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Gia Giudice was questioned about the tension between her fellow Bravo castmates on Next Gen NYC and the trust fund babies while appearing on Nick Viall‘s podcast on Wednesday.

As she also reacted to Charlie Zakkour‘s controversial behavior on the show, admitted to feeling bad for her co-star, and shared why she’s convinced he’ll never change, the 24-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey star responded to claims of being a “mouthpiece” for Brooks Marks, 25, threw some shade at Georgia McCann, and explained why she almost turned down her role on the new series.

“I don’t think it was any secret to how we met, especially for me. I knew Brooks and [Ariana Biermann] really well. We just connected and clicked. I’m genuinely very close with them and then [Riley Burruss], I knew her through the Bravo world, met her at BravoCon, but Riley and I honestly formed more of a friendship while filming Next Gen. And same with a lot of the cast members. I didn’t know them,” Gia shared on the July 8 episode of The Viall Files.

When Nick, 44, wanted to know if the tension between the two groups was felt during filming, Gia noted that Brooks was their common denominator. 

“Filming the first couple episodes, it was everyone just getting used to each other and feeling it out and getting comfortable. There were connections between the whole cast, but between certain people, we really didn’t know each other that well. So, as the season goes on, I feel like you’re gonna see people get more comfortable with each other,” she explained.

According to Gia, the drama between her castmates “heightens towards the end of the season.”

“It really was because we were all getting to know each other, and I don’t think that that was any secret,” she shared. “It really was Brooks being the main tie between everyone, and then the Bravo kids were obviously familiar with each other.”

As for Charlie’s issues with the group, including his drama with Riley, 22, who accused him of microaggressions, Gia admitted it was “very difficult” to navigate as she suggested Charlie was damaged by his upbringing.

“I think it comes from childhood trauma; I really do think that his actions come from the way that he was raised,” she suspected. “He was never loved and nurtured in his household. So that’s why I think he feels like it’s okay to act so abrasive and act out on people.”

“I do feel bad for him in some ways. I think he definitely has some issues that he just never took care of, and now it’s too late … I don’t think it’s an excuse, but at this point, he’s 30 years old. He’s not changing. It would’ve helped if maybe he took therapy seriously or took control of his emotions at a younger age, but at this point, I tell everybody this: He’s 30. He’s not changing. He is who he is,” she continued.

Although some have wondered if Charlie was simply playing up his personality for the cameras amid filming, Gia insisted that he was the same way off-screen.

“He had no filter. Nothing came out of his mouth where he was trying to be careful because cameras were around. He would rip his mic off … He didn’t care who was around,” she explained. “So the Charlie you see on Next Gen is definitely Charlie.”

When Gia was asked about being labeled as Brooks’ mouthpiece, she confirmed she was not offended by the title before admitting to encouraging Brooks to be more vocal. 

“He gotta start sticking up for himself a little more because he looks like he’s running away from situations, and I’m like ‘Brooks, you cannot be like this’ … He’s a gentle soul. He hates confrontation. He gets so much anxiety thinking about confrontation,” she explained. 

Also on Nick’s podcast, after saying, “No,” when asked if she likes Georgia’s parties and suggesting she take notes from her own bashes, Gia explained how she was cast for Next Gen NYC.

“Brooks called me about it, and then I filmed a sizzle,” she revealed. 

After submitting her tape two years ago, Gia met some of her castmates, including Emira D’Spain, 28, Ava Dash, 25 Dylan Geick, 26, and Charlie, and others who were in the running for roles but didn’t work out. Still, she wasn’t sold on the idea of being featured on the show until Ariana, 23, signed on.

“It kind of took me a minute just to think about what I was doing and if I wanted to do this, and then I recommended Ariana,” she recalled. “[I] love her. She’s amazing … [So once] she locked it in, I locked it, and I was like, ‘I’m ready.’”

“Once I felt like I had two strong friends on the show, I felt ready and good to do the show,” she added.

Next Gen NYC season one airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.