Joe Gorga and Joe Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey have always had a contentious relationship, and their fights over the years have been explosive. Fans were introduced to Joe Giudice in RHONJ season 1 because he was Teresa Giudice’s husband. He was often portrayed as grumpy and short-tempered, but his love for his daughters endeared him to viewers. Teresa’s sister-in-law Melissa Gorga joined the cast in season 3, and fans quickly saw that there was no love lost between the two families.
It’s unclear how or when the feud between the Gorgas and the Giudices started, but when Melissa joined the show, Teresa didn’t welcome her with open arms. The first few seasons they were on the show together were filled with clashes. The two Joes were unable to be in the same room without things getting heated, and once, things got physical between them. Their contentious relationship put a strain on the whole family, including their parents, with many of the controversial moments aired on television.
The Crazy Christening
In RHONJ season 3, Melissa and Joe planned a huge party for her son’s baptism. Joe Giudice had some stomach issues, so he and Teresa were late to the christening. Later, at the restaurant celebration, Teresa went over to her brother’s table to congratulate him. He immediately turned her away, calling her “garbage.” Teresa walked away but Joe Giudice witnessed everything and charged at Joe Gorga. Soon, chaos ensued, with people screaming at each other, and men trying to either fight or prevent others from fighting. Teresa pulled Joe Giudice away, but years of family trauma were evident as Joe Gorga sat sobbing about how his brother-in-law created a wedge between him and his father.
Lake George
Season 5 had one of the most explosive fights in RHONJ history. The Gorgas and the Giudices, along with former RHONJ star Kathy Wakile and her husband Rich Wakile, went on a trip to Lake George. Teresa and her brother Joe began arguing and Joe called her “scum.” Teresa stormed off and told Joe Giudice, and he became enraged. He demanded that Joe Gorga apologize, but before he could finish his sentence, Gorga attacked him. Punches were flying and black hairspray was transferring onto everything while people were doing their best to break up the two men. Later, Joe Gorga admitted that he was using the black spray to fill in his receding hair. He has since sported a shaved head.
The Joes Continue To Publicly Shade Each Other
In RHONJ season 11, Teresa and Joe Gorga got into yet another screaming match when Teresa defended her ex-husband, which led to Joe Gorga exploding into a rage. Joe Gorga has been very vocal about disliking his former brother-in-law, especially after his parents had to deal with their daughter going to prison because of him. Sadly, this drove a wedge between him and his nieces, especially Gia Giudice. In the season trailer of the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Gia is seen firing back at her uncle and walking away from him. Joe Giudice clapped back at Joe Gorga for publicly denigrating him in front of his daughters, claiming he “lost his marbles.” Even though the two are no longer family and are an ocean apart, Joe Gorga and Joe Giudice continue to battle it out.