'RHONJ' : Melissa Says No Thanks to Teresa's Bridesmaid Offer — 'Like an Ex-Boyfriend Saying I Want You Back'

"Why are you acting like you're doing me a favor?" Melissa Gorga asked her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice during Tuesday's episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Jill Zarin/Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg8ccYUOEJO/?hl=en. Teresa Giudice Wedding; NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 20: Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga attend the Republic Records VMA After-Party at Catch on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Republic Records)
Teresa Giudice (left) with Joe and Melissa Gorga (right). Photo: Jill Zarin/Instagram; Brian Ach/Getty for Republic Records

Melissa Gorga is opting out of Teresa Giudice's wedding party.

During Tuesday night's episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Melissa turned down the invite from Teresa to be a bridesmaid in her wedding after Teresa failed to ask her in the first place.

After the two women fought over the seating arrangement at Teresa's engagement party during last week's episode, this week saw the sisters-in-law continue their conversation at Danielle Cabral's mozzarella-making party.

"I'm just going by what's in my heart. I just felt like you weren't rooting for Louie [Ruelas] and I," Teresa, 50, said to Melissa, 43.

"Really? Nobody opened their arms more than Joe [Gorga] and I did to Louie, just so you know," said Melissa. "I wanna see your f---ing happy ending. I've been here to see everything. I wanna see that. Always. I swear. I mean that."

"I feel that," Teresa admitted.

"I'm good with the engagement party," Melissa explained. "What I wasn't good with was if I looked like a liar, so that I had to correct. And I'm fine not being in the wedding."

Teresa Giudice, Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga
Teresa Giudice, Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga. Paul Zimmerman/Getty

Never one to let things go, Teresa asked Melissa directly: "Listen, do you wanna be in the wedding? I mean if you would love to be a bridesmaid."

"Well, why are you acting like you're doing me a favor?" Melissa asked, appearing caught off guard by Teresa's sudden request.

Teresa insisted, "I would love for you to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. I'm being for real."

But Teresa's offer was too little, too late for Melissa.

"I would never go back. It's like an ex boyfriend saying, 'I f---ed up. I want you back.' No, you can't f---ing have me back," Melissa said with a laugh.

The Housewives sitting around Danielle's patio furniture chuckled, too.

"I'm OK with not being in it. I'm really OK. I swear," Melissa said.

"Ok. Thank you. I love you," responded a seemingly content Teresa, moving in for a hug.

As the two women embraced, Teresa breathed out a sigh of relief: "Oh my God. Finally!"

"Last time I wanna talk about any of it. It's fine," Melissa added when they separated.

Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice
Brian Ach/Getty; Lars Niki/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Later in the episode, Melissa met up with Margaret Josephs and Jackie Goldschneider for lunch, where Jackie admitted she's "chipping away at some very toxic food habits," and also added that she doesn't really like new cast member Danielle.

Margaret then chimed in to talk about Jennifer Aydin, who she says is on a "downward spiral."

"She's like a festering open wound that never heals," Margaret added in a confessional.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY
Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin. Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty (2)

Back at the Giudice house, Teresa and daughter Gia, 21, discussed last week's engagement party drama with Melissa.

"It's just sad that she [Melissa] has to try to make up this lie to make you look bad," Gia said.

When Teresa told Gia that she had ultimately asked Melissa to be in the wedding party, Gia wasn't thrilled, either.

"I wished you never asked her that because not for nothing, you're still upset with the fact that like she said she was there for us," Gia admitted, alluding to Joe and Melissa's behavior when her father, Joe Giudice, was going to jail.

"It is sad, it's disgusting," Louie said, joining the conversation. "I'm so sorry that you're treated this way and I cannot take watching this man [Joe Gorga] be like this and act like, Dude, you don't think I see you? I see you a mile away."

Gia Giudice
Gia Giudice (left) and Teresa Giudice with Luis Ruelas. Manny Carabel/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

Down at their shore home, Melissa and Joe, 43, find out that both Melissa's sister and mother were not invited to Teresa and Louie's wedding.

In a confessional, Joe explained that at his wedding to Melissa, Joe Giudice's family was present because it was "the right thing to do."

"Louie hasn't done a f---ing thing to help the situation," Joe said. "He's made it worse!"

As the episode drew to a close and the men gathered for a guy's night, Joe told the group that he was not happy with Louie. "I just want him to know, 'You're a piece of shit, you're garbage,'" Joe said to the guys — right as Louie arrived.

Joe wasted no time confronting him. "I just found out that Melissa's family, they're not invited to the wedding. Everybody's in, but anybody on my side of life. That's f---ed up."

Louie's explanation? "It's a lot of past bulls---."

"No matter what happened between Melissa and Teresa, Melissa's family, the way they treated my parents, you gotta give them respect," Joe insisted.

Tensions rose between the two men to the point where they yelled at each other across the high-top tables.

"I'm so above you, it's not even funny!" an angry Louie said to Joe.

Melissa Gorga, Joe Gorga -- (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images); Luis Ruelas and Teresa Giudice attend the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and broadcast on June 5, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV)
Melissa and Joe Gorga (left) and Teresa Giudice and Louie Ruelas (right). Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/Getty

Joe then admitted to the guys that he had been hurt by all of the drama and was afraid of getting hurt again. After Louie calmed down, he even suggested Joe meet with Teresa to talk.

"I'm gonna think about it," Joe said.

But later in a confessional, Joe appeared less certain meeting with his sister would be a good idea.

"Where are we gonna go? As soon as we sit down, she's gonna bring up, 'Well you didn't defend Louie,'" Joe said. "That's what Teresa does. She does not move forward. In my heart I know the way she really feels, so I just don't wanna waste my time anymore."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Related Articles