‘RHONJ’ Former Cast Member Jacqueline Laurita Recalls Iconic Table Flip Scene: ‘I Was in Shock’
In the first season finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2009, Teresa Giudice lost her temper and flipped a filled dinner table — an event that forever changed the Housewives universe. Former The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member Jacqueline Laurita was present at the table-flip scene and recently appeared on Giudice’s podcast. Laurita addressed the iconic scene, calling it “shocking.”
Teresa Giudice’s iconic table flip in ‘RHONJ’ came as a shocking twist
The iconic table-flip scene starts with Giudice having a dinner party at a neighborhood restaurant. Things get ugly when the cast’s villain, Danielle Staub, interrupts the party to confront the other women for gossiping about her past. Staub then puts a copy of Cop Without a Badge, a book about her ex-husband, on the table.
As a fight breaks out about who started spreading the stories about Staub, Giudice finally snaps. Screaming, “Prostitution whore!” at her co-star, she slides her hands under the dinner table and flips it over.
Giudice’s table-flipping moment has become a memorable part of the playbook for aspiring reality stars who use drama to get their 15 minutes of fame. Still, it was a really shocking twist in the season finale.
Former ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ cast member Jacqueline Laurita recalls the scene
Giudice and Laurita recently reconnected after what seemed like an eternity. The two ladies appeared on Melissa Pfeister and Giudice’s podcast, Namaste B$tches, where they talked about their past and time on RHONJ. When Pfeister asked about the infamous table flip, Laurita said it was shocking to see her longtime friend that angry.
The former RHONJ beauty said, “I swear I had never seen Teresa angry ever the whole seven years I knew her, and it was almost comical. It was funny because it was so shocking. I was in shock.”
Pfeister was also curious about what the ladies did after the table flip scene. The moment was so tense that she assumed the RHONJ ladies would have had a heated conversation afterward. However, Giudice and Laurita revealed that after things had settled down, they laughed about it and even had drinks at the bar like nothing had happened.
And as it turns out, Carlos King, a longtime producer of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, was on set when the table flip scene happened. In fact, King had had to crawl under the table in question earlier that night to hand Staub the infamous book, according to Laurita.
What has Jacqueline Laurita been up to since ‘RHONJ’?
After many seasons on RHONJ, Laurita decided to take a break for the sixth season. After that, she had a brief return in season 7 that didn’t last. The reality star confirmed that she would not be returning for season 8. She then left New Jersey to live in Las Vegas with her husband and two sons, Nicholas and CJ.
Since making this move, Laurita has been keeping a relatively low profile. The former reality TV star has been focusing on her family life by spending time with her husband and kids. She has also been busy with several passion projects.
According to Bravo, Laurita’s son Nicholas was diagnosed with Autism in 2012. Since the diagnosis, the mother of three has become a celebrity spokesperson for several non-profit autism organizations. She is also a certified holistic health coach for special needs families and an ambassador to a supplement company called Simple Spectrum Supplements to help children on the autism spectrum.
While Laurita is missed on RHONJ, it is great to see her focus on a cause she’s passionate about.
