Joe Gorga was kicked out of his 16-year-old son Gino’s wrestling match on Saturday after letting his emotions get the best of him amid a tense match between the child and another boy at Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey.
According to a new report, the Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member, 49, lost his cool with the referee in charge of making calls during the match, jumping out of his seat and heading right for the man before ultimately getting tossed from the event.
In a video obtained by TMZ on January 9, Joe is seen hopping out of his seat after Gino was pinned by his opponent, prompting other staff members and parents at the event to intervene in an effort to ensure a physical altercation would not take place.
Following the outburst, Joe was taken away from the match as the referee blew his whistle in frustration and demanded he leave and not return for the entirety of the event.
After the drama played out at the high school, a rep for Joe spoke to TMZ about his behavior, claiming that Joe felt the referee had made bad and unfair calls amid Gino’s match and insisting Joe did not get out of his seat with the intention of hurting the referee — or anyone else.
According to Joe’s rep, he simply allowed his emotions to take control after being convinced that the referee was ignoring the fact that Gino’s opponent had exhibited unsportsmanlike behavior during their match.
Continuing on, Joe’s rep noted that the RHONJ cast member, and wife of Melissa Gorga, 44, was proud of how Gino handled the situation, describing the child as a class act.
Joe and Melissa share three children, including Antonia Gorga, 18, Gino Gorga, 16, and Joey Gorga, 13.
After Joe was removed from the event on Saturday, eyewitnesses who spoke to TMZ confirmed that the competition continued.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 is expected to begin airing sometime in the coming months.