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Kim DePaola Says Teresa Giudice Wanted Her To Film Saying Jacqueline Laurita Knew About Melissa Gorga’s ‘Strippergate’

By Karen de Wilde
Published on: 06:00 PST, Nov 8, 2016

On part one of The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 7 reunion show, which aired on Sunday night, Melissa Gorga flat-out accused Jacqueline Laurita of being involved in the rumor that she once worked as a stripper, a rumor that first surfaced on the show several seasons ago. Jacqueline swiftly denied that she had anything to do with spreading the rumor that Melissa used to be a stripper, yet Melissa and Teresa Giudice remained unconvinced of Jacqueline’s innocence.

Kim DePaola has something to say about the whole issue of who was responsible for spreading the rumor that Melissa used to be a stripper and trying to publicly humiliate her for it, now known as “Strippergate.” On Monday, Kim D. posted a message on her Instagram page in which she claimed that Teresa, furious with Jacqueline after they argued with one another in Jacqueline’s kitchen, which viewers saw in an early Season 7 episode, tried to get her to film saying that Jacqueline knew about “Strippergate.”

Kim D. claimed that she declined to take part in Teresa’s attempt to put the blame on Jacqueline. While Kim D. didn’t specify whether she declined to film with Teresa because she didn’t agree that Jacqueline had anything to do with “Strippergate” or for another reason, it’s clear that Kim D. posted her message because she wants everyone to believe that it’s Teresa who schemes to sabotage other people.

In her message, Kim D., the owner of clothing boutique POSCHE, also called out Melissa for trying to sabotage her business. According to Kim D., Melissa, who now has the clothing boutique Envy, told the other cast members and many others to not shop at POSCHE and tried to prevent the show from filming POSCHE and Kim’s annual POSCHE fashion show. Kim D. pointed out that despite Melissa’s efforts, viewers did end up seeing her business on the show this season. Kim D. snidely remarked that both Teresa’s and Melissa’s effort to sabotage others didn’t work.

“Try harder next time!!!” Kim D. joked.

Is what Kim D. is claiming true? Viewers may be very inclined to believe what she says when it comes to “Strippergate” at least After all, Kim D., on the earlier seasons, was very good friends with Teresa. The two women were actually together when a man named Angelo approached them as they were getting beauty treatments at Penny Drossos’ salon and said that Melissa used to work for him at a gentleman’s club.

Later, it was at Kim DePaola’s annual fashion show that Angelo showed up and greeted Melissa and Teresa. When Melissa and Teresa went to the restroom, Teresa asked Melissa about Angelo and whether she knew him because she used to work for him. Teresa then told Melissa that Angelo claims that she used to work for him as a dancer. Melissa denied it, explaining that she worked only as a bartender and only for a week. When Melissa reminded Teresa that she was a teacher when she met her brother, Teresa questioned whether Melissa was doing something else at night.

“During the day, but I don’t know, at night?”

Teresa then encouraged Melissa to talk to Angelo, but Melissa refused. Meanwhile, out in the restaurant where the fashion show was taking place, Angelo was telling people that Teresa and Kim D. plotted to take Melissa down. Jacqueline, who was at the fashion show, then got texts from a friend telling her that Angelo was planning on embarrassing Melissa that night and that Teresa had knowledge of it.

Outside of the restaurant, Jacqueline Laurita told Melissa Gorga about the texts from her friend regarding Angelo and Teresa Giudice’s possible involvement. Caroline Manzo, their former co-star and Jacqueline’s sister-in-law, chimed in that Teresa told her that Melissa used to work as a stripper. Melissa, disgusted at what was happening, left with her husband, Joe. After they left, Teresa yelled at Jacqueline for telling Melissa about the texts that she got. Teresa denied that she tried to set Melissa up and, in turn, accused Jacqueline of being the instigator.

“You’re trying to help, but you just caused problems.”

In a confessional interview, Teresa placed the blame on Jacqueline. Teresa claimed that Jacqueline herself was a stripper, stating that Jacqueline’s husband, Chris, met her when she worked as a stripper in Las Vegas.

“So maybe she got involved because she has some guilty conscience with the whole stripper past. She’s a (bleep) (bleep).”

“Strippergate” resurfaced again on the current season when Jacqueline, during a heated argument with Teresa while the cast were in Vermont, tried to get Melissa to confirm that she, as a good friend, tried to warn her that Angelo and Teresa was trying to bring her down that night many years ago. Jacqueline yelled that she tried to help Melissa, while Teresa knew what was going to happen but didn’t do anything. Melissa, finally on good terms with Teresa, hesitated to answer, which enraged Jacqueline. When Teresa piped up that she didn’t warn Melissa because she didn’t know what was going to happen but Jacqueline did, thereby accusing Jacqueline herself of being involved in “Strippergate,” Jacqueline screamed at Teresa that she was a “twisted b***h.”

On part one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 7 reunion show, Melissa, unlike in Vermont, took a stance. She accused Jacqueline of being responsible for “Strippergate.” Jacqueline vehemently denied the accusation.

“I swear on my children, I had no involvement.”

Melissa continued her claim, using Jacqueline no-show at that year’s reunion show as evidence of her guilt. Jacqueline explained that she didn’t attend the reunion show not because she was afraid of her role in “Strippergate” being revealed but because she couldn’t handle all the negative energy that was going to come, especially since she was dealing with her youngest sons’s autism diagnoses.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Penny Drossos, the owner of the salon where viewers first heard the stripper allegation, recently did an interview in which she stated that Jacqueline was innocent in regards to “Strippergate” and that Teresa Giudice was behind everything.

On Monday, Jacqueline Laurita agreed with a viewer who questioned why Melissa Gorga is just now claiming that Jacqueline was involved in “Strippergate.” Jacqueline pointed out that she and Melissa hung out as friends after what went down at Kim DePalo’s fashion show. Jacqueline maintained that Melissa is just lying.

[Featured Image by Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images]

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The Real Housewives of New Jersey teresa giudice Jacqueline Laurita Melissa Gorga
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