‘RHONJ’: How Dina Manzo’s Exit Landed Kim D a Spot on the Show
Teresa Giudice hasn’t been the only alleged villain on The Real Housewives of New Jersey at times. Her on-again-off-again friend Kim D has stirred up a lot of trouble, both on and off camera. As it turns out, Kim D’s appearance on the show was calculated by producers in Season 2 as Danielle Staub needed an ally.
Former producer shares Kim D joined the show because Danielle Staub needed friends
By the end of Season 1, Staub was on the outs with everyone on the cast except Jacqueline Laurita. But as Season 2 began to film, it was clear that even her relationship with Laurita was becoming more estranged, and no one really wanted to film with her.
Carlos King, who produced seasons 1 and 2, revealed that Staub was basically iced out of the social circle. Once producers learned that Dina Manzo would not be part of the full season, they knew they needed to do something to create some balance for Staub.
“We were looking to see who could replace Dina, and quite naturally, since we knew that Caroline, Jacqueline, and Teresa were friends, we knew that Danielle needed a friend,” King shared in a recent episode of Reality With the King podcast. “And Danielle introduced us to Kim D and Kim G…we were so enamored by their personalities…Kim D, who hosts the Posche Fashion Show, is a joy to work with, and she’s super fun. We were like, ‘You know what: this may be two good additions to this season. And possibly, maybe one can be a Housewife. So when Dina left the show after she and Danielle had that epic showdown, that’s when we realized we needed to – not audition – but really show more of the two Kims.”
Kim D has been a controversial figure on the show
While Kim D has never been a full-time Housewife, she’s remained a friend (and foe) to the show since she first appeared in Season 2. Staub did not return for a third season. But, her interactions with the ladies continued.
She acted as a bit of an instigator between sister-in-laws Giudice and Melissa Gorga during the height of their feud when Gorga joined in Season 3. For several seasons, her boutique and annual Posche Fashion Show was the highlight event every year that the cast not only attended, but some participated in as models.
Eventually, she became an ally to Giudice. Some fans and co-stars accused Giudice of using Kim D to do her dirty work by bringing rumors about Gorga to the show. Giudice and Kim D even had an epic falling out in Season 8 upon Giudice’s return from prison when she accused her then-husband Joe Giudice of having an affair.
She remains attached to the ‘RHONJ’ brand
Kim D hasn’t appeared on the show in several seasons, but she keeps in touch with some of the cast. She lives in New Jersey and often appears on The Behind the Velvet Rope podcast, where she dishes on what she says happens behind the scenes of the show with the cast.
