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Real Housewives stars can’t seem to stop shading Melissa Gorga, and fans are here for it. During Bravo’s Fan Fest in Miami, Kiki Barth was asked a shady question by Andy Cohen. When asked who she believed has bought followers online, Kiki spilled some tea. The RHOM star paused at first, then she fired. “You know, that lady, I’ve seen it myself,” she said before saying, “Not Teresa [Giudice], the other one.” Andy replied, “Melissa?”
“Melissa,” Kiki confirmed. “I’ve seen it myself!” Of course, this isn’t the first time someone from The Real Housewives of Miami has come for Melissa’s social status online. In 2023, Alexia Nepola was on Watch What Happens Live and said the same thing. She told Andy that even though Melissa has more followers than Teresa, they “don’t count.” She continued, saying, “She bought them.”
Larsa Pippen Responds to the Shade
After the clip of Real Housewives of Miami’s Kiki throwing shade at Melissa made its rounds, a few people jumped in to share their opinion. Under Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea X page, Melissa haters couldn’t wait to come after the reality star.
“Nobody is hating on Melissa Gorga,” someone wrote. “She’s a desperate lying wannabe [Jennifer Lopez] with a failed music career.” They continued, saying the Bravo veteran would always be in Teresa’s shadow.
However, there were a few people who were bothered by Kiki’s claim, including her co-star, Larsa Pippen.
Larsa, who was once married to NBA player Scottie Pippen, is used to being in the spotlight. In addition to The Real Housewives, the influencer used to roll with Kim Kardashian and her sisters. The Miami Princess has six million followers on Instagram, and people have accused her of fraudulent behavior as well. During a recent episode of House of Villains, one of her cast mates told their roommates that Pippen’s massive IG following was bought online.
When Page Six caught up with Larsa following Bravo’s Fan Fest, she said she wasn’t feeling Barth’s comments.
“I mean, let the girl live,” she said. “And how do you verify if someone’s followers are real or not real? I mean, let the woman live.” She continued, calling Kiki and Alexia haters for coming for MelGo. “When people talk about your Instagram, it’s just not the vibe.”
Will Melissa Return to RHONJ?
Despite the drama at Bravo’s Fan Fest, Melissa has other things to worry about, considering The Real Housewives of New Jersey is on hiatus.
In case you need a refresher, Bravo had to shelve the series after the latest season because the group’s issues became unresolvable. After years of fighting with her sister-in-law, Teresa, the network has decided to move in a different direction.
In addition to Teresa and Melissa, the remaining cast member’s spots are up for grabs, too. Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin, Margaret Josephs, Rachel Fuda, and Danielle Cabral were all part of last year’s group. However, there’s a solid chance only two to three of those names will return.
Fans and cast members alike seem hopeful that Bravo will bring Teresa back to the show. After all, she’s the last OG standing, and she’s given much of her personal life to the series.
Jennifer Aydin seemed to agree during a recent podcast interview, saying Teresa has been there “from the beginning.” She continued, saying the show couldn’t move forward without the biggest star.
“I don’t think the show could be Housewives of New Jersey with a few of us and not Teresa.”