"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Joe Gorga is opening up about his drama with his niece Gia Giudice.
Teresa and Joe Giudice split in 2019 after 20 years of marriage.
The pair had pleaded guilty to fraud in 2014 and both served prison sentences, which Gorga has publicly blamed Joe Giudice for.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" Season 12 has shown Gorga and Gia clash over Gorga's feud with Joe Giudice.
In a February episode, Gorga called Joe Giudice the "devil" during a fight with Gia, who defended her dad.Gorga appeared on "Watch What Happens Live" with his wife, Melissa Gorga, where he defended his stance against Joe Giudice.
"Can I clarify something? I never really speak about Joe Giudice, ever," he said.
Gorga said his anger with Joe Giudice stems from wanting to protect Teresa.
"Before that day, my sister's telling me they're going through a divorce and she's telling me all these things that he was saying to her," Gorga said of the episode with Gia.
"So I'm sitting there and I'm thinking about all this, and then we had that episode a couple days later, so I explode."
"That's my sister," he added of Teresa. "I'm trying to protect her."
Gia previously said on WWHL that she was "a little surprised" by Gorga's reaction during their confrontation.
