Internet slams Joe Gorga for 'blaming a child' as 'RHONJ' star defends arguing with son's referee before getting kicked out of HS wrestling match
TROY HILLS, NEW JERSEY: Melissa Gorga chastised her husband, Joe Gorga, for an aggressive behavior that got him ejected out of their son Gino's wrestling match. However, 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' husband appeared to be shifting blame to another child, creating outrage on the internet.
"OK, so you lost your cool," the 'RHONJ' star told Joe on the January 11 episode of her "On Display with Melissa Gorga" PodcastOne program. "You overreacted," she explained.
Joe made news after a video surfaced of him standing up from the bleachers on January 6 to intervene as his 16-year-old son was pushed to the floor by an opponent at the Parsippany Hills High School gym. As Joe indicated in "On Display," he believed the referee had made terrible rulings to Gino's detriment.
Before the father of three could reach the referee, school workers and parents stepped in to stop a growing violent conflict.
Joe's rep then told TMZ that he never wanted to damage anyone and that his emotions got the best of him. He also stated that he is "proud" of Gino for handling the situation like a "class act," maintaining composure despite the heated tone of the parental outburst.
All About TRH shared a chunk of the podcast on Instagram, where Joe and Melissa accepted no responsibility for him being expelled from their son's wrestling event. Furthermore, they both accused the opponent of playing dirty.
Joe went on to tell how the child playing opposite his son irritated him with his nasty game. As Melissa attempted to justify Joe's anger against the young opponent, viewers flocked to the comments section to bash the 'RHONJ' husband.
One user commented, "no parent should ever charge a ref during a damn match. Embarrassing to even think its okay." Another user chimed in, "Everyone is sick to the death of the gas lighting.. I’m sorry but no one is buying it anymore!"
One user quipped, "So he’s blaming a child for his bad behavior…..got it !" A fourth person added, "this is sooooooooo insane they need help."
Some also noted, "They are just low class." While others mentioned, "NO AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU TRIED TO BULLY A MINOR AND MADE A FOOL OF YOUR CHILD INFRONT OF HIS TEAM MATES !!!"
One user claimed to have been present at the match as they shared, "Uhhh I legit watched that match and nothing was dirty about it! It’s wrestling haha. The match took two seconds and the opponent won. Can’t believe they are talking about someone’s child. They really shouldn’t say anything. Should have kept it moving."
Others called him out saying, "These people twist everything😭 the video clearly shows the kid didn’t stick his tongue out until AFTER Princess charged at him smh."
'RHONJ's Joe Gorga says 'leave me the hell alone' after arguing with son's wrestling referee
Joe had no clue the encounter had been filmed on video and would be released for public consumption, moaning to his wife that his "whole life" felt like a reality show.
"I can’t even go to a wrestling match anymore. It’s a reality show. Everything’s a reality show," explained the business owner. "It's ridiculous."
Joe also issued a strong warning to anyone planning to exploit future private times.
"Leave me the hell alone," he demanded. "Let me be with my son or something, my God!"
How old is Gino Gorga?
Melissa took a moment to honor her son in September.
On September 12, the 'RHONJ' entertainer shared a series of images with her son Gino on Instagram to celebrate his 16th birthday. The first shot shows the two posing for a selfie in a car while wearing matching white T-shirts.
Other photographs show Gino playing golf, smiling with his mother at an event, and hugging the rest of his family. Melissa and her husband Joe have two sons, Gino and Joey, all 13, and a daughter, Antonia, who is 17.
What does 'RHONJ's Joe Gorga do now?
Joe has several enterprises, including a gardening and garbage company. He also owns and leases many properties.
In 2020, a renter sued him for a slip-and-fall accident. More recently, he was sued for $17,000 by Starlite Window for an overdue sum owed to the firm.
Joe partnered with his sister, Teresa Giudice, to launch an Italian restaurant shortly after their mother died. Unfortunately, less than a year later, the family was forced to close Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza due to a disagreement with their business partners.
Melissa went on to blame "shady management" for the disaster. However, she promised followers that the family would return to the food industry.
According to OK!, Joe has turned to flipping properties in New Jersey. He reportedly got more than $2 million from selling two flipped residences in January 2020.
Just a week later, he announced that he had sold another home for more than $700,000. Throughout the month of January, he shared a number of other photographs of flipped properties, all of which he said were completed in a matter of months.
Previously, Joe held real estate advising workshops called "Grow With Gorga." Regular-priced tickets ranged from $149 to $299, with the most expensive bundle fetching $10,000.
Daryn Carp moderated a conversation between "The Jersey Guys" on Day 3 of BravoCon 2023, during which they finally cleared the air. Reza had explicitly asked Joe about his real estate pursuits.
"Definitely real estate," he stated.
"Like, passive income? I say every month is my birthday. Cause you want to have money coming in no matter what if you're not working. ... Definitely, apartment buildings is what I do for a living."
Although Melissa's husband has a construction background, he has also been pursuing a stand-up comedy career since 2019. Joe made his stand-up debut alongside comedians Tammy Pescatelli and Mike Marino in the winter of 2019, and his next comic move came full circle in October 2023.