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Credit: Instagram
Teresa Giudice addressed her falling out with her brother, Joe Gorga, while appearing on a podcast earlier this week.
Years into their estrangement, the 52-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey star shaded Joe, 50, for failing to give her birthday gifts after marrying wife Melissa Gorga, 45, accused the couple of being “jealous” and lying about how they joined the show, and alleged that Melissa once posted a photo of her late mother Antonia Gorga‘s food and claimed it as her own.
“I didn’t need him for anything. I did everything on my own. I even gave him [Joe Giudice]’s truck,” Teresa said of Joe on an episode of Hurrdat Entertainment’s Turning the Tables with All About TRH Podcast. “I gave him Joe’s truck [to repay him for work] he did at my house, and my ex is like, ‘Your brother took the truck?’ … He was so pissed because he’s like, ‘You could’ve sold that truck and kept the money for yourself.’”
While Teresa described herself as a giver, she said her brother was not that way.
“He never gave me anything. He’s never even bought me a birthday gift. Nothing … I mean, after he married Melissa, no, I don’t think so. Before Melissa, he used to buy me birthday gifts, I think. But after Melissa, no,” she stated.
In recent years, Joe has suggested that he helped Teresa and her daughters, including Gia Giudice, 23, Gabriella Giudice, 20, Milania Giudice, 18, and Audriana Giudice, 15, when she was in prison. However, according to Teresa, her brother “never helped” her.
“I’ve done everything on my own, which I’m proud of, and my daughters know that too,” she revealed.
As the two siblings remain estranged, Teresa is making it clear that she is unwilling to reconcile.
“It’s too late now,” she explained, signaling the way in which Joe and Melissa nabbed roles on RHONJ.
“They just did it behind my back. My story never changed. Her story did change. When you lie, the lies come out. If my brother would have said [he wanted to join] to me, I would’ve had no choice but to say, ‘Of course, let’s do this, but let’s do it the right way. Let’s show how we grew up, how we were best friends always.’ It’s just not what I wanted my life to represent,” she shared. “I don’t want to show my daughters that because imagine two of my daughters were going through that, I would hate that. I always tell my daughters, if one of you have more than the other, be happy for your sister because you’re gonna reap the benefits.”
“Don’t be jealous of your sibling or don’t try to hurt your sibling or talk behind your sibling’s back,” she added. “My kids never watch the show … [But] I’m sure one day they will and then they’ll see a lot of it … that’s one thing I don’t want to show my daughters.”
According to Teresa, she wishes she and Joe could’ve been more like Jennifer Aydin, 47, and her sister.
“Jennifer Aydin takes her sister everywhere with her. She does,” Teresa revealed. “Jennifer Aydin takes care of a lot of her family, and [Bill Aydin] is so amazing for that. And my husband [Luis Ruelas] is the same way with his family. And that’s what I try to teach my kids.”
When Teresa and Joe’s parents were alive, the siblings were in a better place with one another, and they each enjoyed regularly cooked homemade meals from their mom. However, rather than being grateful for the Italian dishes, Teresa accused Melissa of attempting to take credit.
“One time she posted that she made it and someone called my mother and told my mom because it was her best friend that ended up telling her. She’s like, ‘Did you bring escarole and beans to Melissa’s house today?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah,’ and she’s like, ‘Well she just posted it that she made it,’” she shared.
Also on the episode, Teresa was asked about the hardest scene she’d filmed.
“I felt so bad for my parents when [Joe] didn’t come to my house Christmas Eve,” Teresa recalled before she was informed that Joe came and left quickly.
“I can’t watch it … Everything I did was always for my parents so I made him look like he was the best brother ever after Joe left. Now, looking back, he only came around when we were filming,” she concluded.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is on pause ahead of its potential 15th season.
