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BravoCon 2019 BravoCon

Teresa Giudice Says "Runaway Groom" Joe Gorga Was Engaged Twice Before Melissa

The Real Housewives of New Jersey husband broke up with one fiancée after she treated Teresa Giudice "like s--t."

By Laura Rosenfeld

Melissa Gorga is the love of Joe Gorga's life, but it turns out she actually wasn't the first woman he popped the question to.

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 premiere May 5th at 8/9c on Bravo and stream next day on Peacock.

Teresa Giudice revealed that her brother, Joe, had actually been engaged twice before he realized Melissa was the one during the Stir the Pot with Teresa & Dolores panel at BravoCon on Sunday, November 17. 

"Melissa moved into his house a month after she met him; they got engaged in four, five months. Everything happened in 10 months. But it was his third engagement. Me and my mother kept our mouth shut. We were like, 'You know what, let him marry this one,'" The Real Housewives of New Jersey author told AOL's Gibson Johns after doing a live cooking demonstration with Dolores Catania.

"We weren't even gonna say anything, yeah, 'cause the second [fiancée], [she] treated us like s--t at the bridal shower. I told my brother. He broke up with her a week later. And the first one, that was on my brother. They dated for 10 years, and then they broke up, but they were too young. My brother started dating her when she was 16, so that was too young. And he broke off that engagement eight months before the wedding. Both weddings were planned."

Teresa continued, "So now, Melissa, we kept our mouths shut. We were like, 'If he wants to marry this one, let him marry this one.' So we were just like, whatever. But, you know, they're happily married, so I guess he picked the right one." 

Teresa even referred to her brother Joe as "the runaway groom" later on in the panel.

Despite their sometimes contentious relationship on RHONJ, Teresa and Melissa actually hit it off right away. "I embraced her when she first came in," Teresa said. "I loved her."

Unfortunately, things didn't stay that way for Teresa and Melissa, thanks to moments like the infamous sprinkle cookies incident. Teresa reveals "the real truth" about that story that has earned a place in RHONJ lore in the above video.

However, Teresa confirmed during the panel that there's no drama between her and Melissa today. "I'm good with her," she said. "But we are different."

Let RHONJ alum Caroline Manzo tell you something about her family direct from BravoCon, below.

Kim Richards and Caroline Manzo are in Love...

Photo: Getty Images

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