The idea that Teresa Giudice could find herself fired from Real Housewives of New Jersey is not a new one.
For years, rumors have swirled suggesting she’s too vilatile to continue with the Bravo franchise. Most recently, declining ratings for season 14 and her explosive fight with Melissa Gorga the season before that have laid the ground work for conversations about her exit.
Well, Teresa would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
Teresa Giudice Leaving RHONJ: Bravo Would Have To Fire Me!
The RHONJ OG addressed that rumor that she’s ready to leave the long-running Bravo series during an interview on Live With Kelly & Mark on July 9, 2024.
“Rumors are that you’re considering leaving the show, are they true?” Kelly Ripa asked Teresa point blank. Her response?
“Really? Who put those rumors out there? Maybe some of my cast members,” she replied.
She then made it perfectly clear that the only way she’s leaving the show is if she’s made to.
“No, I’m not leaving. I started the show. When Bravo wants me to leave, that’s when I’ll leave.”
The topic of the season 14 reunion – or rather, the lack thereof – was also brought up. Teresa insisted there would be something for fans to watch.
“We’re having something. I don’t know what they’re calling it, but we are doing something,” she promised.
Given the contentious dynamic of the cast – and the fact that last year’s reunion was such a disaster – we understand Bravo’s decision to do something different this year.
But it might also be working in Teresa’s favor as well, as rumors of her firing actually started after that infamous special.
Poor Andy Cohen had to sit and weather the chaos as Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice clashed over prison visitation logs from a decade ago. (Bravo)
Teresa Nearly Fired After RHONJ ‘s Reunion in 2023?
As we saw for ourselves, Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga cut ties at the RHONJ Reunion in 2023
The fight paid off for the network. Watching a feud splinter a family drew in millions of viewers.
But then reports said that Season 14 was on hold … because Teresa and Melissa were too bitter to film together. Then came word that one or both of them would need to be axed for the show to live.
It’s important to remember that The Real Housewives of New Jersey does not air in real time. The Housewives film months in advance. It’s often well over half a year between an episode filming and airing.
Initially, the plan was for RHONJ Season 14 to begin filming pretty much as soon as the Season 13 reunion aired. Which, in turn, was months after it filmed.
But instead, Bravo had to reportedly put those plans on hold. The entire cast sat in limbo … seemingly because of the feud between the in-laws.
And indeed, Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga were so bitterly at odds that it made filming impractical. It looked like one had to go.
But as we know now, having lived through season 14, that didn’t happen. And now?
Would Teresa Leave For Louis’ Sake?
Despite what she told Kelly Ripa, the more recent rumors of Teresa leaving the show has less to do with her being fired and more about her wanting to leave for the sake of her marriage.
A source who spoke to OK! Magazine spilled that Teresa was considering leaving the show to focus on her marriage, particularly after costar Margaret Josephs fired off accusations about Luis Ruelas left and right.
In truth, Teresa herself has admitted that being on the show has put a strain on her new beloved.
“He didn’t sign up for this,” Teresa said on the show. “[Louie] met [me] not thinking that a lot of my cast members were gonna attack him on my show, which they did because they were trying to get to me. And they knew they didn’t have anything on me, so instead they figured, ‘Let’s hurt the person she loves,’ and that’s what they’ve been doing.”