Marriage isn't easy, especially when you're on reality TV.
Melissa Gorga is opening up about everything from her relationship struggles to the explosive new season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which kicks off tomorrow night. The Bravo star reveals she and husband Joe Gorga won't be the only couple who weather some hardships when season 11 premieres.
"There's a lot of relationship drama this season, there really is," Melissa told E! News exclusively. "A lot of our relationships were probably a little challenged over the pandemic. You're spending so much more time alone with your husbands and you get to know each other even more than you thought you knew each other, you know?"
The RHONJ season 11 trailer hinted that cheating is a big topic of conversation among the ladies of the Garden State this year.
"There's definitely some infidelity rumors floating around and I'll be honest with you, it's right off the bat with the first episode. Boom, it's like right there," Melissa teased. "So it definitely sets the tone for the season. Listen, it's real, there's accusations going on. Obviously Joe and I are bumping heads a lot this season. It's been rough. It's been a little rough."
Melissa continued, "I would say too with Joe and I it's like we've been on reality TV for 11 years. I would say we're doing a pretty damn good job. I mean we've been holding down the fort. We're doing a good job and the last couple years have been a little tricky for us and we're real about it. Even if we didn't want to be real about it it's just so obvious, there's no denying it. You could read the room and feel the tension and we've been going through it a little bit. But we're fighting through it because we've been together since we're very young. I mean, I've been with Joe since I'm 24 years old and he's all I know. So with my independence I think really stresses him out. So it's just a learning process on how to like get through this stage of life."
Despite some struggles, Melissa says she and Joe are "always working things out."
"I feel like it was always just an easy breezy thing for us. But like I said, being on reality TV for this long, we have hit a couple bumps in the road and we're trying to grow together in stead of apart, because I feel like it's very easy to grow apart, especially with all eyes on us and just my lifestyle changing so drastically over the last couple years," she explained. "Especially within the last year or two, it changed even more. And with my independence and me just doing my own thing and having a lot on my plate, I think it brought out certain insecurities in him. And he really wishes he could go back to the day he met me when I was 24 years old, he misses that girl, but she's gone. I mean I'm there but I'm 40 now and there's changes going on and I think that drives him crazy and he's always battling with that in his head."
As for sister-in-law Teresa Giudice's claims that Melissa was "texting" a restaurant owner this season, she teased, "I can't say too much about it because that would be just giving it away. You're going to have to wait and see what happens with that."
The Real Housewives of New Jersey returns Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Scroll through the photo gallery below for more scoop on the drama to come this season.
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After tragically losing her father and ending her marriage, Teresa makes the decision to list her home to create a new chapter for herself and her daughters. Ready to get back in the dating game, she surprisingly meets someone new and her personal life becomes the talk of the town yet again.
When cheating rumors swirl around her marriage, Jackie questions her relationships with the women. Will she be able to move forward, or will she decide that her fate lies with a new circle of friends?
With her kids growing up quicker than she wants, Melissa is forced to have some uncomfortable conversations. Meanwhile, Melissa's business continues to thrive, and she becomes increasingly independent, but as she and Joe head into their 16th year of marriage, different views about the direction of their life going forward makes them both call into question the future of their relationship.
Jennifer struggles to deal with the lingering awkwardness with Melissa, along with her parents' marital issues due to the pandemic. With her father now living with her, she unleashes trouble in her relationship with her mother. And, as she continues to defend her father, Jennifer begins to wonder whether the fissures between them can ever be healed.
Margaret's home renovations are finally coming about during quarantine, and with a fruitful career under her belt, she decides to write a book revealing the secrets to her life and success in business. But looking back on her past opens old wounds and puts a strain on her relationship with her husband, Joe. Will she have to write a new chapter?
On the edge of turning 50, Dolores is feeling and looking her best after a tummy tuck and the extra time she is spending with her kids. But keeping secrets from David proves to be tricky, and pressure mounts when the other women question if she's settling for less while their commitment plans still loom.