sister.” Teresa later said she would “take the blame” and asserted that she “adores” her brother, but based on the latest report, that doesn’t appear to be enough to heal the rift.
Still, the bride appears to be happy ahead of her wedding. She was seen kissing fiancé Luis Ruelas as the two arrived for their rehearsal at the Park Chateau Estate in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on Friday, August 5.