RHONJ : Melissa Gorga Hits Back at Louie Ruelas' Claim She's an 'Insecure Woman' amid Family Drama
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Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/Getty Melissa and Joe Gorga (left) and Teresa Giudice and Louie Ruelas (right)
The drama was in full swing for Tuesday's premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey!
As the season 13 premiere kicked off, it wasn't long before tensions rose over the ongoing family drama involving Melissa Gorga, Joe Gorga and Teresa Giudice.
Early in the episode, Teresa welcomed the family of then-fiancé Luis "Louie" Ruelas to her home to celebrate her 50th birthday with her four daughters.
"At first, I was like, 'I'm not embracing 50,' ... but I know I don't look 50," quipped Teresa in a confessional.
After Gia Giudice gave her mom a Tiffany bracelet as a gift, Teresa told the table she made her daughters promise they would "never fight" like her and brother, who was noticeably absent from the celebration.
At their own house, Joe and Melissa, both 43, spoke about missing the party because they were still mad at Teresa for neglecting to choose Melissa as a bridesmaid in her wedding. Still though, Melissa said she was still planning to invite Teresa to her upcoming '80s-themed rollerblading party.
"I didn't wanna leave anyone out, you know?" she told Joe as the two chatted in their kitchen. But Joe pointed out with a shrug, "You get left out."
Brian Ach/Getty; Lars Niki/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
In a confessional, Melissa said, "Picking one person, who is your only brother's wife, and saying 'I'm gonna exclude you,' is a big f— you," referring to not being asked to be a bridesmaid.
"That day, she showed how she really feels about both of us," Joe said of his sister. "It's sad."
"I know, and that's why I texted her that day," Melissa said of her attempt to put the disagreement behind them, having texted Teresa that she was "fine" with not being in the wedding.
"And she didn't answer you," Joe responded, as Melissa responded, "I know."
RELATED: Teresa Giudice's Upcoming Wedding to Luis Ruelas Will Be Filmed for RHONJ Special, Says Source
Later, at Melissa's party, each of the women and their husbands arrived in neon attire and took to the rink, including new cast members Danielle Cabra and Rachel Fuda.
Margaret Josephs eventually wiped out and fractured her wrist before scrambling off the rink. While Margaret inquired about ice for her injury, Teresa walked by and said hello in the first interaction between the women since the season 12 reunion, during which Teresa exploded at her brother for defending the accusations Margaret was making against Louie.
"Margaret is supposed to be my friend, so friends don't do that," Teresa said at the time.
In an attempt at extending a modern-day olive branch, Teresa — who revealed she's "working on herself" in therapy — pulled Margaret, 55, aside at the roller rink and invited her to her house.
"To what? Bury me in the backyard?" retorted a confused Margaret, as Teresa calmly responded, "To talk."
"It was very ugly, it didn't feel good," Teresa added of how they had left things in the wake of the reunion.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Theo Wargo/Getty Teresa Giudice and Margaret Josephs
RELATED: Margaret Josephs Feels 'Torn' over Teresa Giudice's Rift with Joe and Melissa Gorga
Margaret eventually agreed to Teresa's invitation for crackers and cheese at her home, secretly hopeful Teresa might be willing to make an apology. But it wasn't long before things escalated at the gathering with their significant others.
To start, Margaret jokingly called Teresa and her daughters "bitches" after Teresa noted how she couldn't believe she lives with four dogs after moving in with Louie, and Louie responded he and his son were worried about living with five girls.
"Remembering what I learned. Please stay calm. Be namaste," Teresa said in confessional.
As Louie tried to mediate between the two women, Teresa repeatedly cut Margaret off. "You're a grudge holder," said Margaret.
"I'm not. Not anymore because I'm working on myself," Teresa responded, adding that she started seeing a therapist.
Margaret asked about Melissa and Joe, noting that she is aware "there's issues" between the family. But Teresa insisted the issues were due to Margaret's actions.
"Because of you, I got mad at them!" Teresa said. "I felt like my brother and Melissa should have said to you 'Nobody speaks badly about Louie,' and that's why I didn't ask her to be in my wedding."
"That's my family, that's my sister-in-law. You don't do that," Teresa continued, referring to Melissa reading her text messages aloud to Margaret.
Louie added of Melissa: "It shows actually insecurity from a woman. Like, she's an insecure woman if she has to do something like that."
Teresa ultimately declared "I don't wanna fight with you" as she and Margaret made amends in their friendship. Teresa then issued an apology before inviting Margaret to her wedding, and the women made a "pact moving forward to build a friendship and a trust."
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Teresa Giudice
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The episode concluded with a near-naked charity photoshoot at Margaret's house, featuring the women's husbands and significant others.
The men arrived one by one, but Joe didn't want to be around Teresa. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aydin and Dolores Catania — who feuded earlier in the episode — still hadn't spoken a word to each other, despite Jennifer and Bill showing up to the shoot.
Jennifer refused to say hi to Dolores first, admitting that she was there simply to "support the cause."
Margaret later stepped aside to fill in Melissa and Joe on what Teresa and Louie had said during their get together.
"I said 'If you have displaced anger toward me, can't you admit you have displaced anger toward Melissa and Joe?'" Margaret recalled to the couple, as Joe asked, "What'd she say?"
Andrew Eccles/Bravo
"She said to me point blank: 'You didn't say enough to back Louie up,'" Margaret explained.
"I didn't say one negative thing about Louie," Melissa responded.
"I know," Margaret said. "She said, when she sent that text message, you know, 'Back Louie up,' when we were at your shore house..."
Joe then asked, "What did Louie say?" which prompted Margaret to reveal, "Louie goes, 'That was a very insecure move on Melissa's part.'"
"Insecure move on my part? He's calling me insecure? That's f---ing insane. Me telling everybody, 'Hey guys, she doesn't want us talking about Louie' is a problem and makes me a very insecure woman?" Melissa said, throwing up two middle fingers.
"What the f---? Since the day I met him, honestly, we took him in with open arms," Joe added, as Margaret agreed.
"And it's like, how about I don't give a f--- anymore? How about that?" Melissa said.
Teresa Giudice/Instagram Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas with Melissa and Joe Gorga
RELATED: RHONJ: Jennifer Aydin Struggles with Husband Bill's Affair, Is Criticized for Being a 'Hypocrite'
The episode ended on a dramatic note as Jennifer and Dolores got into it from their earlier drama. Jennifer, who was hung up on Dolores ignoring her, told the group through tears, "I was vulnerable and it got me nowhere."
A fed-up Dolores proceeded to confront Jennifer for all of the gossip at the party, but ultimately declared: "You know what? You and I don't agree on what a friend is."
"We totally don't. I'm nice, you're not!" Jennifer angrily said before storming off, throwing insults at Dolores as she exited. "She's never been my friend, she's a f---ing phony. She's two-faced."
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The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
