Joe Gorga says Melissa Gorga has ‘changed’ after she gives him the cold shoulder on RHONJ

Joe Gorga admitted he felt like he was living with a stranger on Wednesday night’s episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey.

The 41-year-old reality fixture complained that his wife Melissa Gorga, 42, had ‘changed’ after she didn’t wait for him and walked ahead as they left a restaurant by the Jersey Shore.

But Melissa contended that her husband’s feelings were hurt because she’d found success after starting her own business.

Left out: Joe Gorga, 41, argued with his wife Melissa Gorga, 42, after she didn’t wait to walk with him when they left a Jersey Shore restaurant on Wednesday’s RHONJ episode

The trouble began after the group finished dinner at the restaurant and started to walk out.

Joe was clearly upset as they left because Melissa walked ahead and didn’t wait to walk by his side. 

‘What are you mad about?’ she asked. ‘Did I do something wrong?’

Her husband unloaded and claimed that she acted like they weren’t even together.

‘I would just like my wife to wait for me and you just walk away like you don’t even have a husband,’ Joe said after they got into the shuttle together.

Lagging behind: Joe was clearly upset as they left because Melissa walked ahead and didn't wait to walk by his side

Lagging behind: Joe was clearly upset as they left because Melissa walked ahead and didn’t wait to walk by his side

Complaining: 'I would just like my wife to wait for me and you just walk away like you don't even have a husband,' Joe said after they got into the shuttle together

Complaining: ‘I would just like my wife to wait for me and you just walk away like you don’t even have a husband,’ Joe said after they got into the shuttle together

They were forced to have their argument in front of others in a confined space, as they were riding with Margaret Josephs and her husband Joe, as well as Jackie Goldschneider and her husband Evan. 

‘From now on, you just go by yourself while I just walk in the back,’ Joe huffed. 

‘We used to be so attached and I’m still like that,’ he felt the need to tell everyone in the vehicle. ‘She’s just changed. You turned into this different businesswoman.’

After Joe let slip with the ‘businesswoman’ line, Melissa developed a theory about the real issue that was eating at him: jealousy over her boutique Envy, which she founded back in 2016.

‘If I have a little success in my personal life, it’s not against you,’ she replied. ‘Let your wife have a little something that’s my own. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you.’

Changes: 'We used to be so attached and I'm still like that,' he felt the need to tell everyone in the vehicle. 'She's just changed. You turned into this different businesswoman.'

Changes: ‘We used to be so attached and I’m still like that,’ he felt the need to tell everyone in the vehicle. ‘She’s just changed. You turned into this different businesswoman.’

Insecurity: After Joe said the 'businesswoman' line, Melissa had a theory about the real issue that was eating at him: jealousy over her boutique Envy, which she founded back in 2016

Insecurity: After Joe said the ‘businesswoman’ line, Melissa had a theory about the real issue that was eating at him: jealousy over her boutique Envy, which she founded back in 2016

‘It started a couple years ago with Envy,’ she explained later during a confessional session. 

‘I’m not home as much as I used to be. I have to go to Fashion Week. I have to go to trade shows. I have appearances, red carpets. If it were up to him, I would just cook and clean and I’ll be here at four with your dinner.’

Back in the shuttle, Joe mused, ‘Maybe we grew apart. It’s just life.’

That comment seemed to set his wife off.

‘I’ve kissed your a** for how many f***ing years, so you sit home while I go to work now,’ she said. ‘You are so spoiled.’

Not holding back: 'I've kissed your a** for how many f***ing years, so you sit home while I go to work now,' Melissa said. 'You are so spoiled.'

Not holding back: ‘I’ve kissed your a** for how many f***ing years, so you sit home while I go to work now,’ Melissa said. ‘You are so spoiled.’

Married to a stranger: 'The problem is, she's changed a little,' Joe told his friends later. 'For me, it bothers me. I want to be loved. Is that a problem?'

Married to a stranger: ‘The problem is, she’s changed a little,’ Joe told his friends later. ‘For me, it bothers me. I want to be loved. Is that a problem?’

Later, Joe hung out with Joe Josephs and Evan to help cool down. 

‘You’re ticked off because you don’t think you’re getting the affection that you need,’ Joe Josephs said.

‘The problem is, she’s changed a little,’ Joe Gorga replied. ‘For me, it bothers me. I want to be loved. Is that a problem?’

Meanwhile, Melissa was having her own session to go over the altercation with Margaret and Jackie.  

‘He has a very old school mentality,’ she said, explaining that her husband had retrograde views about marriage.

‘When we started our marriage, I was 24 years old. I did whatever Joe told me to do. He was someone who was jealous. At the end of the day, I don’t want to feel guilt for achieving things that I want to achieve. He tells me that’s wrong.’ 

Straightforward: 'I think you're too involved with work,' Joe told Melissa later. 'You need to realize what's happened to you'

Straightforward: ‘I think you’re too involved with work,’ Joe told Melissa later. ‘You need to realize what’s happened to you’

In his own confessional, Joe blamed Melissa supposed changes not on her business, but on her reality show gig.

‘I call fame the devil. The devil comes into your soul and you forget who you really are,’ he said accusingly.

But he also didn’t want to just stew on his hurt feelings, so he went back to more directly share his feelings with Melissa. 

‘I think you’re too involved with work,’ he said. ‘You need to realize what’s happened to you.’

‘I feel so bad when you say that,’ Melissa replied. ‘What did I do wrong to you?’

‘You’ve just changed,’ he said. ‘You’re just different, a little bit.’

Armistice: Joe and Melissa managed to make up enough to enjoying the rest of their Jersey Shore trip, during which they paid tribute to his late father Joe

Armistice: Joe and Melissa managed to make up enough to enjoying the rest of their Jersey Shore trip, during which they paid tribute to his late father Joe

Joe and Melissa didn’t come to any compromise or understanding about her working life, but they did manage to make up enough to enjoying the rest of their Jersey Shore trip, during which they paid tribute to his late father Joe, who died in April of 2020.

Though the two didn’t completely resolve their issues then and there (they were preparing to celebrate the memorial of Joe’s late father, who died on April 3, 2020), they put aside their differences to enjoy the rest of the trip.

The couple have been married since 2004 and have three children: two sons, Joey and Gino, and their daughter Antonia.

Family: The couple have been married since 2004 and have three children: two sons, Joey and Gino, and their daughter Antoni; pictured with Joe's sister Teresa Giudice

Family: The couple have been married since 2004 and have three children: two sons, Joey and Gino, and their daughter Antoni; pictured with Joe’s sister Teresa Giudice