March 14, 2023 • 24 mins
The Real Housewives of NJ stars stop by the show to talk about Season 13 of the series. Melissa talks about the drama and bullying from fans on the internet. Does Melissa know how long she will be on the show? Melissa and Joe answers ALL fan questions.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You lounge. You know, I don't know if I prefer
it this way or the way I even said, hid
them unless you just bring Joe here. Oh my god,
Cheryl made it on time. Cheryl Crowley is not an
hour later. Hug from a farmer list. This is a
(00:24):
little awkward because we're already on. People are like all
I hear of people kissing. Oh my god, I just
walked right into it. You walked right. This is like
monumental theory. By the way, why is that? What do
you mean? Because this is Joe Gorga's Bible. He listens,
he's in construction. He leaves the house at six every
morning and listens to you guys like their Bible. Let's
just talk to Joe family, right, I'm in he Well,
(00:48):
we're honored a heavy both here and let me let
me just shut the record straight because I wanted to
talk to you about this before we went on. But
I don't never produce her that produces I love you name.
I'm kidding. He's a murderer. Um, as you know, due
to the nature of Housewife New Jersey, there's a lot
of team this team that, and they're actually so we
put it out there ask questions this and that, and
(01:10):
a lot of these questions are like mind blowingly evil.
Would I would never put you in harm's way ever? Okay,
so therefore Old Charley something, anybody have a fireplace, Melissa,
Let's be honest. I mean without that that negative and
positive rub, then the energy is a little different and
(01:30):
maybe not as hype as it should be. So what
do your modern day soap opera? What I do? So
there's the villains, there's the angels and the devils. There's teams, right,
it's politically, it's like a political it's as it's crazy
as political people, right, the teams. It's like on every franchise,
not just Jersey. Um so it's crazy. But I think
(01:51):
that's what makes it exciting for the fans. They want
to root for you one season, the next season they
hate you, the next season they love you. It's just that.
Can I ask the question, they'll how much is it
in the editing? Honestly, well, it depends. Sometimes I'm not
rolling my eyes to you, but it is all real.
It's it is all real, you know, But they'll show
the eye roll and I was totally rolling my eyes
(02:11):
at you, Elvis. Not the first time that's happened. Well, no,
but yeah, we've heard it can be in the editing
it maybe it isn't, but I get that. But you say,
it's great for the fans to have this brutal, you know,
back and forth between the teams, But what's it like
for you to be in the middle of that. It's
got to feel like you've been You're being bullied a lot. Yes,
(02:32):
that's the exact words that I what I would use,
especially like these questions you got right on Twitter and
all of these places social media. It's a form of bullying,
it really is, and it's a shame that it's that
it's that way. Um, I appreciate you not applauding them
and tearing it all up, but it's it's terrible and
that's the hard part of it. But at the end
(02:52):
of the day, I am a wife, I'm a mom.
We do show great parts of our family too, and
just you know, my daughter's about to go to college
and people love to see the family aspect of Jersey also,
and I think that's really important and people do appreciate that.
So with the bad does come the good as well. Listen,
I have wonderful opportunities from being on Bravo TV. I've
(03:12):
been on reality TV for thirteen years. Wow, this is
thirteenth season. Thirteenth season, but I've been on since twenty ten. Um,
I've been married on this show for a very long time.
But it's not easy, you know. Yeah, I mean, you know,
let's be on. I mean, this is what we're supposed
to be Melissa the Melissa Interview. I just want to
(03:33):
be I enjoy you guys, but I'm sad. I'm glad
you're here because you are a part of the story.
You are and sometimes do you like, oh, You're like,
I'm being dragged into this crap again today. I don't
want to do it today, Melissa, you go to the
you go work. I'm I'm not it always because he's
you have that option, See she doesn't. I do. I do. Bright.
It's hard for him though, because don't forget, he has
(03:55):
a sister on this show. He had a mother on
the show, he has a father on the show, he
has nieces on his show. His wife's on the show,
his daughter's on the show. So he gets pulled in
more than any other house husband on any other franchise
just because we're the family. We're the family show, right,
You're like the hit and run the car just actually
hit you. Everyone was like, oh, he's always involved. He's
like one in the house for while I have ten
(04:17):
people that are related to me on the show. How
do you get away from it? Though? Like, if you
want to unplug, how do you do that? I just unplug? Yeah,
I don't go. I will say he's the best at that.
Yeah I can't. There's an art to unplug it, Yes,
there is. He masters it. He unplugs completely. None of
that bothers him. Any of those questions that you would
(04:37):
have had there. He just doesn't want to hear it.
He doesn't want to read it. He doesn't like he
doesn't look at the negativity at all. And I applaud
him for that answer that she comes home crying she's
got How can you not address this? Because I look
at myself. I get up every day at five o'clock
in the morning, I work. I'm I'm the American dream
Really remember no, I am, And I'm gonna say that
in the right way. I go to work every hard,
(04:58):
I give to my family, my kids and everything. Anything
understanding it's all lies. So I just look at it like, okay,
see you later. Doesn't bother me? Now if if it
was true, right, let's just say it would bother me.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm said the dirty word.
Holand I didn't even notice. He said where they just
(05:21):
bleep you out? I know, But we live in this
crazy world. We're so regulated about the FCC. It's like, oh,
dear god, but what about a conversation with a Team
Teresa person who you can actually have a logical conversation with,
like diamond for instance, Hello Diamonds. So she says, I'll
(05:43):
be honest, the storyline has sent me to be Team Teresa. Yeah,
but always been. But she wasn't saying it in a
belligerent way. That's totally fair. But no, you say that, Melissa,
But now that you're connected, whether do you feel your
blood pressure going up like a like a little centimeter. No, No,
I totally get it. You know what. It also depends
on what goes on in your family. So if you're
(06:05):
the sister in law, if you're the brother's wife, you
tend to go with who you can relate to more So,
you know, I don't know your situation, but a lot
of times is that. Am I right a little bit
on that? No, But I know so I have people
in my family who I know how they are as people,
they could be problematic, and I'm always like, I'm leaving
(06:26):
you over there, right, you know? So for me, I
just feel like if you know how someone is, just
it kind of like I feel like sometimes you guys
put yourselves in situations where it causes yourself like it
causes pain on you. Does that make sense? Yeah, of
course self inflicted. Yeah, yes, I feel like we all
kind of do that on the show. But it is
more of who you can just relate to more. A
(06:49):
lot of the times when it comes to teams, you know,
and it's like, what have they done last? What did
Bravo show you last? That people remember? It's how it
goes on. You are wherever they left you last episode.
That's where you are in their heads. And then Team
Melissa is ali right here. You're not hated by everyone,
(07:10):
but you're not seem about Diamond. She I need to
believe Diamond is like most fans, you don't have to hate,
you can just have an opinion. I am I agree
with that one. How much respect Diamond? I totally get
it and that's what makes it go around. And that's
that's what it is. Thank you, Diamond, all of this
that has gone on, and you guys, obviously, over the
last thirteen years, your lives have changed, I assume so
(07:31):
dramatically in good ways and bad ways. If you had
to do it all over again from the beginning, would
you do the show? Would you turn it down? I would?
I think I would do it. It brought me so
many opportunities as a stay at home mom that has
turned into a business. I now own Envy, which is
a you know, a great store in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
I have a huge e commerce nbbymg dot com where
(07:54):
I sell so many clothes. I'm seven years in business.
I'm a small business owner, which I could have never
done without this platform to make this store go seven
years as big as it is. So I'm so grateful
for that and just so many other brands and opportunities
that I would never get to do. Look, i'm with
Elvis today. Would I do this if I were God?
Good God? What's bigger than this? But I appreciate you know,
(08:16):
it only took me thirteen years. I don't know. I've
been on the Kelly and everything, but Elvis took thirteen years. Yeah, yeah, sorry,
I don't know. It's slipped the crack somehow. I'm over here. Look,
first of all, if you're just turning us on Melissa
(08:37):
Gorga of course Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo
thirteenth season, and so of course Joe is here as well.
Cheryl Crowley, who we know. We had we had a
big conversation about Cheryl on our show yesterday. Maybe you
can help out because you know her. Yes, she's an
hour late for almost everything. She's not today because she
knows when she's with Melissa, she's on time. It depends,
(09:00):
so she's working with that zay. But we love her.
We love her. Hey, So not to jump forward into
a place it's it's two prematurity together. But I'm gonna
go there anyway. What will be the signs it's time
to hang it up and not do the show anymore?
You know, I never really asked myself that question much
(09:20):
until lately, Um, just because it's like, how long can
you keep going? At what point do you say? Wow?
This has been quite a ride. I've had so many opportunities,
I've built a brand, off this and is it time
to try something else? I do. I haven't thought about
it much ever before until recently. Um, I don't think
(09:41):
I'm ready just yet. I feel like I have a
couple more in me, unless you know, Bravo has other plans,
but I, UM, I don't know. I do always think
about what's next, though, I'm always thinking about what's next.
I have a podcast, a very successful podcast on display M.
I do other things I would love to host. So
we'll see. Okay, So like, well, if your kids came,
(10:03):
you can't, okay, mom, you know, going to college whatever.
I decided I want to do a reality show instead
of I want to go in this direction and do televion.
What what would you tell them? Yes, what would you say,
run the other way? Yeah? I don't think any of
mine are going to say that, honestly, because they all
grew up on reality TV, and I think they're just like,
get it out of here where. You know, they've they've
(10:23):
remained very humble through it all too. And I just
don't think they're big spotlight kids, you know, they're not like,
they're not like in the fame looking for the attention.
They don't walk around them all with wanting people to
look at them. They're very low key and I'm grateful
for that. So I don't think any of them are
going to say that, but I would never, you know,
break down their dreams if they want to be a
reality star. You know what, I'm going to dig these questions?
(10:48):
What made you feel safe? Okay? These are I do
that often. But then I will I will edit and
I will read each one first. Okay, before I read these,
you change the sham into lers in your house after
a fan backlash. Were you expecting such a viral moment
from chandeliers? No? Can I tell you my house gets
(11:09):
more attention, both of my houses. My old one too
was like the number one zilloed house in America. You
know why why Because you guys are Retalian. You got
crazy house. I love. The entry was like fifteen stories
tall and there's a there's a fountain when you're shooting water.
My house, I don't have the cheesy foutains. I don't.
That's the wrong. That's the other team. Honey. No, no, wait,
(11:31):
you don't have Mary on the halfshell out that's over there.
She likes the fountains. Okay, Okay, chandeliers okay, so, so
obviously we're in construction. We build homes for a living.
We flip pomes. That's what we do. Joe owns buildings
all over and I've seen the homes that you know what,
I'm kidding, No, but thank you. Um. I'm very indecisive,
(11:54):
so I do this all the time. I did it
with my last house too. Oh my god, No, I
change out big on this. I'm huge with furniture. I'll
switch out bar stools like it's nothing, Like it's nothing
to make chandeliers. That's that's more of a tedious little
sp I mean, I do work with a lighting company.
We tried one. I wasn't crazy about it. The fans
were like fifty fifty mostly didn't like it. I tried
(12:17):
something else. Everyone loved it. You know, I like to
switch it up a little. Wait wait, wait, it was
all but what the fans are voting on your chandeliers? Oh? Yes,
I posted them and I asked them if they liked it,
and they told me they did not. Well, most of
them didn't like these. Like I tried something different. They
were like black hanging chandeliers, three in a row. Love
black chandeliers. They were I'm gonna show you a picture
(12:37):
that's I'm gonna show you both Welcome to the stage.
Black chandeliers they had like they had like beautiful hanging chains.
I don't know, nobody liked them. I switched them to
very like boogie diamondy. You know, is it totally up
to you how you decorate the house, because I know
in my house my husband has to have a say
(12:57):
as well. Joe, do you have a say or no?
Definitely yes, I know he absolutely does not. I don't
know why you would even try to answer that trick.
You don't even know where we got our couches from. You,
You have no clue couches No, no, no, you're talking
about if it's furniture. No, but if I I design it,
I put all these great things in the ceiling and
(13:18):
the walls. And she's like, oh that's great. Yes, he's
a very he's good joy. When it comes to furniture.
He doesn't know anything. My husband's the same way, yes,
like that's all me paint the room this color. I
paint the room. I'm like, God, I'm gonna change it.
I'm changing six times. Please. I am big on changing
it because it's very convenient for me to change it.
(13:39):
A lot of people don't have, you know, Joe Gorga
as a husband that we just have people that can
come in and swap things out and try different things.
We do, so I do have that little bit of
a luxury. So, okay, are you familiar with the other
Housewife show? Do you watch Beverly Hills? Do you watch
any of them? Yes? Which ones? M Beverly Hills? Right?
Mostly I watched Beverly Hills. I mean all of them,
(14:00):
Potomac Atlanta? Right, you genuinely watch them? No? So like
I'll catch the reruns because I'm always filming or not
filming or that's fair. So my question is this a
housewife in New Jersey versus a housewife in Beverly Hills,
Orange County? Like what sets and even New York? What
(14:22):
sets our New Jersey housewives apart from all the other
house Wife show members. Oh that's such an easy answer.
There's a couple of things. Number one, it's family, right,
So we're the family based Um, we're also not just
random people that somebody met at lunch and then they
brought their friend in. It's like we have real ties
and real connections, real history. I mean, don't forget this
(14:44):
show started with a bunch of sister in laws with
the Manzos, and you know that was sister in laws,
and then they just kept bringing more family in. So
I think just family stands it apart from the rest.
It's so real, it's so raw. So the casting is
totally unique than from other the other show. I mean,
it always was. It's actually the hardest show to cast.
We just recently brought in two or three new girls
(15:06):
actually that I think are great, and they have nothing
to do with family aspects. So I think it might
be changing a little bit. We're going to try to
switch it up a little bit. All right, Hold, I'm
scary out of question. Yeah, I mean you guys. You
guys are the quintessential couple from me because you're always laughing,
you're ragging on each other. I've seen you guys outside
of these walls. How do you guys keep it fresh
(15:26):
and exciting after all these years and through the trials
and tribulations of the show, asked the guy who's not married, Right,
the guy asked the guy who's not show. Let's just
have a reminder show, Thank you very much. Okay, this
is a morning, it's I know it's and we keep dating.
I keep dating her. She's my everything. When I met her,
(15:47):
I put on a pestle. I fell in love with
her instantly, and I continue to live that way. And
we both lived that way. And you know, when we
go to bed at night, we hug till we go
to sleep, which is great. I mean, and I always
say that could that means a lot and a lot
of couples don't sleep to We definitely do date. I
would say we still go on our date nights. We
definitely try to like keep the spice alive. We I
(16:09):
would say that's one, one one hundred percent true if you
keep dating. We flirt too, like if you flirt with
other people, No, Alex doing a flirting thing with you,
O the pape. She won't let you're supposed to do
when she's not around. Let's start with that. Let's start that,
(16:29):
Let's see how that goes. Let's just a flirt only.
But he's like, wait a minute, do you have someone
in mind? No? No, no, I just think it is
healthy to flirt and feel. She's like, I'm like, oh
she's pretty, melistens like she's what I'm like, oh, pretty ugly. No,
(16:49):
I'm not jealous like that, not that. Okay. When it
comes to the casting, I know that New Jersey has
cast very differently than the rest of them. Do you
guys have kind of like turf wars with the other casts, like, oh,
we don't like New York or we don't like Beverly Hills. No.
When they mix us all together, which is what they
do with the Ultimate Girls Trips, they kind of take
a couple of girls from each city and put us together,
it's it's a masterpiece. It's awesome because you get a
(17:12):
little bit from each side, you get a little bit
from every like the East meets West, and it works
awesome for us. So No, I think that we all
get along better with the people from the other franchises
because there's no competition there. There's no like rivalry rivalry.
So if there was no camera, there was no show,
but you're still all a family, all know each other.
(17:34):
Would the level of intensity be as high? Would you have?
Would you think back over the list of skirmishes you've
had with the people you love, and the problem with
having skirmishes with the people you love, Actually, the good
thing is you're still stuck with them, there's still yours.
You may not speak to him for a year or two,
but there's still your family. But if there was no camera,
if there's any of that, would the intensity level be
(17:56):
at the same point. Would you have a better relationship
with your family, more relaxed, more just easygoing? The answer,
of course is yes, isn't it. I sometimes think that
we wouldn't be put together as much, and we wouldn't
make as much time for each other. If I'm being
very honest about it, I feel like the show almost
(18:17):
forces us to see each other, to go on vacations together,
to be in a room together. Sometimes therapy. They bring
in therapists to talk it out. I don't know they do.
I mean offset? Oh yeah, no, no, no, no, not offset.
We do all have There is a therapist available for
all Bravo labs in case you need one. That's just
a thing, yes, because on reality TV it's just it's
(18:38):
a thing. You need to always have someone to talk
to if needed. But I think for our specific family
that it does bring us together a lot of the
time when we probably would avoid each other and not
see each other as much. But also, to be fair,
amost it's bringing you together and you don't talk to
each other. So it's well, this season, this season has
been a rough one. Have you been watching? Well, I
(19:00):
know that that last season was, I mean the fire
in the backyard, and there's all sorts of stuff going on.
But you and Teresa are or are not speaking right now?
Are not? Are not? And I must assume you don't
want that? Do you really want to have that? Does
she want that? I don't know. Right now she's saying
(19:20):
she does want that and that she's done. And that's
always sad for me because there's always hope. I know
we're going through a lot. I know that I'm very
upset about certain things. She's very upset about certain things.
But at the end of the day, you can never
give up hope. Right when it comes to family. I
don't care if it's ten years down the road. I'm
not saying it's tomorrow, but maybe in five ten years.
(19:41):
Who who knows? Now? Why I love her? Is she
listening to this right now? Is Teresa listening to this, going, Oh,
she's fought a crap and that's why she's a great
That's when I'm here's me. I make my elvist drain prediction. Really,
here's my prediction. Years and years from now, you'll have grandkids.
You and Teresa'll be sitting on the front porch smoking
a big fatty Drake and Margarita, like two old drunk broads,
(20:04):
laughing and laughing about all those weird days you had
doing that stupid ass show, which I'd say stupid ass
and you you could. You're allowed to call it that.
Fifty years from now, that's fair, and that's gonna be
like a great way to like your sunset in life.
You and Teresa, a couple old high old women on
the front porch, your cat petting your cats because your
(20:26):
husband's inside doesn't want needing to do with you, with
some meat balls and a glass of red woman balls spaghetti.
That's my prediction. And I think that's that's actually a
wonderful thing to kind of work towards. Okay, I like
that on a rocking chair with some spaghetti and meatballs,
but a fat Italian grandmas with sauce spattered all our other.
(20:48):
That's why I love you, Elvis. I love it. I
want great things for all of you guys, and so
when I see I get even if I don't know
if I see you going through confrontation on anyone, I get,
I get all bent out of shape because I don't
want anyone to stressful. I don't want anyone to lose
a minute because you've you've had cancer in your family,
you've had all sortsivity, you lose friends and their minutes
(21:08):
are gone. Yeah, we're putting on this planet, Melissa, for
just this amount of time in this way. If this
amount of that amount of time is spent in a
negative space, I wish better things for all of you.
But then again, there would be no show. So I
don't know. I get it. I'm hearing everything you say,
and it makes a lot of sense because life is short.
I always say that, and hopefully sometimes it's an eye opener.
(21:30):
Sometimes when you watch the episodes back, you even open
your eyes and you're like, I could have handled that differently.
I could have said something different. I see how I
triggered that. You know, I do take accountability for things
that when I especially when I watch it back then,
I said, you know what, I could have said that differently.
I see how that came off that way. You know,
I don't know how you guys do it. I mean,
we get into little spats all the time about stupid things.
(21:53):
We don't have to watch it back. We can just
create in our head the way that it went and
then move on right and say, in our head, oh,
I would have said this, you know, shower Warrior, and
it's totally different. We win in the shower. But you
guys have to sit there and watch all of these
things in reality what actually went on. And I'm sure
that that's why the psychologists come in and the therapist
come in all the time, right, because sometimes you get
in your head you overthink it. I used to years ago.
(22:16):
Now I'm kind of I'm very much more confident. It
might be an age thing as well of just like
what I said, what I did, meaning what I said
and did. And I feel like, you know, you have
to have really thick skin to be on a reality show,
especially this one particularly so um, I don't know. You
just keep rolling with the punches, keep it positive, and
just keep hoping for the best as you move forward.
(22:37):
There's a lot of positive by the way that comes
out of these shows. Yeah, there really is. There's a
lot of great moments. I have some great moments with
my children that are documented forever that when they they
put on like an old video of Antonio from when
She's four years old. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen,
and I just I melt inside. So we have those
those things too, Okay, keep keep those going, wait to
(22:58):
keep those making a nice mix. And the Evil, the
Evil and the great Melissa Gorga and of course Joe's seriously,
thank you so much for coming in. Congratulations on surviving
thirteen seasons. And remember, I can't wait. I'll be in
heaven by the time you and teresare on the front porch.
You will be No, that's I'll be looking up from
(23:21):
hell on the porch. Thank you so much. Is there
any events coming up we need to talk about? Do
we cheryld? Do we cover all the bases? Yeah? Tonight
We're on tonight The Real Housewives of New Jerseys on
Bravo TV tonight. That's why you're here today, Yeah tonight. Yes,
I know they said maybe another day, but it has
to be the day of the show's out, all right,
(23:42):
nine pm tonight of course on Bravo. What are you
yelling about? You're not on a microphone? White Melissa's clothing
between Envy in Ridgewood, New Jersey, people asking if it's
ever going to be in Manhattan. Yes, hopefully. You can
shop online at envy by mg dot com. Of course,
the podcast on display new episodes every Thursday wherever you
(24:02):
get your podcast, hopefully on iHeart with your totally free
I heeart at a heart at I love turning your
interview into all about us Joe, Thank you guys, Thank you,
beautiful enjoy our beautiful life. Takes such a great way
to start your day, day day. Welcome to the show,
Welcome to the show. Yeah, he's a big deal. Elvis
(24:26):
Duran in the Morning Show
You lounge. You know, I don't know if I prefer
it this way or the way I even said, hid
them unless you just bring Joe here. Oh my god,
Cheryl made it on time. Cheryl Crowley is not an
hour later. Hug from a farmer list. This is a
(00:24):
little awkward because we're already on. People are like all
I hear of people kissing. Oh my god, I just
walked right into it. You walked right. This is like
monumental theory. By the way, why is that? What do
you mean? Because this is Joe Gorga's Bible. He listens,
he's in construction. He leaves the house at six every
morning and listens to you guys like their Bible. Let's
just talk to Joe family, right, I'm in he Well,
(00:48):
we're honored a heavy both here and let me let
me just shut the record straight because I wanted to
talk to you about this before we went on. But
I don't never produce her that produces I love you name.
I'm kidding. He's a murderer. Um, as you know, due
to the nature of Housewife New Jersey, there's a lot
of team this team that, and they're actually so we
put it out there ask questions this and that, and
(01:10):
a lot of these questions are like mind blowingly evil.
Would I would never put you in harm's way ever? Okay,
so therefore Old Charley something, anybody have a fireplace, Melissa,
Let's be honest. I mean without that that negative and
positive rub, then the energy is a little different and
(01:30):
maybe not as hype as it should be. So what
do your modern day soap opera? What I do? So
there's the villains, there's the angels and the devils. There's teams, right,
it's politically, it's like a political it's as it's crazy
as political people, right, the teams. It's like on every franchise,
not just Jersey. Um so it's crazy. But I think
(01:51):
that's what makes it exciting for the fans. They want
to root for you one season, the next season they
hate you, the next season they love you. It's just that.
Can I ask the question, they'll how much is it
in the editing? Honestly, well, it depends. Sometimes I'm not
rolling my eyes to you, but it is all real.
It's it is all real, you know, But they'll show
the eye roll and I was totally rolling my eyes
(02:11):
at you, Elvis. Not the first time that's happened. Well, no,
but yeah, we've heard it can be in the editing
it maybe it isn't, but I get that. But you say,
it's great for the fans to have this brutal, you know,
back and forth between the teams, But what's it like
for you to be in the middle of that. It's
got to feel like you've been You're being bullied a lot. Yes,
(02:32):
that's the exact words that I what I would use,
especially like these questions you got right on Twitter and
all of these places social media. It's a form of bullying,
it really is, and it's a shame that it's that
it's that way. Um, I appreciate you not applauding them
and tearing it all up, but it's it's terrible and
that's the hard part of it. But at the end
(02:52):
of the day, I am a wife, I'm a mom.
We do show great parts of our family too, and
just you know, my daughter's about to go to college
and people love to see the family aspect of Jersey also,
and I think that's really important and people do appreciate that.
So with the bad does come the good as well. Listen,
I have wonderful opportunities from being on Bravo TV. I've
(03:12):
been on reality TV for thirteen years. Wow, this is
thirteenth season. Thirteenth season, but I've been on since twenty ten. Um,
I've been married on this show for a very long time.
But it's not easy, you know. Yeah, I mean, you know,
let's be on. I mean, this is what we're supposed
to be Melissa the Melissa Interview. I just want to
(03:33):
be I enjoy you guys, but I'm sad. I'm glad
you're here because you are a part of the story.
You are and sometimes do you like, oh, You're like,
I'm being dragged into this crap again today. I don't
want to do it today, Melissa, you go to the
you go work. I'm I'm not it always because he's
you have that option, See she doesn't. I do. I do. Bright.
It's hard for him though, because don't forget, he has
(03:55):
a sister on this show. He had a mother on
the show, he has a father on the show, he
has nieces on his show. His wife's on the show,
his daughter's on the show. So he gets pulled in
more than any other house husband on any other franchise
just because we're the family. We're the family show, right,
You're like the hit and run the car just actually
hit you. Everyone was like, oh, he's always involved. He's
like one in the house for while I have ten
(04:17):
people that are related to me on the show. How
do you get away from it? Though? Like, if you
want to unplug, how do you do that? I just unplug? Yeah,
I don't go. I will say he's the best at that.
Yeah I can't. There's an art to unplug it, Yes,
there is. He masters it. He unplugs completely. None of
that bothers him. Any of those questions that you would
(04:37):
have had there. He just doesn't want to hear it.
He doesn't want to read it. He doesn't like he
doesn't look at the negativity at all. And I applaud
him for that answer that she comes home crying she's
got How can you not address this? Because I look
at myself. I get up every day at five o'clock
in the morning, I work. I'm I'm the American dream
Really remember no, I am, And I'm gonna say that
in the right way. I go to work every hard,
(04:58):
I give to my family, my kids and everything. Anything
understanding it's all lies. So I just look at it like, okay,
see you later. Doesn't bother me? Now if if it
was true, right, let's just say it would bother me.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm said the dirty word.
Holand I didn't even notice. He said where they just
(05:21):
bleep you out? I know, But we live in this
crazy world. We're so regulated about the FCC. It's like, oh,
dear god, but what about a conversation with a Team
Teresa person who you can actually have a logical conversation with,
like diamond for instance, Hello Diamonds. So she says, I'll
(05:43):
be honest, the storyline has sent me to be Team Teresa. Yeah,
but always been. But she wasn't saying it in a
belligerent way. That's totally fair. But no, you say that, Melissa,
But now that you're connected, whether do you feel your
blood pressure going up like a like a little centimeter. No, No,
I totally get it. You know what. It also depends
on what goes on in your family. So if you're
(06:05):
the sister in law, if you're the brother's wife, you
tend to go with who you can relate to more So,
you know, I don't know your situation, but a lot
of times is that. Am I right a little bit
on that? No, But I know so I have people
in my family who I know how they are as people,
they could be problematic, and I'm always like, I'm leaving
(06:26):
you over there, right, you know? So for me, I
just feel like if you know how someone is, just
it kind of like I feel like sometimes you guys
put yourselves in situations where it causes yourself like it
causes pain on you. Does that make sense? Yeah, of
course self inflicted. Yeah, yes, I feel like we all
kind of do that on the show. But it is
more of who you can just relate to more. A
(06:49):
lot of the times when it comes to teams, you know,
and it's like, what have they done last? What did
Bravo show you last? That people remember? It's how it
goes on. You are wherever they left you last episode.
That's where you are in their heads. And then Team
Melissa is ali right here. You're not hated by everyone,
(07:10):
but you're not seem about Diamond. She I need to
believe Diamond is like most fans, you don't have to hate,
you can just have an opinion. I am I agree
with that one. How much respect Diamond? I totally get
it and that's what makes it go around. And that's
that's what it is. Thank you, Diamond, all of this
that has gone on, and you guys, obviously, over the
last thirteen years, your lives have changed, I assume so
(07:31):
dramatically in good ways and bad ways. If you had
to do it all over again from the beginning, would
you do the show? Would you turn it down? I would?
I think I would do it. It brought me so
many opportunities as a stay at home mom that has
turned into a business. I now own Envy, which is
a you know, a great store in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
I have a huge e commerce nbbymg dot com where
(07:54):
I sell so many clothes. I'm seven years in business.
I'm a small business owner, which I could have never
done without this platform to make this store go seven
years as big as it is. So I'm so grateful
for that and just so many other brands and opportunities
that I would never get to do. Look, i'm with
Elvis today. Would I do this if I were God?
Good God? What's bigger than this? But I appreciate you know,
(08:16):
it only took me thirteen years. I don't know. I've
been on the Kelly and everything, but Elvis took thirteen years. Yeah, yeah, sorry,
I don't know. It's slipped the crack somehow. I'm over here. Look,
first of all, if you're just turning us on Melissa
(08:37):
Gorga of course Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo
thirteenth season, and so of course Joe is here as well.
Cheryl Crowley, who we know. We had we had a
big conversation about Cheryl on our show yesterday. Maybe you
can help out because you know her. Yes, she's an
hour late for almost everything. She's not today because she
knows when she's with Melissa, she's on time. It depends,
(09:00):
so she's working with that zay. But we love her.
We love her. Hey, So not to jump forward into
a place it's it's two prematurity together. But I'm gonna
go there anyway. What will be the signs it's time
to hang it up and not do the show anymore?
You know, I never really asked myself that question much
(09:20):
until lately, Um, just because it's like, how long can
you keep going? At what point do you say? Wow?
This has been quite a ride. I've had so many opportunities,
I've built a brand, off this and is it time
to try something else? I do. I haven't thought about
it much ever before until recently. Um, I don't think
(09:41):
I'm ready just yet. I feel like I have a
couple more in me, unless you know, Bravo has other plans,
but I, UM, I don't know. I do always think
about what's next, though, I'm always thinking about what's next.
I have a podcast, a very successful podcast on display M.
I do other things I would love to host. So
we'll see. Okay, So like, well, if your kids came,
(10:03):
you can't, okay, mom, you know, going to college whatever.
I decided I want to do a reality show instead
of I want to go in this direction and do televion.
What what would you tell them? Yes, what would you say,
run the other way? Yeah? I don't think any of
mine are going to say that, honestly, because they all
grew up on reality TV, and I think they're just like,
get it out of here where. You know, they've they've
(10:23):
remained very humble through it all too. And I just
don't think they're big spotlight kids, you know, they're not like,
they're not like in the fame looking for the attention.
They don't walk around them all with wanting people to
look at them. They're very low key and I'm grateful
for that. So I don't think any of them are
going to say that, but I would never, you know,
break down their dreams if they want to be a
reality star. You know what, I'm going to dig these questions?
(10:48):
What made you feel safe? Okay? These are I do
that often. But then I will I will edit and
I will read each one first. Okay, before I read these,
you change the sham into lers in your house after
a fan backlash. Were you expecting such a viral moment
from chandeliers? No? Can I tell you my house gets
(11:09):
more attention, both of my houses. My old one too
was like the number one zilloed house in America. You
know why why Because you guys are Retalian. You got
crazy house. I love. The entry was like fifteen stories
tall and there's a there's a fountain when you're shooting water.
My house, I don't have the cheesy foutains. I don't.
That's the wrong. That's the other team. Honey. No, no, wait,
(11:31):
you don't have Mary on the halfshell out that's over there.
She likes the fountains. Okay, Okay, chandeliers okay, so, so
obviously we're in construction. We build homes for a living.
We flip pomes. That's what we do. Joe owns buildings
all over and I've seen the homes that you know what,
I'm kidding, No, but thank you. Um. I'm very indecisive,
(11:54):
so I do this all the time. I did it
with my last house too. Oh my god, No, I
change out big on this. I'm huge with furniture. I'll
switch out bar stools like it's nothing, Like it's nothing
to make chandeliers. That's that's more of a tedious little
sp I mean, I do work with a lighting company.
We tried one. I wasn't crazy about it. The fans
were like fifty fifty mostly didn't like it. I tried
(12:17):
something else. Everyone loved it. You know, I like to
switch it up a little. Wait wait, wait, it was
all but what the fans are voting on your chandeliers? Oh? Yes,
I posted them and I asked them if they liked it,
and they told me they did not. Well, most of
them didn't like these. Like I tried something different. They
were like black hanging chandeliers, three in a row. Love
black chandeliers. They were I'm gonna show you a picture
(12:37):
that's I'm gonna show you both Welcome to the stage.
Black chandeliers they had like they had like beautiful hanging chains.
I don't know, nobody liked them. I switched them to
very like boogie diamondy. You know, is it totally up
to you how you decorate the house, because I know
in my house my husband has to have a say
(12:57):
as well. Joe, do you have a say or no?
Definitely yes, I know he absolutely does not. I don't
know why you would even try to answer that trick.
You don't even know where we got our couches from. You,
You have no clue couches No, no, no, you're talking
about if it's furniture. No, but if I I design it,
I put all these great things in the ceiling and
(13:18):
the walls. And she's like, oh that's great. Yes, he's
a very he's good joy. When it comes to furniture.
He doesn't know anything. My husband's the same way, yes,
like that's all me paint the room this color. I
paint the room. I'm like, God, I'm gonna change it.
I'm changing six times. Please. I am big on changing
it because it's very convenient for me to change it.
(13:39):
A lot of people don't have, you know, Joe Gorga
as a husband that we just have people that can
come in and swap things out and try different things.
We do, so I do have that little bit of
a luxury. So, okay, are you familiar with the other
Housewife show? Do you watch Beverly Hills? Do you watch
any of them? Yes? Which ones? M Beverly Hills? Right?
Mostly I watched Beverly Hills. I mean all of them,
(14:00):
Potomac Atlanta? Right, you genuinely watch them? No? So like
I'll catch the reruns because I'm always filming or not
filming or that's fair. So my question is this a
housewife in New Jersey versus a housewife in Beverly Hills,
Orange County? Like what sets and even New York? What
(14:22):
sets our New Jersey housewives apart from all the other
house Wife show members. Oh that's such an easy answer.
There's a couple of things. Number one, it's family, right,
So we're the family based Um, we're also not just
random people that somebody met at lunch and then they
brought their friend in. It's like we have real ties
and real connections, real history. I mean, don't forget this
(14:44):
show started with a bunch of sister in laws with
the Manzos, and you know that was sister in laws,
and then they just kept bringing more family in. So
I think just family stands it apart from the rest.
It's so real, it's so raw. So the casting is
totally unique than from other the other show. I mean,
it always was. It's actually the hardest show to cast.
We just recently brought in two or three new girls
(15:06):
actually that I think are great, and they have nothing
to do with family aspects. So I think it might
be changing a little bit. We're going to try to
switch it up a little bit. All right, Hold, I'm
scary out of question. Yeah, I mean you guys. You
guys are the quintessential couple from me because you're always laughing,
you're ragging on each other. I've seen you guys outside
of these walls. How do you guys keep it fresh
(15:26):
and exciting after all these years and through the trials
and tribulations of the show, asked the guy who's not married, Right,
the guy asked the guy who's not show. Let's just
have a reminder show, Thank you very much. Okay, this
is a morning, it's I know it's and we keep dating.
I keep dating her. She's my everything. When I met her,
(15:47):
I put on a pestle. I fell in love with
her instantly, and I continue to live that way. And
we both lived that way. And you know, when we
go to bed at night, we hug till we go
to sleep, which is great. I mean, and I always
say that could that means a lot and a lot
of couples don't sleep to We definitely do date. I
would say we still go on our date nights. We
definitely try to like keep the spice alive. We I
(16:09):
would say that's one, one one hundred percent true if you
keep dating. We flirt too, like if you flirt with
other people, No, Alex doing a flirting thing with you,
O the pape. She won't let you're supposed to do
when she's not around. Let's start with that. Let's start that,
(16:29):
Let's see how that goes. Let's just a flirt only.
But he's like, wait a minute, do you have someone
in mind? No? No, no, I just think it is
healthy to flirt and feel. She's like, I'm like, oh
she's pretty, melistens like she's what I'm like, oh, pretty ugly. No,
(16:49):
I'm not jealous like that, not that. Okay. When it
comes to the casting, I know that New Jersey has
cast very differently than the rest of them. Do you
guys have kind of like turf wars with the other casts, like, oh,
we don't like New York or we don't like Beverly Hills. No.
When they mix us all together, which is what they
do with the Ultimate Girls Trips, they kind of take
a couple of girls from each city and put us together,
it's it's a masterpiece. It's awesome because you get a
(17:12):
little bit from each side, you get a little bit
from every like the East meets West, and it works
awesome for us. So No, I think that we all
get along better with the people from the other franchises
because there's no competition there. There's no like rivalry rivalry.
So if there was no camera, there was no show,
but you're still all a family, all know each other.
(17:34):
Would the level of intensity be as high? Would you have?
Would you think back over the list of skirmishes you've
had with the people you love, and the problem with
having skirmishes with the people you love, Actually, the good
thing is you're still stuck with them, there's still yours.
You may not speak to him for a year or two,
but there's still your family. But if there was no camera,
if there's any of that, would the intensity level be
(17:56):
at the same point. Would you have a better relationship
with your family, more relaxed, more just easygoing? The answer,
of course is yes, isn't it. I sometimes think that
we wouldn't be put together as much, and we wouldn't
make as much time for each other. If I'm being
very honest about it, I feel like the show almost
(18:17):
forces us to see each other, to go on vacations together,
to be in a room together. Sometimes therapy. They bring
in therapists to talk it out. I don't know they do.
I mean offset? Oh yeah, no, no, no, no, not offset.
We do all have There is a therapist available for
all Bravo labs in case you need one. That's just
a thing, yes, because on reality TV it's just it's
(18:38):
a thing. You need to always have someone to talk
to if needed. But I think for our specific family
that it does bring us together a lot of the
time when we probably would avoid each other and not
see each other as much. But also, to be fair,
amost it's bringing you together and you don't talk to
each other. So it's well, this season, this season has
been a rough one. Have you been watching? Well, I
(19:00):
know that that last season was, I mean the fire
in the backyard, and there's all sorts of stuff going on.
But you and Teresa are or are not speaking right now?
Are not? Are not? And I must assume you don't
want that? Do you really want to have that? Does
she want that? I don't know. Right now she's saying
(19:20):
she does want that and that she's done. And that's
always sad for me because there's always hope. I know
we're going through a lot. I know that I'm very
upset about certain things. She's very upset about certain things.
But at the end of the day, you can never
give up hope. Right when it comes to family. I
don't care if it's ten years down the road. I'm
not saying it's tomorrow, but maybe in five ten years.
(19:41):
Who who knows? Now? Why I love her? Is she
listening to this right now? Is Teresa listening to this, going, Oh,
she's fought a crap and that's why she's a great
That's when I'm here's me. I make my elvist drain prediction. Really,
here's my prediction. Years and years from now, you'll have grandkids.
You and Teresa'll be sitting on the front porch smoking
a big fatty Drake and Margarita, like two old drunk broads,
(20:04):
laughing and laughing about all those weird days you had
doing that stupid ass show, which I'd say stupid ass
and you you could. You're allowed to call it that.
Fifty years from now, that's fair, and that's gonna be
like a great way to like your sunset in life.
You and Teresa, a couple old high old women on
the front porch, your cat petting your cats because your
(20:26):
husband's inside doesn't want needing to do with you, with
some meat balls and a glass of red woman balls spaghetti.
That's my prediction. And I think that's that's actually a
wonderful thing to kind of work towards. Okay, I like
that on a rocking chair with some spaghetti and meatballs,
but a fat Italian grandmas with sauce spattered all our other.
(20:48):
That's why I love you, Elvis. I love it. I
want great things for all of you guys, and so
when I see I get even if I don't know
if I see you going through confrontation on anyone, I get,
I get all bent out of shape because I don't
want anyone to stressful. I don't want anyone to lose
a minute because you've you've had cancer in your family,
you've had all sortsivity, you lose friends and their minutes
(21:08):
are gone. Yeah, we're putting on this planet, Melissa, for
just this amount of time in this way. If this
amount of that amount of time is spent in a
negative space, I wish better things for all of you.
But then again, there would be no show. So I
don't know. I get it. I'm hearing everything you say,
and it makes a lot of sense because life is short.
I always say that, and hopefully sometimes it's an eye opener.
(21:30):
Sometimes when you watch the episodes back, you even open
your eyes and you're like, I could have handled that differently.
I could have said something different. I see how I
triggered that. You know, I do take accountability for things
that when I especially when I watch it back then,
I said, you know what, I could have said that differently.
I see how that came off that way. You know,
I don't know how you guys do it. I mean,
we get into little spats all the time about stupid things.
(21:53):
We don't have to watch it back. We can just
create in our head the way that it went and
then move on right and say, in our head, oh,
I would have said this, you know, shower Warrior, and
it's totally different. We win in the shower. But you
guys have to sit there and watch all of these
things in reality what actually went on. And I'm sure
that that's why the psychologists come in and the therapist
come in all the time, right, because sometimes you get
in your head you overthink it. I used to years ago.
(22:16):
Now I'm kind of I'm very much more confident. It
might be an age thing as well of just like
what I said, what I did, meaning what I said
and did. And I feel like, you know, you have
to have really thick skin to be on a reality show,
especially this one particularly so um, I don't know. You
just keep rolling with the punches, keep it positive, and
just keep hoping for the best as you move forward.
(22:37):
There's a lot of positive by the way that comes
out of these shows. Yeah, there really is. There's a
lot of great moments. I have some great moments with
my children that are documented forever that when they they
put on like an old video of Antonio from when
She's four years old. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen,
and I just I melt inside. So we have those
those things too, Okay, keep keep those going, wait to
(22:58):
keep those making a nice mix. And the Evil, the
Evil and the great Melissa Gorga and of course Joe's seriously,
thank you so much for coming in. Congratulations on surviving
thirteen seasons. And remember, I can't wait. I'll be in
heaven by the time you and teresare on the front porch.
You will be No, that's I'll be looking up from
(23:21):
hell on the porch. Thank you so much. Is there
any events coming up we need to talk about? Do
we cheryld? Do we cover all the bases? Yeah? Tonight
We're on tonight The Real Housewives of New Jerseys on
Bravo TV tonight. That's why you're here today, Yeah tonight. Yes,
I know they said maybe another day, but it has
to be the day of the show's out, all right,
(23:42):
nine pm tonight of course on Bravo. What are you
yelling about? You're not on a microphone? White Melissa's clothing
between Envy in Ridgewood, New Jersey, people asking if it's
ever going to be in Manhattan. Yes, hopefully. You can
shop online at envy by mg dot com. Of course,
the podcast on display new episodes every Thursday wherever you
(24:02):
get your podcast, hopefully on iHeart with your totally free
I heeart at a heart at I love turning your
interview into all about us Joe, Thank you guys, Thank you,
beautiful enjoy our beautiful life. Takes such a great way
to start your day, day day. Welcome to the show,
Welcome to the show. Yeah, he's a big deal. Elvis
(24:26):
Duran in the Morning Show
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