EXCLUSIVE: The Reason Why 'RHONJ' Star Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga Pushed to Rekindle Their Estranged Relationship After Years of Vicious Feuding
Joe Gorga 'had to get Melissa on board with the idea of reuniting' with Teresa Giudice, a source revealed.
Dec. 4 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Long-feuding Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga have rekindled their relationship, and an insider confessed to RadarOnline.com what the motivating factor was to come to the table after years of being at each other's throats.
According to the source, the family reunion is coming off a bit as a "publicity stunt."
Why Melissa Gorga Agreed to Move Forward With Teresa Giudice
The family was seen in photos reuniting at 2025's BravoCon in Las Vegas.
With RHONJ on hiatus and no movement being made toward bringing it back, the source claimed it was a motivating factor in the estranged family members agreeing to call a truce.
"In Teresa's mind, she likely figured a way to get the show to ultimately return would be to throw in the towel and make up with her brother and her sister-in-law," the insider explained. "So this got her on board with going ahead with it."
"Once she reached out to her brother, Joe Gorga, he obviously had to get Melissa on board with the idea of reuniting with Teresa, given the bad blood that there has been throughout the years," the insider continued. "It's likely the show coming back was a significant factor in her mind in finally agreeing to attempt to move forward with Teresa."
All 'For Show?'
Giudice showed off she was out to dinner with Joe and Melissa Gorga on her Instagram Story.
Last night on Giudice's Instagram Story, she shared videos showcasing herself, her husband, Luis Ruelas, and Joe and Melissa out to dinner together.
In the first post, Giudice showed herself alongside Ruelas and Joe. Melissa, she pointed out, was in the bathroom.
She quickly followed up with a second post, showing Melissa being there, which the source explained was not accidental.
"They wanted it known that they were all there together as one big happy family," they claimed. "It does feel like a publicity stunt, as if it wasn't just for the show. Why do they need to document this all on Instagram?
"They showed themselves off at BravoCon multiple times, and now they're showing the world they're out to dinner together. They want people to see what's happening, and they want this to hopefully lead to the return of the show."
The 'RHONJ' Stars Were Released From Their Contracts
Giudice and the other stars of 'RHONJ' are currently 'free to do what they want,' the insider explained.
Despite their best efforts, though, the insider insisted there is no movement in terms of RHONJ getting the cameras rolling on a new season.
"No cameras have gone up, and no one has gotten a call about any filming happening," they claimed. "There have been no new developments regarding the show returning. This is unfortunate for fans, as they do want to see it come back, but... as of now, it remains at a standstill."
In line with that, the insider confirmed the "entire cast" has been released from their contracts, as any hold the network had over them has expired.
"Too much time has passed, and the stars of RHONJ are free to do what they want," the source added.
Bravo May Be 'Over' the 'RHONJ' Franchise
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Bravo may be over the 'RHONJ' drama, a source previously claimed.
Radar previously revealed Bravo bigwig Andy Cohen's demeanor at BravoCon spelled a doomsday of sorts for the franchise.
According to an insider, the way he was acting "shows he’s not overly interested in RHONJ returning in the way it has been, and it’s still possible it might not come back at all.
"Think about it, if Bravo had a huge interest in the show’s return, why would they not have jumped on filming Teresa and Joe’s reconciliation? That has been the thread of the show since Season 3: the family dynamic between Joe and Teresa."
"We’ve watched their drama, their makeups, their falling apart, fist fights between family members, therapists working with them, and more… and, now that the show’s been on a hiatus, a MAJOR thing happens in their life, and there’s not one camera rolling? It kinda reeks of them just not being into the show anymore and Bravo being over it," the source raged.
