‘RHONJ’: Melissa Gorga Gives Secret to Long-Lasting Marriage With Joe
Despite what some fans of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are saying about Joe and Melissa Gorga this season amid their estrangement from Teresa Giudice, one thing that can’t be taken away from them is their marriage has lasted in a world of the reality TV curse. The couple have been on the show for over a decade, and seemingly remain in love. Melissa says the secret to their lasting marriage is that they don’t focus on anything or anyone outside of each other.
Melissa Gorga says she and husband, Joe, block out all outside noise
The Gorgas have been married since 2006 and have three children together. They have been stars on RHONJ since Season 3. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Melissa says the key to her and Joe’s marriage is focusing on one another and ignoring any outside forces.
“We are one of the longest-standing couples on reality TV in general. [So] there’s a lot of noise out there, and we’ve learned to tune it out and not listen to it,” she said. “At the end of the day, Joe and I spend so much time together, we really do. We keep our feet on the ground, we understand the chaos that comes with being on this show, but we just keep it very normal in this house. Even with our kids and like with school stuff, we just don’t allow the noise to come in.”
Joe has long credited Melissa for keeping their family intact, especially in the early days because of her being at traditional stay-at-home wife and mom at that time. RHONJ is one of the franchises with the most married couples on the show.
The ‘RHONJ’ star admitted to dealing with rough patch in marriage to Joe and contemplating divorce
During Season 11 of the show, Melissa and Joe opened up about their issues. The typically obsessed with one another couple argued over Melissa’s work schedule and Joe feeling ignored at home. In an interview with Access Hollywood, she revealed that the season highlighted the toughest point in her and Joe’s marriage.
“We definitely hit a rut,” she said. “For like a year or two, and I feel like that’s raw and honest, and I was embarrassed at first that we had this argument on camera, and we’re kind of showing that we’re suffering. But, at the same time, we’re not perfect, and I don’t mind showing that we’re really in a rut.”
She said the season was the “lowest” point of her marriage, and it was due to simple growing pains. “I’ve been with Joe since I was 24 – that’s very young,” Melissa added. “You do change as a woman from 24 to 40.”
Additionally, she admitted divorce was thrown around at that time. “I don’t know how seriously it’s come up,” she explained. “Have we brought it up and gasped about it? Probably. But, nothing has ever happened to us other than these highs and lows. I’m busier than I’ve ever been, and that probably affects him. He admits that there’s insecurities…men need to understand that we don’t necessarily need you, we want you. It’s just different. He doesn’t like change.”
Melissa Gorga’s issues with Teresa Giudice have also been difficult in her marriage to Joe
The Gorgas may have overcome their own personal growing pains, but the couple has consistently dealt with issues from Joe’s family. In a recent interview with Page Six’s podcast, he admits his family was resistant to Melissa from the start. “My mother was rough on her, my dad was rough on her,” Joe said, joking regarding Melissa and his sister Teresa Giudice’s on-and-off feud, “and my sister was great!”
But he says Melissa stuck it out. “She’s a good woman, and then she married into an old-school Italian family, and she took a beating — she did,” he added. “And that’s why I respect her and love her because, you know what, she’s the best.”
