Melissa Gorga did NOT cheat on Joe Gorga with Nick Barrotta as source is ‘shocked’ at rumor

A source speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com has strongly denied rumors that Melissa Gorga cheated on her husband Joe after the married couple skipped out on his sister Teresa Giudice’s wedding over the weekend.

Multiple sources previously revealed to DailyMail.com that Melissa, 43, and Joe, 42, that Melissa and Teresa, 50, had had a massive row while filming the most recent Real Housewives Of New Jersey finale over cheating accusations.

A source close to the situation has denied these reports after it was claimed on social media that Melissa had an affair with Nick Barotta – who is also married – and they called  the rumors ‘completely ridiculous’ and said that Nick had been ‘close friends’ with Melissa and Joe for years.

Sources previously described Teresa’s shouting match with Melissa as ‘a crazy situation’ that was the last straw for Melissa and Gorga, who opted to skip her wedding over the weekend to Luis Ruelas.

The same source described the confrontation as a ‘step too far for Joe.’ He subsequently reposted a photo Melissa posted to Instagram of the couple partying at home with friends on the day of Teresa’s wedding, but he added the confrontational caption, ‘blood doesn’t make you family.’

‘This is just completely ridiculous,’ said the source close to Barrotta in the wake of the cheating rumors. ‘Nick and his wife Liz have been close friends with the Gorgas for years.’

They continued, adding, ‘There is absolutely zero truth to this nasty rumor and it’s comical that it even needs to be addressed.’

Photos of Nick spending time with Joe and Melissa seem to confirm that he was a regular fixture in their lives, and their friendship was seemingly public knowledge.

According to the source, Nick was blindsided and shocked that anyone would even make up a rumor about him making out with his friend Melissa.

‘He is shocked that someone would make up something so nasty in an attempt to destroy two families,’ they said.

Barrotta is an entertainment host and a rising actor who worked on the reality series Divorce Court from 2018–2020 as a bailiff, before upgrading to a fictional series when he joined Tyler Perry’s BET series The Oval beginning in 2020. 

Following DailyMail.com’s report of the behind-the-scenes fight between Melissa and Teresa over cheating allegations, sources close to RHONJ claimed to AllAboutTRH that Laura Lee Jansen told Jennifer Aydin about a rumor that Melissa had made out with Nick.

The rumor allegedly made its way to Teresa and kicked off their falling out when she told Joe about the rumors prior to filming on RHONJ beginning.

After the finale was filmed, Melissa allegedly confronted Teresa for spreading the rumor — which sources told DailyMail.com was ‘baseless’ — and Joe reportedly had to be restrained to keep a fight with Luis from getting physical.

DailyMail.com previously learned Luis had asked Joe to be among his groomsmen, but he declined when Teresa didn’t extend the same honor to Melissa.

‘He just considered it very disrespectful and there was no way he was going to say, “yes” when Melissa wasn’t part of Teresa’s bridal party,’ a source explained.

Teresa and Luis ultimately tied the knot at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on August 6.

The nuptials were filmed for a future Bravo special.