Melissa Gorga Says She and Husband Joe Gorga Will Leave RHONJ 'When the Time Is Right'
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Melissa and Joe Gorga know their run on The Real Housewives of New Jersey won't last forever, but for now they're trusting their guts and standing their ground.
As a new season unfurls the latest developments in a seemingly never-ending story of family drama with Joe's sister Teresa Giudice, 50, the "On Display" singer weighs in on whether she and Joe, both 43, have seriously considered stepping away from the Bravo series.
"Yeah, I mean listen, when the time is right," she told PEOPLE ahead of RHONJ's season 13 premiere on Tuesday. "I think we'll know when the time is right and it's just not working anymore."
"For right now, I love Bravo. I love being a part of the show," she continued. "I feel like we got this right [now]. We got it handled over here, we're doing okay, but when the time is right, I will walk and I will take it as a wonderful memory."
"I'll know when it's time. I'll know," she added. "But I'm not going anywhere as of now. You're going to have me for a minute."
Jason Koerner/Getty Melissa and Joe Gorga
The friction between Teresa and the Gorgas has played out since the couple joined RHONJ's third season in 2011.
For her part, Teresa — a New Jersey OG since the show's 2009 debut — has spoken many times about how she was "blindsided" by their casting.
In December, she told PEOPLE: "Since my family came on the show, it was very hard for me to enjoy being on TV. Here I am, just getting my feet wet, enjoying it and then bam. I get knocked, really stabbed in the heart with my family coming on the show behind my back."
"The reason why I still talk about it now, and it's been 10 years, is because it was very traumatic," she added. "I never signed up to be on a TV show with my family. This was my thing. I was excited about it ... and then all of a sudden I get bombarded and ambushed by my family. And it was very sad, because I felt like my dream kind of got shattered."
Speaking to PEOPLE about the situation now, Melissa says she can't believe Teresa is still dwelling on their casting.
"It's the tale as old as time.... It's as old as the sprinkle cookies at this point, okay?" she says, referencing an infamous argument centered on holiday treats. "This is where I get mind-boggled. It's like, there's no new innovations to this. It's the same story we've told."
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/Getty Melissa and Joe Gorga (left) and Teresa Giudice and Louie Ruelas (right)
"Nothing new came out, nothing new is happening. It's the same thing we've been saying over and over and over, and the fact that she wants to dig in 10 years ago to make a reason in her head to be mad, is what's more baffling to me," Melissa continues. "I thought we're all supposed to be happy here. New life, new marriage. To dig to find something to be mad at, to me, is bonkers and I want nothing to do with it."
"I'm not changing my story and she's not changing hers," she continues. "She can bark about it all day long. I'm so over it.... Her and I have had that conversation a thousand times, and totally lived a normal life since then — we've been on vacations together, we've held hands, went on girls trips. All of a sudden we're mad again? I can't help you anymore."
RELATED: A Complete Timeline of Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga's Feud
Beyond RHONJ casting disputes, the Gorgas and Teresa have also feuded over the legal troubles that Teresa and her ex-husband Joe Giudice faced years ago, and more recently, drama centered around Teresa's treatment of the couple.
Things escalated in August when PEOPLE confirmed that the Gorgas wouldn't be attending Teresa and Luis "Louie" Ruelas's wedding. (By that point, Teresa had already confirmed that Melissa would not be a bridesmaid in her wedding.)
Two sources said Melissa and Joe backed out of attending two days before the ceremony when false rumors about their marriage surfaced amid filming. Both Teresa and Luis' actions at the time ultimately influenced the Gorgas' decision.
"Teresa betrayed them in a way that's unforgivable," one source said. "They're not going to celebrate Teresa's new marriage when all she does is try to tear apart theirs."
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Teresa Giudice, Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga
After everything that has transpired, Melissa tells PEOPLE that a reconciliation between them is not likely at this point.
"I mean, the door's shut right now [on a reconciliation]. Just is," she says. "It's exhausting, if I'm being honest. I think I say that a lot this season. It's up and down, and in and out, and high and not high. 'I'm mad,' 'I'm not mad.' 'I'm going to stab you.' Just, how about, get away?"
"That's the point I'm at," she says. "I'm comfortable enough in my skin. I am secure enough that I don't feel guilty anymore. I know I've always done the right thing. Not perfect, but I've really tried to help and fix it, so I'm washing my hands now. I'm done. I'm done with the toxic."
She sums up, "We wish everybody well. I wish her family well. I wish her marriage lasts a thousand years. I really do. I want everyone to be happy and find peace. That's all I want."
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The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
