Teresa and Dolores
Pictured: “Real Housewives of New Jersey” co-stars Teresa Giudice (L) and Dolores Catania visit People Now on February 05, 2020 in New York, United States. Jim Spellman/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • Dolores Catania said Melissa and Joe Gorga made the right choice by skipping Teresa Giudice's wedding
  • The reality star believed it was a mutual decision for the couple not to attend
  • Catania felt that there's "always hope" for reconciliation between Giudice and her brother Joe

Teresa Giudice's pal and "Real Housewives of New Jersey" co-star Dolores Catania has spoken up amid the tension between the newlywed reality star, and her brother Joe Gorga and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga.

When Catania, 51, attended the MTV VMAs Sunday, she was asked about her thoughts on the Gorgas' decision to skip Giudice's wedding to businessman Luis "Louie" Ruelas earlier this month.

"If that's how they felt and the way things were heated between them, it probably was best," Catania exclusively told Us Weekly.

The TV personality added that it must have been a mutual decision between the two parties considering the occasion.

"I would have loved to have seen them of course, but I think it was mutual," Catania said.

The "RHONJ" star added that there's "always hope" for reconciliation between Giudice and her brother Joe because she's seen how they grew up together and loved each other genuinely as siblings.

"I knew them when they were little, and I know the love that they have. I lived it with them. They were my friends. We were all friends from the same neighborhood, and I know how much she loved him, and I know how much he loved her. So, I always go back to that," Catania said.

As for picking sides in the feud, Catania told the entertainment news outlet that she won't be choosing one sibling over the other and instead will support both of them.

"I will never choose sides, especially when it comes to family. I will support both sides to only be good to each other ... but I'll never support the fight," she explained.

Melissa and Joe reportedly decided to skip Giudice and Ruelas' wedding on Aug. 6 after a "blowout fight" over rumors that Melissa cheated on her husband during a business trip. The couple reportedly suspected that Giudice could have been involved in spreading the false narrative.

Melissa addressed the issue in an episode of her "On Display" podcast. She did not deny the reports that she and Joe had a falling-out with Giudice before the big day.

"Obviously, we did not attend your sister's wedding. We have a laundry list of reasons in our heads. Obviously, there was something that went down at the finale of filming the 'Real Housewives of New Jersey,'" she said.

As for Giudice, she's currently enjoying her honeymoon with Ruelas in Mykonos, Greece.

However, Joe Giudice's ex-wife recently received negative comments after sharing snaps from her post-wedding vacation via Instagram. Many were not pleased with her plump and seemingly thicker lips in the photos.

"She looks different. Too much face work for [the] wedding," one wrote.

"Wow! You look stunning and happy! But too much lip filler! Season 1 of 'RHONJ' was my favorite look for you," another commented on her post.

Teresa and Luis
Pictured: Teresa Giudice and Louie A. Ruelas attend Antonia Gorga's Sweet 16 Birthday Celebration on August 19, 2021 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Manny Carabel/Getty Images for ABA