After 14 years of watching the ladies of New Jersey battle it out, it looks like we have finally reach a breaking point. As explosive as the reality franchise may be, what has happened behind the scenes is much more interesting. From fan pages exposing the cast to massive dynamic changes, this is one hell of a mess!
Before the newest, 14th season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey even started, the drama had taken over. The women's dynamics had changed drastically in the last year. Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice had finally given up trying to make amends. The show was now split in two. One group of women backing Melissa, and the other side back Teresa. Not only were the sister-in -laws at war again, but the other ladies had their own battles they were also dealing with. The situation had gotten so bad that even Andy Cohen himself admitted the show could not continue with these dynamics. That being said, what unfolded in the weeks since the premiere Bravo could have never predicted. We broke down the major plots twists happening behind the camera!
The fan page problem
Fan pages are a MAJOR part of the Bravo universe. On X (formerly Twitter) the pages take over with their insider tips and episode spoilers. Over the course of time, it was always assumed most of the housewives were sending these various fan pages information. It all came to a head when RHONJ fan page @MelissasOldNose exposed the ladies of New Jersey. Allegedly, the fan page began receiving information from Jennifer Aydin following her fight with the Gorgas at Bravocon.
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Gabriela (@Melissasoldnose) continued to expose what appeared to be text messages from Aydin and people from Teresa's camp. The texts showed Aydin asking for information on other cast members and sending screeners of episodes to the page. It should be known that there are no DIRECT messages from Teresa, but there are plenty from her lawyer Jim Leonard. Most fans had no idea why Gabriela chose to expose the housewives after working with them for so long. Regardless, it became apparent that many housewives were feeding outside sources information and planting stories about each other.
The world's cattiest press tour begins
With a new season premiere comes a ton of press. That means interviews and unavoidable questions. An this time around, the women of New Jersey have taken press interviews to an entirely new shady level.
In early May, Jackie Goldschneider went on the Two Ts in a Pod podcast to speak her mind. She in no way, shape, or form held back. Goldschneider said, "This show has turned into The Hunger Games, and I think it’s ruining the show because there’s, like, everyone is convinced that if they get the most people on their team and then they take the picture and label it like a team, that Bravo’s gonna see it, and they’re gonna think, ‘Oh, well, they have more people. Let’s just keep that team.’ And it’s not the way it works. You guys know that’s not the way it works."
Needless to say, Goldschneider's comments ruffled some feathers. Not too long after her interview, Margaret Josephs sat down with Access Hollywood. She discussed not receiving Goldschneider's book and Teresa's standing on the show. After she expressed her anger about not receiving the book in advance, Josephs said, "By the way, everybody’s a team. I am nothing without everybody who is stuck by me. I have the most amazing team. I could do nothing without them, and I’m very grateful. I’m very grateful for the, you know, my girls around me. She is an ingrate and, I’m not saying I’m taking the credit for a book, it’s nothing like that." Josephs did not stop there, though, as she fired at Giudice saying, "She means nothing in my life. She really means nothing in my life. I wouldn’t even know a person like Teresa Giudice. The person that she is now, When I first met her, she had just come out of jail. She was humble, sweet, and kind. Um, the person she is today, I would never wanna know."
The drama never stops with this crew. Newbie housewife Rachel and husband John Fuda have been loud in the press too, slamming back at claims Giudice made during the season. The rumor mentioned Fuda being a drug dealer, with details coming from his ex. In an interview with Us Weekly, Rachel Fuda said, "I think that she has been on this show for so long, and it just solidifies her relevancy and her paycheck — you’re welcome. Who else does she have, right? Melissa‘s off. Margaret‘s off. She’s not going to fight with Dolores. Jen‘s so far up her butt, she can’t even see her eyeballs. And then, who else do we have? I mean, Jen Fessler is not going to... I was the last resort."
Teresa Giudice has been in multiple interviews during her press run too, but seemingly refuses to even repeat her sister-in-law's name (although she has had no problem firing back at the other New Jersey ladies). In an interview with Extra's Billy Bush, Giudice made her own statements regarding the Fudas and Margaret Josephs claims. On her situation with Margaret Joseph, Giudice said, "Well, she puts out these lies. She has no story line. So she's obsessed with me and Louie and she keeps putting out these lies out there. Which is fine, she wants to make me her story line. It's okay."
The OG housewife continued on by coming for John Fuda next, saying, "He's another one that put another lie out there. Now he's probably kicking himself in the foot, like, in the ass or wherever he wants to kick himself. Like, he's the one that opened up the can of worms and now they're all over. They're, like, eating him up alive."
To wrap up this press tour from hell, Melissa Gorga has said her fair share of shady things. On a Watch What Happens Live appearance, the housewife was asked if she would rather have lunch with RHONJ alumni Danielle Staub or hang out with her sister-in-law. Gorga answered, "I wanna have lunch with Danielle. She created this franchise. We can’t forget that." She was clearly shading Guidice, as she is the only remaining OG on the franchise. Both Joe and Melissa Gorga have said their piece on the situation in a interview with Extra. Melissa Gorga said, "So she can take the drama. You can be the queen of your show, but you’re not the queen of me, my life, my house or my family, and that’s that. But she doesn’t like that, and that’s how it’s always gonna be."
The reunion (or lack thereof...)
Reunion specials are some of the best parts of any of the Bravo shows. It gives fan a chance to be updated on the drama and relationships since filming wrapped. Without a reunion, there is no closure for the season. The Real Housewives of New Jersey has run for 14 seasons, with reunions at the end of every single one. It is almost unheard of for the network to cancel the reunion special. With all the drama in the press and possible lawsuits, its nearly impossible to find one singular reason.
So far, the season has had events and parties split in two. With the women refusing to interact on any level, it's no surprise the show is unraveling. Jackie Goldschneider revealed in an interview with Page Six that Margaret Josephs wanted both Goldschneider and Jen Fessler to quit the show with her if Louie Ruelas returned. It was also exposed on the current season that half of the cast had met up prior to the previous reunion to plot against Giudice and Ruelas.
And Andy Cohen, everyone's favorite Bravo daddy, recently spoke up regarding the state of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Cohen said, "I do want to give some context to the announcement over the weekend that there was gonna be no Jersey reunion because I feel like there are a lot of theories about what this could mean. I think that the main thing is this will all make sense once you see the finale. It is one of those classic Jersey finales that people will be talking about for a long time to come. And when all of us producers saw the last cut of the finale, we all came to the decision separately, and then we talked. We all had the same thought, which is the finale is kind of the finale and the reunion all in one."
Still, it's disappointing to watch this franchise fall apart, considering it was a fan favorite for over 14 years. Hopefully, Bravo and the women of New Jersey can come to some kind of resolution. Otherwise, we expect a very long pause and a major cast overhaul on the show. That being said, we are not even halfway through season 14, and there is a never ending supply of drama. We hope to see some closure for some these ladies, and until then, we will be SAT for this explosive and friendship-ending finale!
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Sundays on Bravo.