Joe Gorga Tells Melissa Her Body is ‘Thick’ with an Extra Five Pounds and Controls What She Eats, Even When She Was Pregnant

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Melissa made the cover of Us Weekly’s ‘Best Bodies 2013′ issue which hit newstands on May 24, 2013. Jessica Alba, Melissa Gorga, Zac Efron, and Kerry Washington are just a few of the stars on Us Weekly’s Hot Bodies list.

From the Us Weekly article:

After three children, Melissa Gorga definitely worries about how her body looks in a bikini — but not in the way one would think. “I know there’s a lot of women who try to minimize their backsides . . . but I actually want a bigger booty!” the married mom of Antonia, 7, Gino, 5, and Joey, 3, told Us Weekly at a bikini photo shoot for our annual Hot Bodies issue, out Fri., May 24. “I do a lot of squats and lunges to bulk and lift it up.”

Sticking to a strict thrice weekly workout schedule, Gorga, 34, often hits up group classes at New York City’s Soul Cycle, or lifts weights with her husband of eight years, Joe Gorga. Admitting that she was about 10 pounds heavier when she first met her husband, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star slimmed down after each of her kids was born.

Teaching healthy habits to her three children from a young age, the fit “I Just Wanna” singer — who donned a sexy red bikini at Us Weekly’s shoot — says she’s become more conscious of showing skin as a mom. “I’m a firm believer in showing a little bit, but keeping a lot a secret,” Gorga tells Us, adding that her stomach is her favorite body part. “If I’m going to show leg, then I’m not going to show much boob. I feel like everything in small drips is great.”

Vowing never to deprive herself of her favorite sweet treats or Sunday Italian dinners, Gorga — who reaches for berries when cravings hit — is willing to log hours at the gym to see results. “I definitely work out now harder than I’ve ever worked out in my life. It came naturally to me before I had children, and now I have to work for it, which I’m used to. I’ve always been a hard worker. I don’t mind working for it.”

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In the video accompanying the Us Weekly article, Melissa says that her husband considers her body to be “thick” with an extra five pounds, like when they got married and were on their honeymoon:

“In the video, Melissa still claims she doesn’t have nannies and runs around ALL day long with her kids (I guess Lysa watching her kids constantly doesn’t count), claims she only drinks on the weekends (which I find amusing considering she is out almost every night promoting herself and is photographed frequently with a glass of wine sitting in front of her), and says Joey considers her body with an extra 5 lbs. on it as being “thick” like when they got married and were on their honeymoon.” – Jeannie5233, May 25, 2013, Fame-Whorgas

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-video/title/melissa-gorga-poses-in-sexy-red-bikini-i-want-a-bigger-booty

According to an insider at Reality Tea on December 21, 2012:

And just a sample of how things are behind closed doors in the Gorga’s temporary mansion?

“I wonder if she will talk in her book about how her husband has always controlled how much she ate, even pregnant because he wouldn’t allow her to ‘get fat’ as he put it. When she was pregnant he would push food away from her and tell her that’s enough,” our source alleges!

“I have also seen my fair share of fights between those two.”

There have been a TON of rumors surrounding Melissa’s marriage, but so far the Gorgas have maintained a happy facade. Who knows what the truth is, but knowing Bravo as we do if there is any truth to these rumors they will find a way to worm their way out.

Our source claims that besides money Melissa’s motivation for the book is a storyline – and also to try and outdo Teresa Giudice! The release date for Melissa’s book apparently coincides with the planned airing of RHONJ season 5 (Fall, 2013).

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A year ago, on May 7, 2012, Exit4 at LynnNChicago made an astute observation about Joe Gorga:

Teresa and Melissa don’t get along and they never will. If they live to 80, they will still be going at each other, tit for tat, over who copied who’s leopard print Depends. They are one upmanship people, who actually do care about the shallow things in life like gifts, when one visited the other in the hospital, cookies, re-done houses and on and on and on…it’s exhausting and they will never change.

I guess the big picture is that they want “respect” from each other, but I don’t think either one of them does much to earn it. But then again, I don’t think this whole dynamic they have going on is really driven by either one of them. I think Joey Gorga is driving that train.

My beef (and a lot of other people’s) with Melissa from the beginning is that, regardless of the excuses she makes and the reasons she gives, she joined the show with the full knowledge that it would put their family problems on TV for the world to see. She knew attacking her sister-in-law was part of the deal and she went with it. Is a show like this hard to turn down? The money and opportunities? Absolutely! But is it worth damaging maybe without repair an already damaged family? I guess for the Gorgas it was, which tells me that the damage was probably irreparable when they came on, so why pass up the show? It’s easy to make Melissa the bad guy in all of this, but the more I see, the more I think Joey is the villain (for lack of a better word).

If it was just Melissa on screen, doing what she does, then yes, I’d say she is to blame, but she’s not. Her husband, Mr. Poison himself, has just as much screen time, just as many talking heads and just as big of a role (if not, some may argue, bigger) in the show as his wife. He is at every appearance, every WWHL . I’m starting to wonder if Melissa can poop on her gold plated toilet without Joey sitting in the bathroom, making sure it all comes out okay and ready to blame Teresa if she’s irregular.

No one knows Teresa better than her brother. He knows what drives her, what buttons to push and pretty much how to hurt her, if he wants to. He is the only one besides Teresa who is really aware of the Gorga family dynamic (we can only speculate). He had to know that being on the show was going to hurt his parents, who as far as the show goes, are innocent in this. It’s one thing for the wives to bicker and it makes perfect sense that a husband sides with his wife, but I have this strange feeling that Joey is ENJOYING the discord. I don’t know if it’s just sibling rivalry run amok, meaning Joey HAD to be on the show too because, God forbid, his sister outshine him in any way……or if two women (even if one is his sister) seemingly fighting about “who loves Joey more” feeds his overinflated ego. But whatever it is, Joey feeds the beast as much as, if not more than, his wife.

Don’t forget, the Giudices and Gorgas grew up together: Joey didn’t meet Juicy when he married Teresa — he was a little brother figure to him as well, since childhood. He knows how to hit Juicy where it hurts too. Is part of it rivalry between them as well?

God knows Melissa wouldn’t be doing this show without Joey’s blessing, so he obviously approves of whatever is put out there, good or bad. Melissa may be self centered and petty, but I am starting to think Joey Gorga is the biggest snake of all. Just my opinion.

As for Caroline and Jac? Ugh. Could they BE anymore intrusive into someone else’s family life? And Jac…Ashlee hit it on the head: she loves to stick her nose in other people’s drama. Oh and Kathy was there too. LOL.

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Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff; Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice; Joe Guidice Goes to Trial May 28, 2013 for Identity Theft Charges

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Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff

When asked by TheWrap what makes a “Real Housewives” spinoff, Andy Cohen said that “getting married lends itself well to another series:”

“Phaedra does a lot of other things outside of the Housewives show. Kandi is a songwriter. Lisa has restaurants. So, these are other things that the women do in their real lives that lend themselves to seeing more of them. I think that the women just living their lives, that’s what they do on the Housewives. The shows that we’ve picked up have been because the women have other things going on. Kim’s show started with her getting married, which is really the natural way to, it lends itself well to another series, you know?”

On May 22, 2013, Bravo announced that ‘Real Housewives of O.C.’s’ Tamra Barney landed a spinoff, which will feature the road to her summer wedding.

According to TheWrap:

The network’s camera crew was shooting the 45-year-old’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party with fiancé Eddie Judge,  40, in Las Vegas for the new series. Heather Dubrow and husband Terry Dubrow were the only O.C. co-stars who attended the event.

The show will follow the couple’s road to their summer wedding, which would be Barney’s third time walking down the aisle. The couple were engaged in February 2012 after dating for two years.

The series is the latest example of Bravo’s penchant for greenlighting series capturing their “Real Housewives” stars’ new relationships and marriages. They’ve previously awarded wedding spinoffs to New York’s Bethenny Frankel and Atlanta’s Kim Zolciak.

Last month, Bravo announced a new spinoff series for ATL’s NeNe Leakes that would capture her road to re-marrying ex-husband Gregg Leakes.

“I Dream Of Nene-The Wedding coming soon on Bravo! Greg & I hope 2 inspire others 2 save their marriage pic.twitter.com/0P6xyyXGOV” – NeNe Leakes, April 18, 2013, Twitter

NeNe and Gregg Leakes divorced back in 2011 after roughly 13 years of marriage (Gregg claimed that fame had gone to his ex-wife’s head). The couple announced in January 2013 that they were tying the knot once again, so they were divorced barely a year before deciding to remarry, which makes you wonder if this was all done for the show and a future wedding spinoff. Sounds like a game plan for the Gorgas!

Melissa was not wearing her wedding ring when the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All) was taped on May 1st. Perhaps she intentionally did not wear it to generate tabloid fodder before the season 5 premiere, with plans to divorce for her season 6 storyline, followed by a wedding spinoff when they tie the knot again.

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Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice

In a season 4 testimonial, Caroline predicted Teresa and Joe would divorce; however, during her appearance on the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All), which premiered on May 19, 2013, Caroline denied saying that.

The following is what Caroline said during season 4 about the Giudices divorcing:

“Prediction: Something may happen where someone has to go somewhere. Teresa’s going to have to pull herself up on her bootstraps and take over. She’ll say, “You know what, I tried. I stood by him, but I have to divorce him now. And I’m gonna show my daughters what it’s like to be strong and independent on your own and survive.” There’s a book in there – you heard it here first!”

Below is the video link for that footage from season 4 (or click on the image for the video):

http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-7/videos/carolines-prison-prediction

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The following is what Caroline claimed she said, as explained to Andy on the May 19, 2013 WWHL special:

“If they were to get a divorce, Teresa would capitalize on it – she would write a book.”

Caroline also said she was right about her prediction because two weeks later Teresa put out a magazine article about it. She told Andy:

“I meant it. I’m sorry I had to say it… but I meant it.”

Caroline went on to tell Andy that there are things in your life that are not for sale and that is what she meant:

“It was me saying, ‘What is sacred in your life?’ because to me there was nothing sacred in Teresa’s life.”

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On June 4, Jacqueline Laurita attended the Samsung Hope for Children Gala at The Museum of Natural History in New York City with Caroline Manzo and their families. On the red carpet, reporters asked what would happen to Teresa Giudice should her husband Joe go to jail, and Jacqueline replied: “Teresa will get her own spin-off, My Life Without Joe, raising her kids, and all will be good. I think that would be an awesome show!” There’s no sign that the former friends will be reconciling any time soon. “Today, she’s not somebody I want in my life. I realized that she was never there for me, she always wanted me to be there for her, I gave her my advice and she didn’t appreciate it,” Jacqueline revealed. Yet Jacqueline also insists that her decision not to be involved with Teresa isn’t because of jealousy. “I’m not jealous in any way, I’ve always been the biggest supporter of her, of anything that she’s done,” she continued. [Wetpaint, June 7, 2012]

Joe Guidice Goes to Trial May 28, 2013 for Identity Theft Charges

Joe Giudice rejected a plea deal on identity theft charges which would have put him in a NJ state prison for four years. Instead, he opted to go to trial beginning May 28, 2013.

Miles Feinstein, Joe’s attorney, told In Touch:

The state offered him NJ State Prison, and we rejected that offer. Instead, we set a trial scheduling hearing for May 28, since we’re rejecting the new plea offer. Joe is being treated differently. He shouldn’t have to do any jail time for this. The best outcome for this will be we win the case and he doesn’t do any time at all.

If convicted, Joe could face up to ten years in prison. Caroline Manzo predicted Teresa will write a book about life without Joe, and rumors are Bravo will give Teresa a spinoff if Joe goes to prison.

Teresa Tweets #HappyFamily #Truth About Melissa Attending Her Birthday Party and Denies Selling Photos to Star Magazine; Melissa Gorga Says She Can Forgive Teresa Giudice and “That’s What’s Happening” (Updated 5/24/2013)

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Teresa Tweets #HappyFamily #Truth About Melissa Attending Her Birthday Party and Denies Selling Photos of the Event to Star Magazine

Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga and Bravo want viewers to believe that the cast is done with all the negativity. For Teresa’s birthday on May 18th, Melissa tweeted Teresa, asking her if they’d be seeing each other that night, and then tweeted a photo of them together celebrating her birthday in NYC.

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On May 21, 2013, a “source close to Melissa” told RadarOnline that Melissa and Joe Gorga and Kim D were invited to Teresa’s birthday party at STK Steakhouse in NYC but Caroline and Jacqueline weren’t [the source also said that Teresa and Melissa can co-exist right now, but when the season starts that's probably not going to happen]:

“Melissa and Joe Gorga were invited because they are family and they’re really trying to work things out with each other. Believe it or not Teresa and Melissa are actually getting along right now. There is no fighting and they’re fine. For now. Jacqueline wasn’t invited and neither was Caroline. Teresa only had Melissa and Kim D there. She didn’t want it to turn into a circus so she kept the guest list really exclusive. There was no drama at the party and both Teresa and Melissa told people that they had a nice time. But they can co-exist right now. When the season starts that’s probably not going to happen.”

To prove their reconciliation wasn’t just a front, Teresa told her more than 650,000 Twitter followers how much she loves the photos with Melissa from her birthday party:

“Love the photos of my bday party in this week’s Star magazine @Star_News #happyfamily #truth. Thank you Michael! http://michaeltoddcreative.com/” – Teresa Giudice, May 22, 2013, Twitter

A viewer tweeted Teresa, asking her how much she got paid for the photos in Star magazine, to which Teresa replied, “That is a question for the photographer.”

“@Teresa_Giudice @Star_News how much did they pay you for it?” – Tiffany Golden ‏, May 22, 2013, Twitter (Retweeted by Teresa Giudice)

“@tiffanygolden That is a question for the photographer.” – Teresa Giudice, May 22, 2013, Twitter

According to Teresa, the photographer (Michael, whom she thanked in the tweet above) sold the photos to Star magazine:

“OMG people telling me blogs are writing stories about me selling photos to the tabloids now. Not true. Sorry, didn’t mean to be confusing…  I said ‘ask the photographer’ b/c I think they get paid by the mags, but I didn’t. Didn’t sell mine or Gia’s bday party photos. If a mag asks you to do a special photo shoot, *sometimes* you get paid. U don’t get paid for spontaneous shots. The photog does. IDK maybe some people get cuts with the photogs but not me. I just love pretty pics! Just liked the happy family pics in Star. #PinkieSwear” – Teresa Giudice, May 23, 2013, Twitter

“Come to think of it, I wish I got paid every time I was in a pic in a mag. I’d be rich. Verrrry rich. Maybe I should look into this and start making $ off pics! I’ll call the paps to my driveway and fake pose in my underwear. Any takers? lol” – Teresa Giudice, May 23, 2013, Twitter

According to a source for Reality Tea:

“Teresa’s photographer, Michael Todd, was a photo editor of In Touch Weekly until he was ousted a few months ago. Now he is moonlighting as a pap trying to make a buck for himself off of Teresa. Notice all of her recent events now are thanking Michael Todd Creative.”

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“The photographer (Michael) that took those pictures of Teresa’ birthday party has a gallery of Teresa and Melissa on his website. He takes pictures and then sells them to the rags. But he also has taken pictures of Bravo events, so he probably was hired by them. No big deal. Melissa did sell the rights to pictures of Antonia’s Communion, over 100 of them. Depending on the size, the pictures can go from $25 to $75. You can buy them at Corbis Images website or the photographer David Kotinsky’s website. There is a big difference between sending some pictures out of an intimate birthday celebration versus hawking the rights to pictures of your kid’s communion. Gorgas will do anything for money.” – JD619, May 24, 2013, AllAboutTRH

Teresa Explained How Tabloids Work in Her June 2012 Bravo Blog “Cover Girl”

In her June 12, 2012 blog, Cover Girl, Teresa explained how the tabloids work:

“Here’s the deal though: you’re only ever paid for photographs. The magazine has to pay for photos no matter what: either they do a photo shoot with you, or they pay for shots from a professional photographer who just happened to catch you walking down the street, or god forbid, the paparazzi.

Here’s how I feel about that: if the magazine is going to run a story about you anyway and you have no control about what the story will be, what will be on the cover, even how they might twist your own quotes or use ugly pictures of you, why not get paid for a professional photo shoot? I love, love, love photographs… especially of me and my girls. You’ve seen my Christmas cards; I go over the top with photographs. Now suddenly magazines are offering to give me gorgeous photos (that I get to keep) and they’ll pay me. If I say no, they’re going to do the story anyway, but the photos will probably not be pretty, like the recent cover of US Weekly with my arms crossed when I look all mad. Who wants that?

It’s weird how it works: you don’t always get paid even for photo shoots. People magazine doesn’t pay for instance (unless you’re Brad Pitt I’m guessing). But when I was asked to pose for a photo shoot with my girls in their playroom, for back-to-school clothes with Alex McCord and her boys, and with my girls for Halloween in People magazine, I did them all for free because I love taking pictures! You don’t have any say about the photos of course, and they can still pick a bad one, but I still think taking pictures is fun, especially when I get to keep them for free.

At some point the photos of me and my kids must have been selling well because I started to get asked more often, and started to appear on covers I was never asked about at all. And of course, the stories about me got crazier. To date, I’ve been on the cover of over 25 magazines. That’s just crazy to me; I know actors and models would kill for that much exposure. But I didn’t ask for it. They put me on the cover because apparently magazines sell really well when I’m on them. I’m not sure if that’s flattering or not since the stories aren’t typically very flattering.

“The truth is Jacqueline and Caroline aren’t on the covers of magazines every week presumably because it wouldn’t make the magazine sell. They aren’t missing from the magazines because they take some high road and say no. They aren’t wanted. I’m not saying being wanted is better or somehow desirable because in most cases it isn’t, but to say that I have any control over it is false. And they know it.

“So on this episode they were all acting so shocked at the story they said I put out. First of all, they know I didn’t put it out. Yes, for that one I posed for the photos rather than have random street shots of me used. And I wanted some photos of me and Gabriella since she’s so quiet and not on the show a lot. During the shoot they asked me some questions, and I answered them. Some of them, not even all of them. And I didn’t say anything bad about anyone.

“So now you know how it works. I never did. I do get paid for photo shoots sometimes, sometimes I do them and don’t get paid, but I like pictures. And here’s another thing: if they pay you for the shoot, they shoot a million pictures in tons of different clothes so they can spread them out and use them in several different magazines without having to pay you again. I think I’ve only ever done 4 or 5 photo shoots that they’ve used in the over 20 covers (I can’t even count how many times I’ve appeared in the magazines. I don’t even read them anymore…) And I do say no A LOT. I’m busy, it’s not a lot of money, and I don’t need it.

Melissa Gorga Says She Can Forgive Teresa Giudice and “That’s What’s Happening”

On the WWHL special that aired on May 19, 2013, Melissa told Andy Cohen she wanted to forgive, forget, and mend the family:

“I can control what I forgive and what I forget and how we can mend this family. And I think that’s what’s happening.”

“I think that fans of this show are going to be baffled when they see what goes down in a matter of two days (referring to the therapy sessions the entire cast attended). It’s actually pretty amazing.”

Right after this statement during the WWHL special, there is a clip of Teresa telling her brother, “I do regret things that I’ve done,” which is followed by a clip of the therapy sessions where Teresa tells Melissa, as they balance together on a high wire, “After this we’re never fighting again!”

In a clip of Teresa from one of her testimonials in season 5, she says:

“We have to meet each other half way if we’re ever gonna make this work.”

Melissa on the WWHL special tells Andy:

“At the end of the day, she’s my family and no matter what happens, I will always back her up, no matter what anybody thinks.”

However, during an earlier clip in the special, Melissa said to Andy, without naming Teresa:

“Don’t try to bring people down… ‘Hey, you can’t sing’ (Bravo shows clip of Teresa from reunion 4 saying she’s only seen Melissa lip sync).”

“Let me ruin your marriage, let me ruin what you’re trying to do, let me ruin any business opportunity or any opportunity for you to move up because I don’t want that to happen for you. I don’t like that.”

The WWHL special ended with Andy asking each of the housewives to tell him the first thing that comes to their minds when he says another housewife’s name. For Teresa, Jacqueline says “competitive”, Kathy says “spicy”, and Melissa says “defensive”. Teresa didn’t give an answer when Andy asked her about the others.

Melissa has been tweeting positively about her husband’s side of the family for the past week or two (see tweets below), but calling someone “defensive” does not sound like someone who is really ready to move on.

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Melissa Gorga is Annoyed That Teresa Giudice Thinks She Wrote ‘On Display’ About Her

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Andy Cohen sat down with the RHONJ for one-on-one interviews (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All), which will air at 8 PM EST on Sunday, May 19, 2013 (click here to watch the trailer).

Andy’s first interviewed Teresa, and he asked her if Melissa wrote the song ‘On Display’ about her. Teresa replied, “So many people told me that.”

Teresa said that her fans say the song is about her, especially the lyrics about being followed by paparazzi:

“She just had written that song. There were no paparazzi following her. [My fans said], ‘Teresa, everywhere you go there’s paparazzi following you.’ They’re like, ‘She wrote that song wanting to be you’.”

He then interviewed Melissa and told her what Teresa said, stirring up drama before the season 5 premiere. When Andy told Melissa what Teresa said about ‘On Display’, she responded that “it’s 100% not about her” and “no one gets credit for ‘On Display — it’s my song”:

“No. It’s definitely 100 percent not [about her]. It’s like can anything be mine? … No one gets credit for ‘On Display’. It’s my song.”

Melissa is taking credit for writing the song, but the song was written by New Jersey native Antony Bitar, a graduate of the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University who released his self-titled debut album in September 2011 (season 3 taping began in September 2010 and ended in March 2011; season 3 premiered on May 16, 2011 and part 1 of reunion 3 premiered on October 16, 2011).

In season 3, when the song premiered, Bitar appeared on RHONJ in a cameo (he was 23 at the time). In November and December of 2011, The Jersey Journal and other sources reported that Bitar “wrote ‘On Display’,” which was “performed by Melissa Gorga,” but also reported that Bitar “helped co-write” and “collaborated with Gorga.”

“If you’ve heard The Real Housewives of New Jersey star and former Bayonne resident Melissa Gorga’s single, ‘On Display’, you’ve already got a taste of Little Falls singer Antony Bitar’s musical talent. Bitar, 23, who graduated from the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University, collaborated with Gorga on the upbeat dance tune and was seen on episodes of ‘Real Housewives.’ Now, he’s promoting his self-titled debut album and first single ‘Butterflies’.” – The Jersey Journal, November 23, 2011

Bitar recently wrote the breakout single, ‘On Display,’ for Melissa Gorga, the newest housewife of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which appeared in the current season on Bravo.” – The Jersey Journal, November 23, 2011

“I’ve got to give some love to a family friend – Antony Bitar, a singer/songwriter making the scene right now. An Orthodox Christian pop artist, he’s got a great voice and amazing piano skills, with laid back and positive lyrics. His self-titled album released this past September. Bitar also wrote the new single,’On Display,’ performed by Melissa Gorga, the newest housewife of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which appeared in the current season on Bravo TV.” – Antony Bitar – Pop Artist, December 15, 2011

“Aside from writing his own music Antony helped another star break into the music scene. Melissa Gorga, a new comer to the music industry, reached out to Antony to help co-write her I-Tunes hit ‘On Display’. ‘It was a lot of fun working with Melissa and her first single was a huge success’.” – Creative Spotlights, December 20, 2011

“Antony Bitar is the Jersey native singer-songwriter who is best known for his cameos on Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of NJ, where he is seen performing at local events and collaborating with famed reality housewife Melissa Gorga to help write her hit dance single ‘On Display.’ Bitar released his self-titled debut album in September.” – Daily Buzz, December 21, 2011

All Melissa had to do was change a lyric or two to take co-writer credit for the song. In June 2011, Melissa wrote in her Bravo blog that she co-wrote the song with Bitar:

The amazing singer I wrote my song with is Antony Bitar! He makes the most beautiful songs. You have to go to iTunes and download his most recent, it’s called ‘Butterflies.’ It’s an incredible song! I can’t wait for you to hear the rest of ‘On Display.’ I’m proud of it!” – Melissa’s Bravo Blog, June 14, 2011

During season 3, there may have been a scene where Kathy talked about Bitar, describing him as a young guy attending her church who was trying to get exposure in the music business, so she introduced him to Melissa thinking they could help each other (she gets songs from him and he gets a cameo on RHONJ):

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On July 10, 2011, Melissa’s PR agent, Robyn Polay of IlluminationPR, put out a press release stating that Melissa co-wrote ‘On Display’:

Pop Artist Antony Bitar to Appear in Real Housewives of New Jersey and Co-Writes Breakout Single for Melissa Gorga Bitar to also release self-titled debut album on Sept. 13

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul. 10, 2011 – Pop singer-songwriter Antony Bitar has teamed up with Melissa Gorga, the newest cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, along with pop and R&B songwriter Corte Ellis, to co-write her debut single “On Display.” Bitar will appear on Monday, June 13th’s episode of RHONJ, which filmed their collaboration and creation of Gorga’s single. “Melissa’s talent and passion for music was so inspiring,” Bitar said. “She reached out to me with such great ideas, and after just a few minutes of sitting down at the piano together, we created a hit.” Bitar’s appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey will air on Monday, June 13 at 10pm EST on Bravo.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.antonybitar.com

For media inquiries regarding Antony Bitar, please contact:
Christina Babu, christina@mvrecordings.com, 901.289.7633

For media inquiries regarding Melissa Gorga, please contact
Robyn Polay, MGorgaPR@gmail.com, 914-843-1434

# # #

IlluminationPR is a lifestyle PR firm offering complete image management and brand representation for designers, celebrities, artists and more.

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Melissa is asked by the strip mall clothing store owner, “Do you write your own music?” Duh! Of course she does. “A wench like me?” Lyrics like that don’t just fall off trees and into walk-in closets. Melissa explains that she knows a songwriter and she just keeps texting and texting and texting him song lyrics when she thinks of them. I’m pretty sure that’s how Lennon and McCartney did it. Fats Waller wrote most of his big hits by texting people as well. Melissa then says to her sisters, “You’re too old to be my back-up dancers.” Truer words have yet to be spoken this season. Smash cut back to Melissa’s house and her songwriter arrives. He is a handsome young guy named Antony and he is only 22 years old. I guess writing songs that no one will ever hear is a young man’s game. As Antony walks Melissa through a song he has written for her by cobbling together a few hundred of her texts, Melissa asks, “Do you really think I can hit that note?” Melissa, you couldn’t hit that note with a Range Rover. She tries to hit it and exclaims, “I feel like I’m gonna die!” So do we! Open a tanning salon or something. Why does every one in show business automatically assume they can have a music career? – Jay Mohr’s Bravo Blog, June 12, 2011

When ‘On Display’ was written, the only paparazzi following around Melissa were in her head. Melissa performed the song ‘On Display’ before her first season (season 3) on RHONJ aired, when only those within her tiny circle knew her name.

On February 26, 2012, regarding the Oscars, Melissa tweeted:

“Do you hear the screams when the stars walk onto the carpet!! It must feel amazing for them, God Bless them!”

According to PriscillaFromWasilla on October 17, 2011, Melissa’s song ‘On Display’ is an anthem to narcissism:

Joe Giudice and Joe Gorga Were Friends Before Melissa Gorga Came Along; Melissa Says She Has Revived RHONJ and Amped Up Ratings

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Teresa and Joe Gorga have known the Giudice family all their lives — they grew up together. On May 9, 2013, Teresa posted photos from almost 20 years ago, when she, her husband and her brother happily socialized together, which was long before Melissa came into the picture in 2003.

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Although the cast is claiming they have reconciled, tabloids are reporting otherwise [click here to see the media's spin on things].

Joe Gorga let his wife’s jealousy feed his rage against his sister for being more successful than him; therefore, it is highly unlikely there will be lasting peace for Teresa and her brother if they remain on the RHONJ together, especially since Bravo’s producers “encourage, promote and demand that the cast of RHONJ engage in verbal and physical conflict with one another and members of the public, creating a culture, climate and/or atmosphere of confrontation, hostility and violence in order to attract viewers” [from the Punta Cana lawsuit].

Melissa, responding to NeNe Leakes statement on WWHL that Melissa needs to respect the veterans, believes her addition to the cast has “revived” the show, and she asserts that “the vets need to thank the new girls for coming in” because “they amp up the ratings”:

“The vets need to thank the new girls for coming in. They amp up the ratings! The show [RHONJ] needed to be revived. It got revived. Maybe NeNe feels threatened.”

Real Housewives of New Jersey – Ratings for seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4:

  • Average Season 1 – 2,550,000 viewers (1.50% 18-49 demographic)
  • Average Season 2 – 2,703,556 viewers (1.43% 18-49 demographic)
  • Average Season 3 – 2,662,905 viewers (1.30% 18-49 demographic)
  • Average Season 4 – 2,499,750 viewers (1.28% 18-49 demographic)

Source: BravoRatings.com

Melissa – please take note, you have NOT revved up the ratings. In fact, the numbers have consistently gone down. As NeNe said, “No, girl, take a seat now!”:

“I feel for Teresa because there’s something about being the first one in. When you’re the first one in on one of these shows and somebody comes behind you, it’s sort of like, ‘Hold on, you need to respect the veteran. I was here first. You need to play on my territory.’ So I kind of sided with Teresa in that area. Melissa, you came on her show. So you watched her on television and you wanted to be on the show like she was. No, girl, take a seat now! You’re not a veteran.”

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Melissa Gorga Sells Photos and Videos of Antonia’s First Communion Party (Updated 5/15/2013)

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On May 14, 2013, Teresa Giudice wrote on her website:

“Of course we wish we were able to go to Antonia’s just like my brother and Melissa wished they could come to Gabriella’s, but we belong to different parishes and couldn’t control the dates. What can you do? My poor parents of course hussled to make it to both. I’m so glad they could. Grandparents are so important!”

“You know I love to go all out for parties, especially once-in-a-lifetime events like Audriana’s christening, but Gabriella was the focus of our day and she’s not about over-the-top stuff. She wanted something really simple with just close family and friends. After the church ceremony, we went to a restaurant that was decorated with blue, green and white. I had face painters and balloon artists and tons of kids activities and Gabriella was able to be herself and run around. I even let her get her face painted while she was in her beautiful dress! But that’s how she is and I want her to be true to herself. After the party when we were walking in the parking lot, she said to me, ‘Mama, thank you for my party. It was the best day ever’!”

Two days before the communion ceremony, Melissa told US Weekly:

“Gabriella is making hers [communion] at the same time, same church!” she said. “We’re both having parties at the same time, so unfortunately, we’re not going to each other’s parties. Nobody wants to re-dress their kid another day, and go through the party a week later. Nobody really wants to do that. It just happened to land this way.”

Melissa explained that her in-laws (Teresa’s parents) had plans to make it to both girls’ parties so neither Antonia or Gabriella would miss out:

“Joe’s parents are coming to both, yes,” she told Us. “They’re going to come to both of our parties. It’s not because we’re not getting along. It’s not that!”

Melissa hinted to Us Weekly that things between she and Teresa have been steadily improving:

“I’m gonna make sure I go over, and see Gabriella and give her a hug and a kiss before [the church service],” she said. “Hopefully we can get the girls to get a couple pictures together.”

UPDATE 5/15/2013: Teresa has since removed the line, “but we belong to different parishes and couldn’t control the dates,” from her blog, and it now reads like this (Star Magazine also quoted Teresa’s blog before the change):

“Of course we wish we were able to go to Antonia’s just like my brother and Melissa wished they could come to Gabriella’s, but what can you do? My poor parents of course hussled to make it to both. I’m so glad they could. Grandparents are so important!”

UPDATE 5/15/2013 at 11:40 AM: Teresa just added another update to her blog:

“OMG one little typo…I’m running around with my book tour and I wanted to get Gabriella’s First Communion pics up and I left out the word ‘don’t’ in my blog post. I meant to type we ‘DON’T’ belong to different parishes and couldn’t control the dates…Sorry! If we went to different churches, there was a chance the First Communions would have been on different dates, but we go to the same church, so it was the same day. Both girls looked like angels in their beautiful dresses and my parents were SO happy to be at both parties.”

Both 7-year-old Antonia Gorga (born August 12) and 8-year-old Gabriella Giudice (born October 4) received their first communion on May 11, 2013 [Antonia is almost six months older than Milania (born February 2), who has not yet received her first communion].

The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person’s first reception of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. First Communion is traditionally an important religious ceremony for Catholic families. Also, among those raised Catholic, Holy Communion is the third sacrament received from the seven sacraments. This is traditionally practised by many Roman Catholic families, including Spanish, Italians, Latin Americans, Irish, Hungarian and Polish. Traditions surrounding First Communion usually include large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the event and special clothing is usually worn. The clothing is often white to symbolize purity. Girls often wear fancy dresses and a veil attached to a wreath of flowers or hair ornament. In other communities, girls commonly wear dresses passed down to them from sisters or mothers, or even simply their school uniforms plus the veil and/or wreath. First Communion in Roman Catholic churches typically takes place at age seven or eight, depending on the country. [Source]

The Gorgas held a communion party at The Brownstone for Antonia on the same day she received her first communion (Saturday, May 11th), which was attended by the Senior Gorgas and the entire cast of RHONJ except the Giudices.

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When asked on Twitter why she didn’t attend Antonia’s party, Teresa replied because it was the same day Gabriella received her first communion (and she noted that all Catholic churches in the area choose to perform the ceremony on May 11th):

Teresa Giudice ‏@Teresa_Giudice
Big family day tomorrow — it’s Gabriella’s First Communion! She looks like an angel in her dress. I’ll send pics. xx
7:17 PM – 10 May 13

sadiegirl ‏@sadiegirl376
@Teresa_Giudice were you at the communion party for your niece Antonia?
1:09 PM – 12 May 13

Teresa Giudice ‏@Teresa_Giudice
@sadiegirl376 no because it was my daughter Gabriella’s communion.Xx
1:52 PM – 12 May 13

Lisa Catalano ‏@kaylee1773
@Teresa_Giudice @sadiegirl376 Churches decide the day not the parents!
Retweeted by Teresa Giudice

Teresa Giudice ‏@Teresa_Giudice
@kaylee1773 Thank u.Xx

April Dawn Bridges ‏@abs4kids
@JenShepard1987 @Teresa_Giudice @kaylee1773 @sadiegirl376 First communion was being done at all churches today

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On Twitter, Kathy Wakile acknowledged both Gabriella’s and Antonia’s first communion:

Kathy Wakile ‏@KathyWakile 11 May
Sending big Congratulations @joegorga @melissagorga & family Antonia received First Holy Communion today! See you soon xo
3:03 PM – 11 May 13

Kathy Wakile ‏@KathyWakile 11 May
Congratulations @Teresa_Giudice & your family! What a special day! God Bless you Gabriella – 1st Holy Communion
3:01 PM – 11 May 13

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“My point is, this is a religious occasion, a family occasion; and while I understand a perhaps over-the-top party is a tradition, the Marcos seized the opportunity to sell their daughter’s communion celebration for services rendered. It seems like a commercial enterprise rather than a blessed event.” – Aint Pittypat, May 13, 2013, Fame-Whorgas

RHONJ finished production for season 5 and has not started production for season 6, so the ceremonies and parties were not taped by Bravo.

Melissa gave Twitter shout-outs to the maker of Antonia’s dress and to the party organizers so that the dress and event would be comped:

“Melissa has been tweeting about Antonia’s dress and who is making it since the end of December. She tweeted and named the photographer who would be taking Antonia’s picture. Melissa tweeted the day of the Communion and tweeted yesterday several times giving a shoutout to the people who DJ’d and ran the event. Lysa Simpson tweeted as well, giving the name of the vendors. The Gorgas have released pictures to Starcasm.net and RadarOnLine did a glowing article, along with photographs, all about Antonia’s day – Tom Murro must have attended. Teresa, on the other hand, has been very quiet about Gabriella’s day with minimal mention. She hasn’t even published any pictures yet, but she probably will shortly. The difference – once again, like with Superstorm Sandy, Teresa went about living her ‘real’ life quietly celebrating a most special and sacred occasion with her family and not exploiting her daughter – just like Wendy Williams said – contrasting with Melissa using Antonia’s special day as an opportunity for publicity and a huge photo op. For Teresa, it’s all about family; for Melissa, it’s all about Melissa. I think, if I’m not mistaken, filming for the show has ended, but I do believe this was, once again, Melissa getting her name and family out there and keeping it there. It is so obvious that the amenities and services for this event were given either gratis or with a price reduction (the Brownstone included – that promo tidbit trying to lead us to believe Caroline is rethinking who Melissa really is – all BS in my opinion). Melissa is the ultimate famewhore.” – Jeannie5233, May 13, 2013 at 8:00 AM, Fame-Whorgas

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Melissa tweeted about the businesses who provided products/services for Antonia’s first holy communion but two days later denied that anything was comped:

“Wow sugarfactory my kids are so excited! Thank you!! http://instagram.com/p/ZOctV6pCzB/” – Melissa Gorga, May 12, 2013, Twitter

“For an incredible occasion you have to have @sceeventgroup I can’t even tell you how incredible they made our night! #bestdj” – Melissa Gorga, May 12, 2013, Twitter

“You’re the best! RT @PaulKnoxxx: @melissagorga @SCEEVENTGROUP thank you guys sooo much! We had a blast as well! You guys ROCK!” – Melissa Gorga, May 12, 2013, Twitter

“Thank you @jasonjani best DJ’s and entertainment co. out there! Made our night a blast!! http://instagram.com/p/ZOJmaQpC3z/” – Melissa Gorga, May 12, 2013, Twitter

@melissagorga Antonia looks absolutely gorgeous! We loved creating and designing your custom Elena do Vale dress!! Have the best day ever ! – Little Nikkis (‏@Little_Nikkis), Retweeted by Melissa Gorga, May 11, 2013

“I’m at @BottegaSB with Antonia shes getting her hair all glammed up for her communion day!” – Melissa Gorga, May 11, 2013, Twitter

“Antonia loved her special day & I’m so glad that Joe and I were able to make it special. Please leave it at that.” – Melissa Gorga, May 14, 2013, Twitter

“We wished we could have been at each others. It’s just the way it worked out. & No my party wasn’t filmed by bravo or had anything given.” – Melissa Gorga, May 14, 2013, Twitter

The Gorgas released photos and videos from Antonia’s party to RadarOnline, Starcasm and other sources — for financial compensation, no doubt. Some of those photos are included in this blog post. For videos and more photos, check out the following links [there are two videos at Starcasm: one of Antonia dancing with Joe and the other of Little Joey dancing on a platform — they probably released this video to spite the viewers offended by the other video of little Joey dancing]:

More photos from the communion party at the following links are available for purchase:

Video of Antonia dancing at her communion party at the following link:

More photos from Gabriella’s communion and family gathering at the following link:

Related:

Also Available for Purchase: Photos from Milania’s Fake Birthday Party for the Cameras on March 10, Which the Gorgas Attended (Her Real Party was on Her Birthday on February 2, Which the Gorgas Did Not Attend)

Bravo Tells Striking ‘Real Housewives of New York’ Cast to Stand Down or You’re Fired (Updated 5/13/2013)

UPDATE May 13, 2013: The battle in the Big Apple is over! The women were bitterly fighting all the way to the end, and they still didn’t really get what they wanted. “These ladies were really trying to get more money out of Bravo but they were desperate to stay on the show,” a source close to the situation explained. “No one wanted to leave and they felt like they were strong-armed by Bravo. The Housewives really thought if they all stuck together they would get a huge bump in their salaries, but it didn’t work and instead they were told to either take the small increase or leave the show, and leaving wasn’t an option.” Aviva was one of the lucky women, getting a bump from $60,000 to $100,000, but the source said all of the women had all hoped for larger increases. “It costs a lot of money to keep up the lifestyle that the show wants these women to portray and they tried to get Bravo to up their salaries, but when they tried to play tough the network had more leverage in the end.” Now that the Housewives have new contracts, they’re going to have to really step up their game the source said. “The women have to do more than just throw wine at each other, there has to be some excitement in the season or else the network might just get rid of them once and for all.” [RadarOnline, May 13, 2013]

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Erica ‏@EricaCooper
@CaroleRadziwill @GraceIn2013 I could see your point if U were on Jersey. THAT is a war zone! LOL! I hope it works out.

Carole Radziwill ‏@CaroleRadziwill
@EricaCooper @GraceIn2013 Haha! Thats true. This is harder than war.

Carole Radziwill ‏@CaroleRadziwill
@plainviewsue @bravo Comcast…the parent company announced record earnings 1.4billion in first quarter. Wow. #wagegap

Live, Laugh, Love ‏@GraceIn2013
@CaroleRadziwill Wow. I used to work in production so I know that must be low. Doesn’t make sense since they doubled R & L’s salary last yr.

Carole Radziwill ‏@CaroleRadziwill
@GraceIn2013 I was paid more at ABC as an associate producer and that was in the 90s!

Erica ‏@EricaCooper
@CaroleRadziwill @GraceIn2013 Everyone got paid more in the 90s! (Plus didn’t you go to war zones?)

Seth Bowling ‏@sethtbowling
@CaroleRadziwill you shouldn’t turn down a PAYING job that only increases your exposure to make MORE money #RichPeopleProblems

Carole Radziwill ‏@CaroleRadziwill
@sethtbowling your’e an idiot. getting my picture taken doesn’t pay my bills. people should get paid a fair wage for a job done well. duh.

Seth Bowling ‏@sethtbowling
@CaroleRadziwill it’s a recession and its an EASY job. Thanks for saying I’m an idiot, but if I had opportunities to SHINE on TV I WOULD!

MIKE ‏@holler82
@CaroleRadziwill we want u back Carole! Real & not down w/ the fake BS!

TheWrap reported on May 11, 2013, that Bravo told striking ‘Real Housewives of New York’ cast to stand down or you’re fired. The following is their story:

Negotiations between Bravo and the cast of “The Real Housewives of New York” for Season 6 are at a standstill. The women have delayed production by banding together in “Friends-Style” negotiations for higher paychecks.

But, Bravo isn’t about to be manipulated by the striking cast members.

And contrary to other reports, it never considered canceling the series over the salary standoff, individuals close to the production told TheWrap. The network is determined to call the women’s bluff and not give in to their demands.

“They’re getting greedy and feeling entitled,” one insider said about firing the entire cast if they don’t stand down. “They are all replaceable.”

The four women (Ramona Singer, Heather Thomson, Carole Radziwill and Aviva Drescher) who received offer letters had already been given raises over last season’s salaries, which have been reported to range from $175,000 to $500,000 a season.

Additionally, the women are able to augment their salaries by marketing their other business ventures and products on the show. So, the network has no intention of giving them any more money.

Clearly, the women banding together is the worst case scenario, especially since it has delayed the start of production this week. But, Bravo won’t allow the alliance to win and risk having the casts of its other series doing the same type of group negotiation.

Bravo has at least three possible replacements waiting in the wings in case negotiations didn’t go well with any of last season’s cast members. And the network has no doubt that it could find more New York City ladies to fill the other roles.

It should also be noted that the aforementioned four housewives were the only cast members officially invited back. That means that Sonja Morgan and LuAnn DeLesseps have very little bargaining leverage.

Providing further perspective on the negotiations, a former New York cast member told TheWrap:

“No woman really leaves ‘Real Housewives’ by choice.”

The cast members have too much to lose when they’re no longer able to leverage their exposure for promoting their products, getting media attention for their charities, etc.

Moving on with a totally different cast does have its risks. After replacing four women on Season 5, the season became the series second-lowest rated of its run. So, of course, there’s some worry inside the company over whether ratings will suffer if it replaces the entire cast.

The insiders told us that the network is willing to take the risk of totally recasting “RHONY” to make sure that it sends a strong message to the casts of its other shows.

 Related: