“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania says that Teresa Giudice’s feud with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, is still in full force.
“It’s definitely at a high stage of bad,” she tells Page Six exclusively while promoting her appearance on E!’s “Celebrity Beef.”
However, Catania, 51, is hopeful that the two parties can eventually reconcile.
“I wouldn’t say this is terminal yet, if I were to speak in medical terms,” the former surgical assistant adds. “I’ve seen people come back from a lot worse.”
As previously reported, Giudice, 50, brought up unfounded infidelity rumors about Melissa, 43, and Joe, 42, during the final scenes of “RHONJ” Season 13 this summer. The explosive exchange prompted the Gorgas’ decision to skip Giudice’s Aug. 6 wedding to Luis “Louie” Ruelas.
“I would never believe such a thing,” Catania says of the gossip surrounding the Gorgas’ marriage, adding that she finds the discord “very sad” as she is close with all involved.
“They had a very small family to begin with and now all they have is each other,” she elaborates. “They weren’t raised to not get along. They weren’t raised to not have their families together.”
Catania says she is “praying” that Giudice and the Gorgas can broker peace in the near future for the sake of their seven combined children, who are cousins.
Giudice shares daughters Gia, 21, Gabriella, 18, Milania, 16, and Audriana, 13, with ex-husband Joe Giudice. Meanwhile, the Gorgas share daughter Antonia, 17, and sons Gino, 15, and Joey, 12.
“They have beautiful children, both of them,” she tells us. “And those children should be able to be together.”
But not until their parents can patch things up for good, Catania says.
“When things are emotional between people — as they are right now — you stay out of it, away from it, let things calm down and then hopefully they’ll come back together at some point,” she says of the present estrangement.
“They’re different versions of themselves right now. I think it’s better that they are away from each other.”
For the moment, Catania believes Teresa and the Gorgas are relieved to press pause on their relationship.
“This is years of things happening between them that just finally came to a head, a real head,” she says. “To be honest, I think they’re both at peace with whatever this is.”
In the meantime, Catania doesn’t feel pressure to take a side. “Never, ever, ever will I pick a side amongst friends unless something is done to one of them that is so egregious,” she tells us. “I love them all.”
Catania also has a lot of love for “RHONJ” alum Caroline Manzo, a pal of many years with whom she reunited to film “Celebrity Beef.” Tonight’s episode sees the proud Italian Americans go head-to-head in a meatball cooking competition mediated by host Joel McHale.
“Being around Caroline is literally like being around one of my sisters. It’s so normal. It’s like being around Teresa. For me to be around Caroline is very organic,” she says. “Caroline was more competitive than I thought she would be. She was not messin’ around!”
Despite their decades-long friendship, Catania and Manzo, 61, have never held full-time positions on “New Jersey” at the same time. The latter exited the Bravo hit in 2013 after five consecutive seasons; Catania became a “Housewife” in 2016.
“I would love to do the show with Caroline because fans love sincere, organic relationships — which is something that we have,” she says of Manzo’s potential reality TV reprisal.
“To see that and to see what we had long before ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ is nice because it’s still the same. Nothing’s changed. Not one ounce of us — including Teresa — has ever changed.”
Catania admits that Manzo and Teresa — noted enemies whose friendship deteriorated years ago — “don’t belong in the same room together sometimes,” but would be willing to film with both no matter how difficult.
“They are two very dear people in my life,” she says. “Listen, it wouldn’t be easy on me but it would be something I’d have to handle. That’s it. That’s life and that’s the experience I’ve had with friends that don’t get along.”
Despite the friction, Catania says Teresa is open to hashing out her issues with Manzo on camera.
“Teresa has said, ‘Bring it! Bring her. I’d love to see her back. Let’s do this.’ She said it herself,” she says of the “Turning the Tables” author.
Teresa once accused Manzo of ratting her out to the feds before she was indicted and subsequently imprisoned for fraud; Manzo has vehemently denied any involvement in the matter.
“Teresa is ready,” Catania asserts. “But everybody wants Caroline back.”
“Celebrity Beef” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on E!
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