Margaret Josephs Defends Melissa and Joe Gorga’s ‘Devastating’ Choice to Skip Teresa Giudice’s Wedding
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Margaret Josephs is shedding more light on Teresa Giudice’s ongoing feud with Melissa and Joe Gorga.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 55, revealed Teresa, 50, brought things that were “very hurtful” to Melissa and Joe while filming the upcoming season of RHONJ and she can understand the couple’s decision to skip her August wedding to Luis “Louie” Ruelas.
“I know what happened at the season finale and I think it’s very unfortunate,” she told E! News in a new interview. “I know why Melissa and Joe were very upset and I think it was devastating.”
She added, “It’s very sad when this happens with families and I think Melissa and Joe are justified, truthfully, for not going to the wedding.”
Josephs shared that RHONJ viewers will see the drama play out on screen during season 13, adding, “I think it makes sense and it’s sad.”
RELATED: Teresa Giudice on Why She Felt ‘Sucker-Punched’ by Joe and Melissa Gorga: ‘I Kept My Mouth Shut for Years’
At BravoCon 2022 in October, the television personality told PEOPLE that a reconciliation between the family members was “not looking good.”
Josephs also revealed that she only decided to attend Teresa’s wedding after talking with the Gorgas.
“[Melissa] was like, ‘We’re not making a stand. We’re not telling you not to go to the wedding.’ They would never do something like that. And I said, ‘I’m going to go, but I’m not going to dance all night. I can’t feel comfortable doing that,'” she recalled. “So I went, I gave them a gift, which she looked great coming down the aisle. She did. She walked down to ‘Ave Maria,’ and I cried when she came down the aisle. We stayed for the cocktail hour and then we didn’t stay the whole evening.”
The reality star added that she became emotional over the family drama at the wedding.
“I probably cried more than anybody because it was hard for me because I felt very torn and to know Melissa and Joe weren’t there,” she shared. “And I know it was hard for Joe and Melissa, I’m sure. And I was like, I know they’re home crying. It was too emotional for me to stay and celebrate while they’re home being in pain.”
RELATED: Melissa Gorga Reveals There Have Been ‘a Lot of Inconsistencies’ amid Feud with Teresa Giudice
In early August, PEOPLE confirmed that the Gorgas wouldn’t be at his sister Teresa’s wedding. Two sources said Melissa and Joe backed out of attending two days before the ceremony when false rumors about their marriage surfaced amid filming. Both Teresa and Louie’s actions at the time ultimately influenced the Gorgas’ decision.
“Teresa betrayed them in a way that’s unforgivable,” one source said. “They’re not going to celebrate Teresa’s new marriage when all she does is try to tear apart theirs.”
“It’s unfortunate. I think it’s sad,” Melissa told PEOPLE at BravoCon 2022. “I wish we could have gone, but it is what it is. We’ll never get that back, and I didn’t choose it.”
RELATED: RHONJ’s Melissa Gorga Is ‘Done’ with Teresa Giudice: ‘I Got off the Roller Coaster’
The Gorgas addressed their decision to skip the Aug. 6 nuptials on the Melissa Gorga On Display podcast, confirming that “the full entire story” leading to tension amongst the family was not public knowledge at the time, but “drips and drabs” of it had surfaced.
“I’m not going to sit here and say that there wasn’t drama, that it wasn’t crazy. Yes, there was a little aggression from certain people that could’ve been a little scary,” said Melissa, noting that there was “plenty of reason” it’d be “strange” for the pair to attend the wedding thereafter.
Joe, in turn, said it was “so, so hard” for him to not attend Teresa’s wedding, especially since she’s his only close family that’s still alive.
“To me, it was devastating. It really was. It was one of the hardest days of my life. It was bad,” he said. “But listen: let’s go back to the reunion. She did this, you know? This was all on her. This is what she really wanted. She didn’t want [Melissa] in the wedding, she didn’t want any of my children in the wedding, she barely wanted me.”
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Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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