The 13th season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently filming, with the same cast returning (although it’s been rumored that Jackie Goldschnieder was demoted to a friend of the series instead of a full-time Housewife). Thanks to social media, it’s been shown that the cast trip was done in Dublin, Ireland and fans cannot wait to see the drama that unfolds.
With every season of RHONJ, fans are reminded of how far Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice have come. As sisters-in-law, the two have had one of the most tumultuous relationships in Real Housewives history. As of late, however, the two have been on a good stretch but the first handful of seasons were some of the darkest because of their intense family dynamic.
Season 3
While Teresa Giudice was an original Housewife who has been a part of the series since the start, Melissa didn’t join until season 3. Melissa Gorga is Teresa’s sister-in-law (Teresa's brother Joe Gorga’s wife). At the season 2 reunion, it was hinted that Teresa had drama within her family and it was shown in this season.
Season 3 started with a bang at the christening for Joe and Melissa’s youngest son. But with tensions thick between the Gorgas and the Giudices, a brawl between families broke out. What followed was just the start of the issues between families. There were years of “he said, she said” stories and promises that went unkept. While there are some amazing episodes of the Giudice and Gorga families in the future, season 3 was not great for them.
Season 4
At the start of season 4, Melissa and Teresa promised to start off on a good foot after a hard season 3. However, friends and viewers could tell that there was unfinished business between the two despite making mends. Their truce was ruined when Teresa relayed a nasty rumor to her brother about Melissa. Teresa heard that Melissa would leave Joe if she met a richer man, calling her a “gold digger.”
Being called a gold digger did not sit well with Melissa and the two went back to loathing each other. This was multiplied at the end of the season when another rumor hit the group that Melissa was a stripper. It was hard for fans to support Teresa after this because Melissa knew Teresa orchestrated it all and was the one behind it. This was one of the family’s lowest points but not lower than season 5.
Season 5
The start of season 5 was not great for Teresa and Melissa because they were still feuding over what is now called Stripper Gate. As involved as the Joes (Joe Gorga and Joe Giudice) were in seasons 3 and 5, they were even more involved in season 5.
This was the season that costars and fans learned just how bad the Giudices' financial crisis was because they filed for bankruptcy. Teresa was mum on what was happening at home, but more and more stories came out about Joe Giudice’s sneaky business dealings and Teresa hiding under a rock. Things were at an all-time low for the family when they went for a group therapy session at Lake George. Physical fights broke out between the men, which shifted the family dynamic. The season ended with a majority of the cast going on another therapy trip to Arizona to open up more and be more understanding. After season 5, it was an unpopular opinion to support Teresa and her family’s nasty behavior.
Seasons 6 & 7
Seasons 6 and 7 were less dramatic for Melissa and Teresa because there was far too much going on in both families' lives to worry about each other. After getting a snippet of some legal issues for Teresa and her husband, they were on full display in season 6. To distract her from the possibility that she and her husband could go to jail, Teresa started a dessert line. Meanwhile, Melissa and Joe focused on a new trash truck business venture.
For the time being, they were cordial because, by the end of the season, Teresa plead guilty to her crimes and went to prison for 11 months. Season 7 focused on Teresa coming back from prison and preparing for her husband to go away to serve his time. Considering the circumstances, Melissa and Teresa centered on family instead of worrying about their issues with each other. Fans supported Melissa and Teresa’s effort in uniting their families during tough times.
Seasons 8 & 9
Seasons 8 and 9 showed Melissa and Teresa in a better space. With Teresa out of jail, it was her husband’s turn. Melissa and Joe Gorga supported Teresa since she was on her way to becoming a single mom but it was easier said than done because Teresa didn’t always trust her brother’s promises. What’s worse was that Joe and Teresa’s mom passed away, which resulted in them grieving another loss within the family.
The Gorgas and the Giudices argued over Nonna’s belongings. Teresa also didn’t appreciate her brother's absence from their dad. This spiraled into the ninth season when Joe Gorga had a hard time grieving the loss of his mother, which resulted in Teresa being upset with Melissa. To Teresa, it was Melissa’s job as Joe’s wife to make him help her, etc… This caused quite a bit of tension but they never went back to the anger they had for each other in season 3.
Season 10
In season 10, Joe Giudice was released from prison but the family wasn’t out of the woods yet. Because he was never a legal citizen, Joe was transported from prison to ICE where he waited until he was transported to his native Italy. This was looking like the end of Teresa and Joe’s marriage since Teresa and her daughters never intended on moving to Italy. Melissa and the women took Teresa on vacation to blow off some steam and despite arguments breaking out among the women, Teresa and Melissa's friendship remained strong in the series.
Their bond suffered a hiccup, however, when Danielle told a bombshell secret: during an altercation between Danielle and Margaret, Danielle told Melissa that it was Teresa behind the altercation. Danielle said the only reason why she grabbed Margaret’s hair was because Teresa told her to. This altered the women's view of Teresa for the next season.
Season 11
After losing their mom in season 9, the Gorgas and Giudices hit another blow in season 11 when Teresa and Joe’s dad, lovingly referred to as Nonno, passed away. While mourning their father, Teresa found herself in hot water when she told everyone a rumor about Jackie’s husband.
Melissa tried her best not to pick sides so she didn’t rock the boat with her sister-in-law but it was painfully obvious that Teresa was in the wrong. To make things worse between family members, Melissa was upset when Teresa didn’t defend Joe Gorga after a realtor friend of theirs told people that the Gorgas owed them money. Knowing this wasn’t true, Melissa asked Teresa to defend their family but it wasn’t as easy as she expected.
Season 12
In the prior season, Teresa was officially divorced, meaning she was happy to mingle in season 12. Melissa supported Teresa’s new single lifestyle and wanted her to be happy. This was the happiest the sister-in-laws had been in a long time. However, when Melissa’s friend Traci stirred the pot between Melissa and Teresa, Teresa warned Melissa to pick her friends wisely.
The season ended with Melissa and Teresa not being especially close, and things got worse at the reunion. When it was revealed that Melissa and her boyfriend were engaged and Melissa wasn’t asked to be in the bridal party, old wounds came up and a bitter argument spiraled. The reunion did not end well for the sisters-in-law and fans are dying to know where they’re at in season 13.