‘RHONJ’: Joe Gorga Reveals What Initially Attracted Him to Melissa Gorga
In the Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has most likely documented the longest-lasting marriages. One of them being Melissa and Joe Gorga’s. The two have been together for two decades, and despite several ups and downs, they are still going strong. Joe recently revealed what initially attracted him to Melissa.
Joe and Melissa have been married for 19 years
Marriages don’t tend to last in Hollywood, but the Gorgas have managed to stick together for 19 years. The pair first met in 2002 during a spring break trip to Cancun. Melissa and Joe didn’t talk to each other at their initial meeting but ran into each other again at a beach bar in New Jersey. And after two years of dating, they tied the knot on August 20, 2004.
The Gorgas’ 19-year marriage has faced a lot of bumps in the road — from cheating allegations from Joe’s sister, Teresa Giudice, to his father’s death. However, the duo has stuck by each other through it all.
During a May 2022 interview with Chanel in the City, Melissa shared that she keeps her marriage healthy by putting in the work. “They [relationships] take a lot of work. They’re not easy. Anyone who says they are is lying,” she said. “It’s like I have a pretty damn good one. And it’s a lot of work for me.”
As for Joe, the secret to their successful marriage is sex… lots of sex. He told Us Weekly in May 2019 that he and Melissa have sex “more than the average” married couple. “I don’t think of her as my wife. I think of her as my girlfriend, and we just keep it real,” he added. “The key is as much sex as you can have. It keeps us together.”
Joe reveals what initially attracted him to Melissa
Joe was recently a guest on Melissa’s podcast “On Display.” The father of three used the episode to share with fans what initially attracted him to Melissa. Joe revealed that the first thing about her that piqued his interest was her hair.
When asked what really attracted him to Melissa that had nothing to do with her looks, he said, “She was a hustler. She was working three jobs, and she was going to college. She was just about to graduate college, and she was becoming a school teacher. I am a workaholic. I work a lot. And that’s what attracted me to you. You were just a go-getter. You weren’t like this girl who I was meeting who was like, ‘Hey, give me your credit card.'”
Joe went on to explain that he loves moving, and most people cannot keep up with him. But unlike others, Melissa is still a hustler, which keeps him on his toes. In addition to her gig on RHONJ, Melissa owns a clothing boutique in Montclair called Envy.
Melissa Gorga says her marriage has not been negatively affected by ‘RHONJ’
Melissa and Joe joined RHONJ in 2011 for its third season. At the time, they had just had their third child after five years of marriage. The Gorgas are among the few couples to make it through so many years of appearing on reality TV together.
Melissa opened up about her time on RHONJ, which is now in its 13th season, in a recent interview with E! News. When asked if the show had helped her and Joe’s marriage, the 43-year-old said:
“I think we’re doing a good job of navigating right now, for being on television for this long, and really showcasing… To make yourself vulnerable and to put your marriage out there is not always easy, but we do it,” she explained. “We’re all about family. And I think people can see that when they look at Joe and I and the kids.”
So, while Melissa’s work ethic may have attracted her to Joe, the couple’s ability to focus on each other and ignore any outside influence sure has helped them stay together this long.
