Real love. Real Housewives of New Jersey fans have watched Melissa Gorga and Joe Gorga face ups and downs in their relationship since they made their reality TV debut in 2010.
The couple first met in 2002 when they were staying at the same hotel during separate vacations in Cancun, Mexico. However, they didn’t start dating until they bumped into each other for a second time at a beach bar at the Jersey Shore.
Less than one year after their second encounter, Melissa and Joe tied the knot on August 20, 2004.
They went on to welcome their daughter Antonia in 2005 and their sons Gino in 2007 and Joey in 2010.
Over the years, the couple has been outspoken about their love for each other.
“I have learned that I am actually a great dad and my whole life revolves around my children. Everything I do is to benefit them and my wife,” Joe told Bravo’s The Daily Dish in June 2020. “The most important lesson you can teach your kids is to be kind and to work hard in life. Anything is possible if you are willing to put in the time and work hard.”
Melissa and Joe have also been known to share intimate details about their sex life. “We still are obsessed with each other,” he told Us Weekly in May 2019. “I mean, we still have sex more than the average [couple].”
However, she was met with mixed reviews when she shared unconventional relationship advice in her 2013 book, Love Italian Style: The Secrets of My Hot and Happy Marriage.
“Even when I’m exhausted and not really in the mood, if it means a lot to Joe that we connect physically, I’ll say, ‘I’m not so into it tonight, but let’s go,’” Melissa wrote. “If it’s a hard ‘no,’ I try to be nice about it. Don’t swat him away, or say with a tone, ‘Leave me alone!’ Eventually, he will leave you alone at more than you wish he would.”
While their romance has lasted over a decade, Melissa and Joe have had their fair share of drama during their marriage.
The mother of three has been accused of cheating in the past, while she shut down claims made by her former friend Jan DeDolce that she has been unfaithful. “I’ve never cheated on Joe,” she told Us Weekly in July 2014. “This is all disappointing.”
Keep scrolling to take a look at their relationship timeline.
