Real Housewives of New Jersey star Gia Giudice shut down rumors that she told her uncle Joe Gorga to leave his wife, Melissa Gorga, amid cheating rumors surrounding the Love, Italian Style author.

Joe, 43, reportedly claimed in a confessional during the upcoming season 13 reunion that his niece, 22, called him trying to convince him to divorce Melissa, 44, after cheating allegations were revealed. 

“Basically she called him one or two days before Teresa [Giudice’s] wedding … and she said, ‘leave Melissa,’” according to the AllAboutTHR” podcast. “That’s what Gia allegedly did, according to Joe. Andy [Cohen] calls Gia to ask her about this huge accusation, so this is gonna be on the season finale.” 

The podcasters went on to say that “Gia denies ever saying that.”

“She says that she did call Joe Gorga. But she begged him to come to Teresa’s wedding,” they added. “She swears on her Nonno and Nonna that she never once told her uncle that he should leave Melissa. Never.”

After a clip from the podcast was shared via TikTok, Gia took to the comments section saying, “[It’s] sad that I have to be brought up in a bad light and have to defend myself to Andy and [others].”

Melissa – whom Joe married in 2004 – previously denied the “baseless” rumors of her infidelity. 

“First of all, it’s a game of telephone on a baseless rumor that they said they heard five years ago that they’re bringing to light now,” she told Andy Cohen during an April 11 appearance on Watch What Happens Live. “Are you kidding me?”

Cheating rumors first surfaced when costar Jennifer Aydin opened up to Danielle Cabral about the allegations she had heard during the April 11 episode. 

One of Margaret Josephs coworkers reportedly told the fashion designer that he “opened the backseat of a car and saw Melissa in the backseat with a guy,” Jennifer, 46, claimed. “And the person who claims he witnessed it told Margaret that they were making out. She was making out with another guy.”

The accusations come amid ongoing drama between the Gorgas and the Giudice women which resulted in Joe and Melissa skipping his sister, Teresa Giudice, and Luis Ruelas August 2022 wedding

“How can I celebrate someone else’s marriage when they are constantly trying to destroy mine?” Melissa asked during the RHONJ midseason 13 trailer, released in April 2023. The couple were reportedly planning on attending the wedding until two days before, when they changed their mind after cheating rumors surfaced. 

“Teresa betrayed them in a way that’s unforgivable,” a source told People at the time. “They’re not going to celebrate Teresa’s new marriage when all she does is try to tear apart theirs.”

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