Originally appeared on E! Online
Teresa Guidice is all about family—including her brother Joe Gorga.
After the Real Housewives of New Jersey star reconciled with her sibling and her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga following their longstanding feud, she shared how her 24-year-old daughter Gia Guidice inspired the decision.
“I reached out to him after I was on Special Forces,” Teresa told E! News’ Erin Lim Rhodes in an exclusive interview Nov. 15 at BravoCon 2025 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. “She wanted me to let go of the past with her dad. As a mom, we have to be good role models for our children and I’m always a mom first.”
For the reality star—who also shares daughters Gabriella Guidice, 21, Milania Guidice, 19, and Audriana Guidice, 16, with ex-husband Joe Giudice—her mind began to wander to other strained relationships in her life.
“When I thought about my husband and letting the past go, I thought about my brother,” she explained. “I want my brother back in my life. I came home and then I reached out to him. As soon as I reached out to him, he, of course, responded.”
More from E! Online
As for what their in-person reunion was like?
“It felt like I was with my brother,” Teresa recalled. “We talked about things. He didn’t even really want to talk about anything but I just don’t want the same thing to happen again.”
She knew that as they mended their own bond, Joe—who shares daughter Antonia, 20, and sons Gino, 18, and Joey Jr., 15, with Melissa—would have her back when it came to their families.
“He always tells me I’m the matriarch of the family, so he said, ‘You take the lead and I’ll be right there with you,'” she noted. “I love that ’cause I’m all about family.”
Rich Polk/Bravo
Teresa is happy to include everyone, adding, “I want Melissa in my life, my nephews, my niece.”
As the Giudice-Gorga family continues to repair their bond, she emphasized that there is always light at the end of the rainbow.
“Life’s too short, so if you have a brother or sister, make sure that if you don’t speak to them, that you reach out to them,” Teresa told fans. “Sometimes things happen in life, but you have to let the past go. Talk about it and then let it go.”
As fans await more updates on season 15 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, keep reading for all the stars attending BravoCon 2025.
(E! News and Bravo are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Madison LeCroy, Cole McBee, Kristen Doute, Lindsay Hubbard, Nia Booko & Emily Simpson
Southern Charm, The McBee Dynasty, The Valley, Summer House and The Real Housewives of Orange County
Teresa Giudice
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Brittany Cartwright
Andy Cohen
Tom Sandoval
Ariana Madix & Kate Chastain
Love Island USA and Below Deck
Heather Gay
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Vicki Gunvalson, Emily Simpson & Gina Kirschenheiter
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Arianna Biermann & Kim Zolciak
Next Gen NYC and The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Margaret Josephs, Alexia Nepola, Jennifer Fessler & Lisa Hochstein
The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Miami
Austen Kroll
Denise Richards & Shereé Whitfield
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Atlanta
Jennifer Tilly, Kyle Richards, Sutton Stracke, Erika Jayne, Bozoma Saint John, Dorit Kemsley, Rachel Zoe & Kathy Hilton
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Jeff Coby, Stephanie Shojaee, Larsa Pippen, Vicki Gunvalson, Caroline Stanbury & Sergio Carrallo
The Real Housewives Franchise
Lisa Barlow
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, Andy Cohen, Angela Oakley, Phaedra Parks & Drew Sidora
The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Watch What Happens Live
Angie Katsanevas & Whitney Rose
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Porsha Williams
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Shannon Storms Beador, Sonja Morgan, Porsha Williams, Holly Robinson Peete, Gizelle Bryant, Luann de Lesseps, Ashley Darby, Heather Gay
The Real Housewives Franchise
Mercedes Javid, Reza Farahan & GG Garahdechi
The Valley: Persian Style
Craig Conover
Luke Broderick & Kristen Doute
Stephanie Shojaee & Larsa Pippen
The Real Housewives of Miami
Reza Farahan & Dr. Heavenly Kimes
The Valley: Persian Style and Married to Medicine
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App