Gia Giudice set the record straight on where she stands with Next Gen NYC costar Riley Burruss after the drama between them.
“I didn’t think it was that deep,” Gia, 24, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting the Bravo show. “I don’t know how to please her, I guess.”
The “Casual Chaos” podcast host confirmed to Us that she and Riley, 22, had a small rift after Gia compared The Real Housewives of New Jersey to The Real Housewives of Atlanta. (Gia’s mom, Teresa Giudice, stars on RHONJ, while Riley’s mom, Kandi Burruss, is a RHOA alum.)
“I literally saw a TikTok video about it too. It’s the same guy that always reports on drama,” Gia explained. “He actually [hit] the nail on the head. He said, ‘I don’t really think Gia was comparing Kandi and Teresa.’ I was not. In no way, shape or form.”
She continued, “I literally was just trying to break bread, make some conversation. All I was saying was, obviously, every Housewife franchise has its own niche. … But at the end of the day, they also have the same common denominator. They’re friend groups with drama.”
Gia clarified that she “wasn’t trying to say anything offensive at all” with the comparison.
“I really was just like, our moms are on reality TV,” she continued. “They’re both on Bravo. I don’t know, she didn’t really like it, I guess.”
Gia Giudice Teases New Reality Show Amid ‘RHONJ’ Pause: ‘A Lot Different’
Gia revealed the drama with Riley during an episode of her “Casual Chaos” podcast last month while chatting with RHONJ star Dolores Catania.
“Atlanta could give us a run,” Dolores, 54, said during the podcast episode, comparing the two franchises.
“I actually said that to Riley, because I mean — it’s been talked about in the press — but the new Bravo show coming out that I’m on,” Gia said. “She got really offended by that.”
She added, “She looked at me and said, ‘No, they’re very different.’ … I was very surprised, but she got very offended when I said that. It was me also trying to bond over something.”
Breaking Down the Unexpected Feud Between Gia Giudice and Bethenny Frankel
Ahead of the Next Gen NYC premiere, it seemed like Gia and Riley, along with Ariana Biermann, were going to be the next Bravo trio. While Gia and Ariana, 23, have a “great relationship,” the Don’t Be Tardy alum is closer with Riley. (Ariana’s mom, Kim Zolciak, was also on RHOA.)
Riley told Us that she hadn’t seen Ariana in 10 years, so it was pretty surprising when they immediately clicked.
“I thought maybe we would be friends. I didn’t think she was going to be my best friend,” Ariana admitted to Us. “I didn’t know what to think, but I definitely didn’t think we were going to hit it off on our first day ever hanging out, and that’s what we did.”
Ariana also teased some “surprising twists” between friendships on the show.
“That will definitely keep some friendships rocky and on the rocks between a lot of different people,” she added.
Next Gen NYC premieres on Bravo Tuesday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
