‘RHONJ’ recap: Teresa now believes Melissa put her ‘in jail,’ not Caroline Manzo

Reality TV

The table has flipped in Teresa Giudice’s mind. 

The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” OG stated in the first installment of the Season 13 reunion that she believes sister-in-law Melissa Gorga is partly responsible for putting her “in jail” — not Caroline Manzo. 

“I take that back,” Giudice, 51, told Gorga, 44, during a heated back and forth in Wednesday night’s episode. “I think you did.” 

The “On Display” singer vehemently denied any involvement in Giudice’s 2013 fraud indictment and subsequent prison sentence, which concluded in December 2015 after 11 months. 

Her now-ex-husband, Joe Giudice, was also convicted on mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud charges and completed 41 months behind bars in March 2016. He was later deported to his native Italy and now resides in the Bahamas. 

Teresa Giudice
Teresa Giudice now believes sister-in-law Melissa Gorga is partly to blame for her 2015 prison sentence.
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Melissa Gorga
Meanwhile, Gorga denied any involvement in Giudice’s legal troubles.
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During the reunion, Teresa accused Gorga and her husband, Joe Gorga — Teresa’s younger brother — of having friendly relations with a former business associate of Joe Giudice’s, an unidentified man she believes was instrumental in facilitating the duo’s time in the slammer. 


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“Do you want to go back, Andy [Cohen]?” Teresa asked the “Housewives” honcho before elaborating, “I want everybody to hear this because we’re bringing this all out because this is over after today.”

The “Turning the Tables” author then claimed that former “RHONJ” star Jacqueline Laurita told her “so much s—t” that the Gorgas were allegedly doing behind her back. 

Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice leaving court.
Giudice and her now-ex-husband, Joe Giudice, were indicted in 2013 on fraud charges.
GC Images
The "RHONJ" reunion
During the Season 13 reunion, Teresa accused Gorga of having friendly relations with a man she believes was instrumental in facilitating her time behind bars. 
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“Andy, Jacqueline told me, you know Joe’s ex-partner? He didn’t go to jail because he outed me and they were hanging out with him and they were speaking to him,” she said. 

“I don’t even know Joe Giudice’s ex-partner … No I don’t, doll,” Melissa replied, calling Teresa the “queen of deflection” as the latter previously pinned blame on Manzo, 61. 

“This is [when you were] like, Caroline Manzo put you in jail.”

The “Food, Love and Chaos with Caroline Manzo” host recently told Page Six that she did not call the FBI on the Giudices — but teased that she knows who did. 

Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice
Teresa previously accused former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” co-star Caroline Manzo of calling the FBI on her.
Getty Images for Extra

“I know who did,” she shared during the live May 18 taping of our “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast at The Loft at City Winery in New York City. “PS, I was there.” 

Her daughter, Lauren Manzo, immediately added, “But we’ll never say who it was.”

Caroline further explained that she saw what was going down, but she “took the fall” because “I am not [a rat].”

Lauren and Caroline Manzo
Manzo and her daughter, Lauren Manzo, claimed during Page Six’s recent “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast taping that they “know who” called the feds on the Giudices.
Dave Allocca/Starpix

“It’s not even about being a rat,” she explained further. “There’s this thing called collateral damage. So, when you say something, who’s going to hurt? Who is this going to hurt by saying this truth?

“You can believe whatever you like about me. I know I never did — I could never do that. But if blaming me makes you feel better, OK, then your reality. It’s not going to change my day.”

Caroline then noted that she has never revealed the identify of the caller “to protect people that didn’t deserve the collateral damage and the fallout once it comes out.”

Melissa Gorga
“I don’t even know Joe Giudice’s ex-partner … No I don’t, doll,” Gorga told Teresa.
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Despite previous fan speculation that the Gorgas were involved in the call to the feds, Lauren, 35, shut down those rumors via social media. 

“Love the gorgas,” she wrote in a comment, shared May 19 by the @nofilterwithzack Instagram account. “Never once even implied it was them.”

Notably, Caroline expressed her love for the Gorga family during Page Six’s live event. 

Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga
Caroline is currently in good standing with Gorga and her husband, Joe Gorga — Teresa’s younger brother.
instagram/Melissa Gorga

“Joe and Melissa [have never been] anything but supportive and kind and fun. I saw them at BravoCon [in October 2022] after seven years … We literally live within two miles of each other,” she said. 

“We don’t see each other, but when we do, it’s like we saw each other the day before. They have nothing but kind words to say about me and my kids and our family and everything and our time on Bravo. I have no malice towards her at all.” 

The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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