Joe Gorga is going through something of a reinvention. He's been on “Real Housewives of New Jersey” for years, first introduced as Teresa Giudice's brother, and now better known as Melissa Gorga's husband. But despite some stumbles, he's brought a lot to the show on his own. Let's not forget the hellish baptism where he called his sister “trash” and cried to his father outside. Then there was the infamous physical fight between Joe and his brother-in-law Joe Giudice, where they fought so hard that Joe's spray-on hair fell out quickly. In recent years, he's been harsh on Melissa, investing a lot of money in a pizza place without her permission, mocking her efforts to start her own boutique, and calling her earnings “crumbs.”
But it looks like our small-minded Joe has grown up, and if you aren't following him on Instagram, run to the follow button right now. Why? First, he started a photo series of him in different poses, accompanied by quotes that have very deep meaning. Quotes like, “I may not be the fittest, I may not be the strongest, but I'm gonna go to hell if I don't give it my all.” I purposely quoted exactly what he actually meant to say, without any corrections. All for your enjoyment.
After deep reflections, he employs a treasure trove of hashtags, particularly #growwithgorga. As if that weren't enough, Joe has written a book, performed stand-up comedy (really), and even launched a speaking tour that, according to its website, “brings together the leading experts in real estate investing, lending, and development to train, educate, and motivate.”
But not everyone is buying into the idea of ”Growing Up with Gorga.” After posting before-and-after photos of a home he claimed he had renovated and resold, Page Six reports that he's been accused of faking those photos and claims. Unfortunately for Joe, it started when one of the owners in the “after” photos recognized the home as his own, which was far from having been renovated or resold by Joe. That photo has since been removed, but he continues to post other photos of his apparent resales for the public to see, calling into question their authenticity.
Kaylee Svenson, the owner of the home in question, told Page Six that she thought it was “really weird” when a friend tagged her in Joe's Instagram post and saw her house advertised as one that Joe had renovated. She continued, “It's obviously our house. [Gorga] “I asked them to remove the post but no response. I also sent them DMs but no response. ” Property records obtained by Page Six confirm that Kaley and her husband are the owners of the “after” photos posted by Joe.
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A now-deleted Instagram post shared by Joe read, “Look at this remodeled property worth $1.9 million. Took 6 months to rebuild this. Took the roof off and added a second floor. I think I might move in here.” When Instagram sleuths pointed out that this wasn't actually the same house, Joe responded by blaming his 21-year-old social media manager. They “made a mistake,” he said. Indeed, Joe. He acknowledged that the before and after photos aren't of the same house, but claims he worked on the home in the “after” photo. “I helped fund that project,” he said. “I'm a private lender. I funded the deal.” He continued. “It was a brand new home, so it just further tarnished my reputation.”
However, fans and Instagram commenters didn't believe it and slammed him on his social media pages. “Then why are you pretending you're something you're not and posting fake home renovation photos,” one commenter wrote. Joe responded by calling them “pathetic humans.”
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Joe still has room to grow.
Tell me, do you think Joe is lying about the other homes he claims to have resold?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]