The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga is on board for a ‘change’ in the show amid calls for a cast-shakeup.
The 45-year-old reality star, who joined RHONJ in its third season back in 2011, opened up about the future of the franchise a month after the reunion was scrapped due to the animosity between her costars.
‘Listen, I’m excited for what’s to come,’ she told Page Six on Monday. ‘I think we are due for some type of change. I don’t know what kind of change, but I am excited to see what happens.’
She concluded, ‘I am excited to see what’s next and where this show goes from here.’
The brunette beauty remains in the dark about Bravo’s plans for the show, however. ‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ she remarked.
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The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga is on board for a ‘change’ in the show amid calls for a cast-shakeup; (pictured May)
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The 45-year-old reality star, who joined RHONJ in its third season back in 2011, opened up about the future of the franchise a month after the reunion was scrapped due to the animosity between her costars
The mother of three’s comments echo her sentiment last week when she said she agrees ‘with Bravo that there needs to be changes.’
‘I agree with that 100 percent,’ she told told Entertainment Tonight. ‘I think things have gotten really toxic.’
She continued: ‘There’s two of my cast members that have played really dirty behind the scenes and it’s coming out… it’s all coming out because it always rises to the top, it always comes out in the laundry. It’s been years, so it’s all coming forward.’
Gorga and her sister-in-law, Teresa Giudice, notably did not share any scenes with each other amid their family’s bitter feud.
The tension between the women has affected the rest of the cast, who have all been forced to pick sides.
Currently Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Rachel Fuda, Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler all appear on the show.
Her remarks comes just weeks after multiple sources told Us Weekly that ‘RHONJ will forego a traditional reunion this season.’
‘The reunion is supposed to be about resolution and it’s clear there’s no resolving any issues between the women,’ one of the insiders revealed. ‘There is no wrap-up in a bow and it’s not going to happen.’
The brunette beauty remains in the dark about Bravo’s plans for the show, however. ‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ she remarked; (pictured July 2024)
Gorga and Teresa Giudice refused to speak to each other while filming the current season
Andy Cohen, however, assured fans that there would be resolution in the season 14 finale.
‘The main thing is this will all make sense once you see the finale,’ he said while appearing on SiriusXM’s Reality Checked With Kiki Monique.
He continued: ‘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.’
‘It’s in the great tradition of absolute shocking, dramatic Jersey finales and they have this final epic group encounter, which is like, it feels like the Last Supper and is just so Jersey. And it’s shocking and it’s dramatic and it’s amazing TV. I’m telling you, when you see it, I think that you’ll feel complete,’ he concluded.
As for whether RHONJ will make some changes in the cast, Cohen said they’ll going to cross the decision as it comes.
He noted that it takes a ‘minute’ for producers to ‘figure things out.’
Gorga and Giudice refused to speak to each other while filming the current season.
Teresa and Melissa’s feud has been raging for months now – with the former even going as far as to blame her sister-in-law for putting her in prison during last year’s reunion episode.
‘I want everybody to hear this because we’re bringing this all out because this is over after today,’ Teresa told Melissa during the heated exchange. ‘I’m never going to look at your face again.’
Melissa noted that Teresa previously accused Caroline Manzo of putting her in prison after pleading guilty to federal fraud charges.
‘No, I take that back,’ Teresa said. ‘I think you did.’
‘Oh, my God,’ Melissa gasped.
The tension between the two women has carried on throughout the latest season – creating an awkward situation for producers, who have had to work around their refusal to speak to one another.
But that’s not the only drama to have rocked the show.
Jennifer Aydin and newcomer Danielle Cabral were also suspended during filming following a physical altercation, further throwing the future of the series into question.
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Their feud has also caused a serious rift between Teresa and her brother Joe, who is married to Melissa (seen together on the 2023 reunion)
Drama has been brewing off camera too, as Aydin and Giudice were accused of leaking negative stories about their castmates to an anti-Gorga troll account on social media.
Giudice has denied her involvement in the scandal, while Aydin has yet to comment.
Now fans and producers alike are trying to figure out what’s next for the beleaguered franchise.
One source told People magazine that ‘everything and anything is on the table’ regarding the show, which could mean putting one or two cast members on pause, or possibly rebooting the series from scratch like The Real Housewives of New York City for its fourteenth season.