There really are Real Housewives all over New Jersey, at least according to them Melissa Gorga.
Melissa, 46, revealed a Us Weeklyexclusive clip from Amanda Hirsch‘s “Not skinny, but not fat” podcast. that she “just saw” Caroline Manzo and his daughter, Lauren Manzoat a “local restaurant”, and it was not a planned confrontation.
“They were there and we were there,” Melissa continued. She and the husband Joe Gorga they had a total “blast from the past” when they saw each other.
“It was so much fun that I was actually having dinner with Lauren’s ex-husband’s new fiancee,” Melissa said. “I said, ‘Wow, you see. That would be interesting.'”
Lauren’s 8-year-old daughter, Marchesa, was also in attendance, according to Melissa.
“It was a pleasure to see them. I’ve always loved the Manzos,” he added. (Caroline and Melissa crossed paths RHONJ for three seasons. Caroline left the show after season 5 in 2013.)
RHONJ fans have remained invested in Caroline’s life after leaving the Bravo show, especially when it comes to her children. Lauren, 37, married Vito Scalia, who made several appearances RHONJ — in July 2015. However, they faced split rumors in 2017 when Vito no longer appeared on Lauren’s social media.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey franchise has seen many of its stars leave the world behind over the years, and Us Weekly is taking a trip down memory lane and checking in on where they are now. OG cast member Caroline Manzo left the show in 2014 and years later, she spoke about (…)
Lauren shut down fan speculation in 2019, telling fans that she and Vito were “perfect” in a Facebook post at the time. In October 2023, The Sun obtained divorce papers stating that Lauren and Vito had separated due to irreconcilable differences. Lauren took to social media that same month to break his silence on the divorce.
“I just want to let you know that we’re all fine. This has been a long time coming,” he explained. “The last part of the process was the presentation. We were on the same page. This is something we did together.”
The Daily Mail broke the news in February 2025 that Lauren and Vito had they finalized their divorce months earlier. According to court documents obtained by the publication, their separation became final in November 2024, with a judge signing off on joint legal custody of their daughter, Marchesa. Caroline’s house was also listed as Marchesa’s “exchange point”.
In 2023, Vito continued with the wellness coach Dominique Valentiwho appears to be the person Melissa saw with Caroline and Lauren. It is not clear if Vito and Dominique got engaged or when they got engaged.
Despite their split, Lauren and Vito have been putting on a united front as parents. The exes went viral in October 2025 to dance together in a video with Marchesa.
Lauren explained during her 2023 Instagram video that her daughter is “all that matters” as they navigate their split.
“Our privacy is important to us. We haven’t been on TV in seven years, so we didn’t feel the need for a dramatic announcement,” he said at the time. “We continue to move forward with love and respect for each other. And we will always be a family, and that’s it. This is about our daughter and her privacy, because she didn’t ask to be on TV, we did.”
The full episode of “Not Skinny But Not Fat” with Melissa Gorga will be released Tuesday, February 3rd on all podcast platforms and Wednesday, February 4th on YouTube.