RHONJ season 13: Cast members react to Teresa Giudice's "daddy issues" comments towards Melissa Gorga

The Real Housewives of New Jersey (RHONJ) season 13 cast members sat down for an After Show interview and discussed major issues of the season. The current installment, which is in the middle of airing a three-part dramatic reunion, saw the ladies navigate personal and professional commitments, strained friendships, relationships, and family issues, which created significant drama.

In one of the RHONJ episodes, the Gorga-Giudice family issues were at a tense stage. During a shore gathering, Teresa Giudice accused Melissa Gorga of having "daddy issues," which resulted in the former's strained relationship with her brother Joe Gorga. This comment didn't sit well with most of the cast members, primarily because Melissa's father passed away when she was young.

The hit Bravo series has been on the air for 13 successful seasons, but the latest installment has received a lot of criticism from viewers, who want the family drama to desperately end and not stretch out for another season if the ladies continue filming. Cast members include Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania, and Margaret Josephs.

They were accompanied by newcomers Rachel Fuda and Danielle Cabral. Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fressler appeared as "friends" of the housewives.

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RHONJ cast members react to Teresa Giudice's "daddy issues" comment

During the RHONJ episode, Teresa expressed that her brother Joe Gorga needed therapy because of their ongoing tensions. In a conversation with fellow castmates Margaret, Jackie, Rachel, Dolores, and Jennifer, she said:

“My brother needs to get therapy because he keeps blaming me for everything. It’s not just me, she has daddy issues she needs to go get help."

The RHONJ cast members were visibly shocked by the statement, while Teresa's husband Louie attempted to sort out issues with Joe and Melissa Gorga. Jackie slammed Teresa for commenting on someone who had lost their father due to an accident when they were a teenager.

However, Teresa only clapped back at Jackie, claiming that there was nothing wrong with her statement. In a confessional, she claimed that Melissa was attached to Joe and further said:

“Melissa always talked about that... she had daddy issues, how her father would go out all the time and he was cheating on the mom. He was never home, so that’s why she always had a leash on my brother (Joe Gorga)."

The RHONJ OG further noted that her daughters had "daddy issues." At the After Show interview, the cast was asked to give their opinions on the comment. Newcomer Rachel recalled being horrified by the statement, while Melissa was confused by it. She thought it only applied to a husband and wife rather than a sister-in-law.

Margaret, for her part, understood where Teresa was coming from but also made it clear that she wasn't defending her fellow castmate. She said:

"I'm not trying to cut down the severity of what she said. Coz she's not right on what she said. But Melissa has said herself that Joe has been her everything because her father died when she was young...She looked at Joe like he was her entire world..so I understood what Teresa was saying though it came across very harsh."

Teresa, however, refused to speak for Melissa and expressed that her brother needed therapy to get past his issues. Her sister-in-law felt that she wanted a way to deflect the conversation the Gorgas were having with Louie and desperately wanted to cause drama with the comment.

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Season 13 of RHONJ has aired an extremely intense season and two parts of an even more chaotic reunion episode. As the cast members try to resolve their issues, viewers will have to find out where Teresa stands with Joe and Melissa Gorga.

Don't forget to tune in to the final part of the reunion episode next Tuesday, January 13, 2023, at 8 pm ET on Bravo.