Gia Giudice, the rising star of Bravo’s Next Gen NYC and daughter of Real Housewives of New Jersey icon Teresa Giudice, is ready to close the book on her family’s long-running feud with her aunt Melissa Gorga and uncle Joe Gorga. In a candid conversation on My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast, Gia addressed the drama head-on, revealing her regret over a shady moment on Watch What Happens Live (WWHL) and sharing an off-camera exchange with host Andy Cohen that has fans buzzing. Plus, she opened up about her grueling yet transformative experience filming Special Forces, which she says outshines her time on Next Gen.
During a recent appearance on WWHL, Gia was put on the spot with a tricky question: rank RHONJ stars Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Dina Manzo, and Jennifer Aydin from most to least iconic. Her response—Dolores as #1, Jennifer #2, Dina #3, and Melissa dead last—sparked backlash for shading her aunt, especially given the well-documented tension between Teresa and the Gorgas. Critics pounced, but for RHONJ fans, Gia’s ranking seemed predictable, rooted in the family’s ongoing rift.
Reflecting on the moment, Gia admitted she was caught off guard. “You know what? I should have just drank,” she confessed on the podcast, referring to the option to skip the question by taking a shot. “I was so frazzled because I was like, okay, what do I do?” She went on to explain that Dina Manzo, an RHONJ OG, deserved a higher spot for her unforgettable lines, like, “She wanted to skin me and wear me like last year’s Versace.” Gia revealed she even discussed her ranking with Andy Cohen during a commercial break, saying, “I was like, ‘I should have put Dina first, right?’” According to Gia, Andy agreed, adding fuel to the fire of her WWHL moment.
When asked if she’s tired of fielding questions about her aunt and uncle, Gia didn’t mince words. “Yeah,” she said bluntly. “I think we all know the chapter’s closed. You know, I don’t even think the fans really want to hear it at this point.” Her response signals a desire to move on from the years-long feud that has played out both on RHONJ and in the headlines, leaving fans wondering if reconciliation is truly off the table.
While Gia enjoys her role on Next Gen NYC, it’s her experience on Special Forces that has her beaming with pride. “No insult to Next Gen—like, I obviously love Next Gen and love that I’m a part of it—but I’m really, really proud of Special Forces,” she shared. The intense reality show, which puts celebrities through military-style training, gave Gia a newfound respect for the sacrifices of military personnel. “I have so much more appreciation now for our military forces and [the] sacrifice and training that they [go through],” she said. “I saw it firsthand. I did some of the challenges [and] tasks firsthand.”
But the experience wasn’t without its challenges. Gia described the directing staff as relentless, screaming in her face as she pushed through grueling tasks. “As I’m crying, they’re like, ‘Get up the hill!’ And I’m like, oh my god … I’m gonna die,” she recalled with a laugh. Despite crying “almost every day,” Gia found the staff to be her biggest motivators, pushing her to her limits and beyond. “I am way more excited for Special Forces to air than Next Gen,” she admitted, teasing that the show will reveal a raw, resilient side of her that fans haven’t seen before.
As Gia navigates her growing fame, she’s making it clear she’s ready to leave family drama behind and focus on her own path. Her WWHL slip-up may have stirred the pot, but her candid reflection and Andy Cohen’s off-camera agreement show she’s not afraid to own her mistakes. Meanwhile, her Special Forces experience has left her stronger and more determined than ever, proving she’s more than just a reality TV heiress.