Heavy/NBCUniversal Melissa Gorga and Joe Gorga.
“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Melissa Gorga shared that she is happy to have a summer off from filming the Bravo series after a tumultuous season 13. While recording the June 29 episode of her podcast, “On Display With Melissa Gorga,” the RHONJ personality said she and her castmates are not currently filming the show’s upcoming fourteenth season. She noted that this is an anomaly as the RHONJ cast usually films the series during the summer. The mother of three stated that she has been enjoying her summer away from the cameras. She also shared she believes the cast needed some time away from each other after the intense season 13 reunion, filmed on April 20. As fans are aware, Gorga and her sister-in-law, Teresa Giudice, had heated interactions while filming the reunion.
“After the reunion, we all need a breath of fresh air, let’s just put it that way … I feel like if we all got into a room together tomorrow, we all still feel the exact same way, none of our feelings have changed, so I don’t think you would get much — there wouldn’t be a lot of change happening, right,” said Gorga. “So I think it’s smart to wait. And also I’ve miss my summers, I haven’t have on in years, I have never planned so many things ever, like I was never able to do this and I’m scheduling s*** everywhere, I’m like who needs me — let’s just book it, I just booked Italy with [my husband] Joe [Gorga], I’m so excited about that. I never get to do stuff like that in the summer, where everyone is traveling, I’m working all the time.”
During a February 2023 interview on the “Chicks in the Office”’ podcast, alongside her castmates Margaret Josephs and Dolores Catania, Gorga stated that she wanted the opportunity to not film RHONJ during the summer.
“I complain because I actually love my summers and I want them and I’m like can we switch this to spring? Spring sucks lately in Jersey anyway … Yeah, we film all summer long,” said Gorga.
Melissa Gorga & Teresa Giudice Spoke About Coming Back to RHONJ
Gorga commented on rumors she was leaving RHONJ after season 13 on the May 4 episode of “On Display with Melissa Gorga.” She stated that she did not intend on exiting the series, which she joined during its third season in 2011.
“I just want everyone to know, I’m not leaving the show,” stated the reality television star.
Giudice shared similar comments about wanting to stay on the RHONJ cast while speaking to E! News in May 2023, alongside her husband, Luis “Louie” Ruelas.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said the RHONJ star.
Andy Cohen Addressed Rumors RHONJ Was ‘on Pause’
Bravo producer Andy Cohen, who moderated the RHONJ season 13 reunion, addressed rumors that RHONJ was “on pause” in a June 2023 interview on the “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.” He stated that the Bravo series was “not really on pause.”
“That was a little blown up. I mean, we always take a minute between seasons and then suddenly it made it look like we were in the middle of production and we shut the cameras down. I mean, all it is is we’re just taking a second between seasons,” said Cohen. “And when you see part three of the reunion, tomorrow night, you will say ‘oh, I understand why they are taking a second between seasons, I totally get it, that was a bloodbath.'”
The father of two also stated that “typically you would send cameras in the next day, but it was too hot” following the season 13 reunion.