‘RHONJ’: Melissa Gorga on Whether the Show Has Strengthened Her and Joe Gorga’s Marriage
The Real Housewives of New Jersey probably has chronicled the most long-lasting marriages out of any franchise. One of which is Joe and Melissa Gorga. The couple have been married for nearly 20 years, and Melissa says their marriage should be celebrated as they didn’t fall captive to the reality television curse.
Melissa Gorga reveals whether ‘RHONJ’ has strengthened her marriage
The Gorgas joined the show in Season 3. At the time, they’d been married for five years and had recently had their third child. While many couples don’t survive reality television after being in the spotlight for so many years, the Gorgas have been the exception.
Melissa recently appeared on E! News and spoke about her time on the show, which is currently in its 13th season. When asked whether the show has strengthened her and Joe’s marriage, she gave a reflective answer.
“We’re almost married for 18 years at this point, and I feel like only the first five of them were not on reality TV. So I think we’re doing a good job of navigating right now, for being on television for this long, and really showcasing – there’s a public opinion that’s always good and bad – so 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. They know that we’re a family-based couple. And at the end of the day, it’s about us. It’s about the five of us.”
The ‘RHONJ’ star previously explained how she and Joe keep their marriage intact
Joe and Melissa have been married since 2006. 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.”
They’ve gone through a rough patch on the show
While they seem to be on solid ground now, during Season 11 of the show, Melissa and Joe opened up about their issues. 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…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.”
