(UPDATE: 1/20/23 AT 4:30 P.M. ET): Melissa Gorga has denied Jacqueline Laurita’s claim that she called Caroline Manzo “too old and boring” to be a cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. “Not true- I love Caroline always have,” the reality star commented under Page Six’s Instagram post about the report on Thursday evening. The news originally circulated on Thursday, Jan. 19 after Jacqueline responded to an Instagram comment left by a fan asking for her “thoughts on Melissa’s friendship with Caroline.”
(ORIGINAL STORY): Jacqueline Laurita has entered the chat! The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum, 52, recently made several disparaging accusations about her former co-star Melissa Gorga, 43, on Instagram, after a fan asked Jacqueline what she thought about Melissa’s friendship with her sister-in-law Caroline Manzo, 61. “I think they are friendly acquaintances,” Jacqueline said, before claiming that “Melissa always used to say Caroline was too old and boring for the show. (She’s not).”
Can we say OPPORTUNIST? The Gorgas are sick! Jacqueline Laurita spill boo 👏🏽 👏🏽 #RHONJ pic.twitter.com/JydWU5DUla
— RhonjTeaBee (@RhonjTeaBee) January 17, 2023
Jacqueline went on to say that Melissa “must have heard the rumor” that Caroline “may be going back” to RHONJ, which has been floated around the past few years. Caroline even told HollywoodLife at BravoCon that she turned down an invite to go back on the show. Jacqueline, who left RHONJ in 2017 and moved to Las Vegas with her family, concluded her response by claiming that Melissa is “probably trying to form her alliances. Who knows.”
But Jacqueline wasn’t done there! The mom-of-three went after Melissa again when a different fan asked if she thinks the “On Display” singer is a “liar.” Jacqueline didn’t hold back in her response and even brought up Melissa and her husband Joe Gorga‘s issues with his sister (and Jacqueline’s former bestie), Teresa Giudice, 50.
“Well, let’s just say that she was really good at lying while keeping a straight face and very good at manipulating people,” Jacqueline said. “The whole time, Melissa and Joe were in my ear manipulating me, telling me secrets about Teresa, things Teresa would say and do to them, and telling me things Teresa would say behind my back. I did see a different side of Teresa once Melissa came back around.”
The manipulation ran deep! Thank you for your honesty Jacqueline Laurita 💯 #RHONJ pic.twitter.com/aUvOUBk1Gh
— RhonjTeaBee (@RhonjTeaBee) January 17, 2023
Jacqueline’s claims about Melissa come ahead of the new season of RHONJ, where fans will witness Melissa and Joe’s fallout with Teresa. Things got so bad between the two families that the Gorgas skipped Teresa’s wedding to Luis Ruelas, allegedly because of Teresa’s involvement in a cheating rumor about Melissa.
Season 13 of RHONJ won’t include an appearance from Caroline, but she did tell HL at BravoCon that she’s open to returning to the show eventually under certain circumstances. “I wanna have fun. If I can’t have fun. I’m too old. If I can’t have fun, I’m not going,” she said.
Luckily, fans can see Caroline on season 4 of The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip. The show will be filming soon in Morocco with Caroline and seven other ex-Housewives including Alex McCord, Camille Grammer, Brandi Glanville, and Gretchen Rossi.