Teresa Giudice spoke out about Frank Catania‘s claim that Bravo asked her to “leave” The Real Housewives of New Jersey and revealed which cast member she’d like to see return while appearing on a podcast last week.
As she also shaded Melissa Gorga, 45, for using the cheating rumor against her for a storyline on the show and suggesting her brother, Joe Gorga, 50, chose work over their late father, Teresa, 52, defended her friendship with Jackie Goldschneider, 47, and expressed confusion over Frank’s statements.
“I don’t know what Frank Catania’s doing. I have no idea. No comment,” she stated on the August 22 episode of the AllAboutTRH Podcast. “I don’t know why he’s saying these things. I’m glad TMZ came forward saying that that’s not true. Thank you TMZ. Thank you for saying the truth.”
Although no casting announcements for season 15 have been made quite yet, Teresa said she’d like to see Jacqueline Laurita, 54, come back to the show.
“She doesn’t even live here, [but] I’ll say, Jacqueline,” Teresa shared.
Looking back at season 13, Teresa, who was accused of pushing for a cheating rumor about Melissa to come out, explained how Joe was ultimately made privy to the claim.
“She ended up telling me other things, Laura, that I did tell my brother. I mean, it wasn’t me. I ended up telling my husband [Luis Ruelas] and then my husband said ‘I think your brother should know this,’” Teresa revealed, signaling Laura Marasca Jensen, a former friend of Margaret Josephs, 57.
“But told my brother in private without cameras and then they wanted to bring it to light for, again, for a storyline,” she continued of Melissa and Joe. “I didn’t need it for a storyline. I didn’t bring it to light for a storyline. Luis told my brother in confidence, without cameras and then they decided to bring it out to light so it would be on TV. I didn’t want to lose it for a storyline.”
Teresa also shaded Joe when speaking of how it is traditional in Italian families that fathers move in with sons after their wives pass.
“Me and my father have always been so close. He always wanted to hang out with my brother but my brother was always working. My brother always … work and work,” she stated as she spoke of Giacinto Gorga wanting to live with her after the death of her mom. “We all work. You’ve gotta make time for your parents if you want to.”
According to Teresa, her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, 52, was also close to her father.
“That’s one good thing about my ex, and that’s why my father loved my ex so much. Joe actually hung out with my dad a lot, spent a lot of time with him,” she revealed. “They used to play cards together. I remember when my dad passed away, Joe, he was so upset. Even when my mom passed away, he was devastated. He adored my parents. He was so good to my parents. And my parents loved him. They know Joe didn’t mean to hurt me in any way. Right before my dad passed away, he went to Italy with Joe.”
Recalling past seasons of the show, which she only began watching recently, Teresa said that one particular moment, in which Melissa suggested she didn’t pay her bills, stood out.
“That replays in my head all the time. We paid our bills. They say things like that,” she refuted.
Teresa then recalled a scene where Melissa and Joe met with a financial advisor, who referenced her legal drama.
“That guy, Bob Heyser, that was my father’s accountant at the time, which was my brother’s accountant, which was my accountant when I was working before meeting Joe,” she revealed. “That was my accountant, that I couldn’t believe he was talking sh*t about me. When he was saying that, I could not believe that. If my father saw that, my father would be knocking on his door.”
Also on the podcast, Teresa was asked if she’d remain friends with Jackie if Jackie reconciled with Margaret.
“She does not want to ever see her again. She doesn’t like her. She saw her for who she is. She’s not gonna become friends with her,” Teresa replied. “I don’t know how to be fake. There’s a lot of people on our cast that — they’re very strategic or they know how to be fake or they hang out with people so they don’t go against them. That’s not me.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently on hiatus ahead of its 15th season.
