The Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga posed cheerfully together at Page Six's Virtual Reali-Tea Awards in New York this week, signaling a renewed bond following a bitter family feud.
Blowing kisses to the cameras at the Edison Ballroom in Times Square, Giudice, 54, showed no signs of the recent turmoil involving her daughter Milania, 20.
An insider told the Daily Mail that Giudice and her brother Joe Gorga, Melissa's husband, quietly mended their relationship months ago.
"Last year, the two families reconciled privately, and since then, they have really enjoyed spending time together again," the source said.
The two women have filmed the 15th season of the Bravo reality show and are "excited for fans to see where they are in their lives today," according to the insider.
Red carpet support
Speaking on the red carpet, co-star Dolores Catania said the rekindled relationship is "for sure" a positive development for Giudice.
"Listen, some people wish they had family, and to have family there and not use them for what they have them there for," Catania told the Daily Mail. "Like family is there to support you. Family is there to be there for you when you need them the most."
Former co-star Margaret Josephs, who remains estranged from Giudice, also wished the family well at the award show.
"I only wish them good things," Josephs said. "I never want anything bad to happen to anyone's children, and truthfully, I never want to see a family suffer, and I only wish them the best."
Airport incident
The public reunion comes as Giudice navigates a crisis involving Milania, one of four daughters she shares with her first husband and former co-star Joe Giudice.
Last month, police were called to Tampa International Airport after Milania had a fraught confrontation with her mother and 25-year-old sister Gia before running away.
According to an incident report cited by Page Six, Milania was suffering a "mental breakdown" and "suicidal thoughts." She also shared social media footage from the airport showing her telling her mother to "shut the f*** up" after Giudice said she loved her.
Law enforcement used security footage and phone location data to find Milania and return her to her family without an arrest or hospitalization.
Milania had recently been released from St Anthony's Hospital in St Petersburg, Florida. She was taken there under the Baker Act, a state law that allows people in a mental crisis to be involuntarily detained for temporary treatment.
In bodycam footage from the airport, Giudice told authorities about an incident before the hospitalization, alleging Milania had fentanyl in her system. Milania claimed she had been "laced" with the substance.
Family struggles
In a statement addressing the airport breakdown, Giudice said Milania was grappling with "grief" and going through "an extremely vulnerable time in her life."
Milania's childhood friend Victoria Zardoya died at the age of 20 in July from injuries sustained in a tragic fall while exploring historic ruins in Florida.
"I understand that because our family has lived much of our lives in the public eye, there will naturally be questions and speculation. But Milania is my daughter before she is anything else," Giudice said. "She is a young woman going through an incredibly difficult and deeply personal time, and she deserves the opportunity to heal without every moment of her pain being analyzed publicly."
Catania defended her friend's handling of the situation, telling the Daily Mail that Giudice is "doing as any mother would, you know, everything that she can do for her daughter."
"I would do anything for them," Catania said. "You know how close we are and I love her family, but we're all there for her and her family."
The airport incident followed an arrest in May, when Milania was charged with simple assault after her 22-year-old sister Gabriella called 911 to the family's New Jersey home.
A police report described the incident as a "domestic violence dispute," with Gabriella telling officers her sister was "acting erratically" and throwing food and candles. Milania was released pending a court appearance, which her counsel requested be delayed until December 1 following the airport incident.
On Instagram, Milania recently wished Gabriella a happy birthday while appearing to hint at her struggles, writing that she had put her sister "through a lot over the years."
"I know I haven't always made being my sister easy, but you've always been there for me, accepted me, and loved me through everything," Milania wrote.
Bridging the divide
Giudice shares Milania, Gia, Gabriella, and 17-year-old Audriana with Joe Giudice. The couple served back-to-back jail sentences for fraud before Joe was deported to his native Italy in 2019. He moved to America as an infant but never acquired US citizenship.
Her reconciliation with the Gorgas ends a long rift that began when her brother and sister-in-law skipped her wedding to her second husband, Luis "Louie" Ruelas.
During the season 13 reunion in 2023, Joe Gorga defended his absence by claiming Ruelas tried to persuade him that Melissa had cheated. The fight became so bitter that host Andy Cohen struggled to mediate with visible exasperation, and the siblings cut ties.
The feud also entangled Gia, who Joe Gorga accused of saying he "could do better" than Melissa. Gia appeared by phone during the reunion to deny the claim, telling her uncle: "It's sad, Zio Joe, that you're trying to call me a liar."
The divide forced producers to film season 14 of the show in 2024 with the cast split into two factions, foregoing a traditional reunion. Following a hiatus, Giudice denied claims that her co-stars were test-filming without her as the show underwent a reported revamp for 2025.
In November 2025, Giudice announced at BravoCon in Las Vegas that she was rebuilding bridges with her brother and sister-in-law.
