After a decade of estrangement, Melissa Gorga and Jacqueline Laurita came face to face for the first time on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th. What was even more surprising than Melissa and Jacqueline’s unexpected RHUGT run-in itself was the fact that the former The Real Housewives of New Jersey castmates made peace with minimal discussion.
How to Watch
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST. Episodes stream next day on Peacock.
Their quick reconciliation took place at Lisa Hochstein’s lingerie party in Miami during Episode 7 of RHUGT: Roaring 20th. Melissa had been chatting with The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Peggy Tanous, who pointed out to the RHONJ ‘Wife that Jacqueline had arrived and called out for her to join them.
Though Melissa’s initial declaration of “Oh my god” seemed to foreshadow trouble ahead, Jacqueline immediately broke the ice by complimenting Melissa’s look. Melissa, for her part, told Jacqueline, “I have not seen your face in 10 years.”
Without further ado, Jacqueline cut to the chase, referencing their long-running feud. “I feel like we both have our perception of what happened back then,” she said. “But honestly, I don’t want to go back there. I’m letting go of all of that crap.”
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Melissa’s response? “That’s fine. Gimme a hug.” As the two embraced, Jacqueline remarked, “That’s sweet.”
Later, Melissa even joked about the fact that Jacqueline was mostly “covered” at the lingerie party, prompting her to reply, “I’m a grandmother, for God’s sake. What am I supposed to wear? My ass out?”
How did Teresa Giudice react to Melissa Gorga and Jacqueline Laurita’s reconciliation on RHUGT?
Melissa’s newly reconciled sister-in-law and RHUGT: Roaring 20th cast member Teresa Giudice noted in a confessional that she was in a “good place” with both Melissa and Jacqueline. After noting, “Melissa and Jacqueline do have a colorful past,” Teresa was happy to learn that the two had made amends on RHUGT.
Elsewhere at the party, Teresa asked Jacqueline if Melissa had arrived yet, and that’s when she learned the news of their reconciliation. “We had a talk,” Jacqueline informed her. “I just was like, ‘It’s time to let everything go in 2026.'”
Teresa responded, “You did? Good. I love that.”
What happened between Melissa Gorga and Jacqueline Laurita on RHONJ?
After Melissa joined RHONJ in Season 3, Jacqueline often felt caught in the middle of her and Teresa’s family drama. Though she’d initially intended to bridge the gap between the sisters-in-law, their ongoing conflicts ultimately sparked issues for Jacqueline with both of the women over the years.
On RHUGT, a clip from RHONJ Season 7, which aired in 2016, reminded viewers of an argument in which Jacqueline called Melissa “fake” and “phony,” with the Envy By Melissa Gorga founder firing back that she was “disgusting.” Jacqueline left RHONJ at the end of that season, and the two had not seen each other up until their conversation in Miami.
Appearing on Teresa’s Turning the Tables podcast in June 2024, Jacqueline opened up about her and Melissa falling out. She began by reiterating her intentions to help Teresa and Melissa get to a better place after the latter and husband Joe Gorga came on RHONJ.
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“In my head, I’m like, ‘If I get them to make-up and they’re fine, then it’ll be fine to film,’ because it was like, ‘I gotta film with these people now? I don’t want to be fighting with them either,” Jacqueline recalled. “But if I could get everybody good, then we can all film together and it’ll be safe and they won’t be after her.'”
Jacqueline went on to add that her efforts only drove a wedge between her and Teresa, though they’d previously rekindled their friendship in 2023.
Now that she’s made up with Jacqueline, get the latest update on where Melissa stands with Teresa today.
