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The Daily Dish The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Will Chris Laurita Remain Friends with Joe Giudice and Joe Gorga?

"It's been a very difficult season," the #RHONJ husband said.

By Laura Rosenfeld
Chris and Joe Have a Talk

It's not easy being the husband of one of the Real Housewives. That's especially the case when your wife has drama with her castmates, but you get along really well with their husbands. That's something Chris Laurita has had to deal with on The Real Housewives of New Jersey since he has long been friendly with Joe Giudice and Joe Gorga, while his wife, Jacqueline Laurita, hasn't been on the best terms with their significant others, Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga, respectively, this season.

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Chris told The Daily Dish that it hasn't been easy watching Jacqueline's tense interactions with her castmates. "Yeah, it's been a very difficult season. Jacqueline is very big on people being truthful with her, and if you're gonna try and establish or re-establish a friendship with her, she just needs to know that it's real. And the second that she feels like it's not, she gets really discouraged, and she puts her guard up," Chris said of watching his wife's trials and tribulations this season of RHONJ. "Obviously, I'm her husband, and I sleep with her every night. I've seen what she had to go through this year, and it was a very tough year for her because you find yourself, you always find yourself in a defensive position because you have to defend the truth. You kind of got to speak the truth, and when you speak the truth, sometimes people don't like to hear it." 

Though some fans have wondered if Jacqueline has been intentionally stirring the pot this season of RHONJ, Chris said that he believes Teresa and Melissa completely put all of their past drama aside and set out to "back each other up no matter what." He said that "they made a pact to go after whoever got in their way," which turned out to be Jacqueline. "Jacqueline was the one that was being attacked, especially in Vermont. We honestly went to that dinner that night thinking we were gonna have a nice conversation or thinking at least have an opportunity to let Jacqueline tell her side of the story," he said. "That is not what happened. We walked in, and she was immediately under attack. It wasn't a very good place for us to be. That's why we left."

Jacqueline Wants Melissa to Tell the Truth
 

Even though the ladies' conflict has seeped into his relationship with the Joes, Chris explained how he thinks the guys have been able to navigate that line between maintaining their friendship while still remaining loyal to their wives. "Well, I think for guys, it's a lot easier to talk it out. It doesn't take as much time to talk it out. Within 20 minutes, you kind of said what you had to say, and you move on from it. I think it's different for the women. I think they hold grudges," he said. "It's kind of like the guys can just tell you what time it is, where I think the women on this show kind of tell you how to build a watch. And it's two different approaches." 

Still, Chris said this season's drama has caused a rift in his friendships. "It definitely has impacted my relationship with both Joes. There's no question about it," he said. "But it's not because I walked away because I had to. I walked away because I wanted to. I walked away because I didn't like the way they were treating us, nevermind just my wife. It was a decision that I made for my own reasons."

Chris Laurita Wishes Joe the Best
 

Chris did make it loud and clear where his allegiance lies when he declined to attend Joe Giudice's going-away party because Jacqueline and Teresa were not in the best place (clip above). However, Chris isn't ruling out the possibility that these three guys can get back on friendlier terms once again one day. "I never say never. If you look at what happened with Joe [Gorga] and Teresa, their relationship was rockier than I think anyone's relationship has ever been on the show. It actually got violent between the two Joes, and look at the way it is now," Chris said. "If that can turn around, then anything can turn around."  

But then again, Chris isn't overly hopeful about it. "It's very, very simple. It all comes down to people taking responsibility for their actions. And people being able to talk about it and truly mean what you're saying and then move on. That's all it takes," he explained. "But I just don't think that there are people on this show that have the ability to do that." 

Will Part 2 of the RHONJ reunion prove Chris right or wrong? Maybe the below sneak peek will provide some clues.

Are the Ladies Willing to Hug It Out?
 
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