‘RHONJ’: Without Polarizing Teresa Giudice, Could the Bravo Show Survive?
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is one of cable TV’s most recognizable reality series. However, as news of discord between cast members tarnishes the brand, will RHONJ survive if cast members like Teresa Giudice are replaced?
Teresa Giudice brings the drama to ‘RHONJ’
Since season 1 of RHONJ, Teresa Giudice has brought drama to the Bravo reality series. From the moment she flipped a restaurant table, Teresa has been a polarizing presence within the cast. Would the show remain as interesting without her?
As far back as episode one, Teresa was seen as over the top, and fans ate it up. While shopping during the series’ 2009 premiere, Teresa paid for $120,360 worth of furniture — in cash. That shocked viewers.
Teresa claimed her family’s money came from then-husband Joe, whom she said was “an entrepreneur and has a construction business. He’s very successful.”
The Giudices remained mired in controversy after declaring bankruptcy in October 2009. Bravo’s cameras captured this drama. In 2013, the couple was charged with engaging in bank, mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud.
After serving almost a year in jail, Teresa was back to her old self, fighting against her castmates and fighting for her marriage, as Joe served his own jail sentence. The couple subsequently divorced in September 2020 as RHONJ fans watched.
Since then, Teresa has continued to act like a mean girl. Her actions drive ratings as fans wait to see what drama she’ll engage in next. Even when Teresa’s wrong, she’s right.
Would the show remain as interesting without her? This theory could be tested very soon.
There could be significant changes ahead for ‘RHONJ’ without Teresa Giudice, cast
Series producer Andy Cohen teased changes ahead for the Real Housewives of New Jersey in light of cast infighting that made a reunion episode impossible. He’s entertaining the idea of rebooting the series, perhaps as he did with Real Housewives of Atlanta.
He said, “There’s a lot of play with that one. And I think the answer is, and I was talking about this to a [RHONJ] cast member today, we are going to cross next season as that comes.”
“Right now, we’re just kind of focusing on, ‘OK, well, if we’re not doing a conventional reunion, what are we doing, and what is something different that we could do?’” Cohen said on Sirius XM’s Reality Checked.
Cohen did not reveal if Teresa Giudice or her fellow cast members would be replaced. He also did not reveal any further reboot details if that is the route the show intends to take.
Teresa Giudice reveals she was planning for redemption at the aborted reunion show
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Teresa Giudice vowed to redeem herself yet again. She planned on bringing receipts against the new target of her ire, Rachel Fuda.
“It’s too bad we aren’t having a reunion because I was going to bring an envelope, and I was going to take something out of the envelope,” Teresa told Andy Cohen on the series June 9, 2024 episode. “I was going to bring it tonight, but I want to make sure we have a reunion.”
Teresa then added she was OK with not having a regular RHONJ reunion episode. She revealed, “Pretty much everything I had to say, everyone’s going to see it this season. So everyone’s going to have to tune in and watch.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Rachel Fuda, Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Jackie Goldschneider, Danielle Cabral and Jennifer Fessler. It airs Sundays on Bravo.
