Christmas came early this year for Bravo fans. On Wednesday, Dec. 21, Bravo dropped a trailer for the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey — teasing not only a major cast shake-up, but the rupture of the Giudice-Gorga clan. Only one Real Housewives franchise has the chops to deliver a four-minute trailer, and that’s RHONJ. So hold onto your dinner tables, it’s going to be one helluva ride!
Longtime cast members Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, and Dolores Catania are set to return for season 13 as well as Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin.
They’ll be joined by newcomers Danielle Cabral and Rachel Fuda, and friend of housewife Jennifer Fessler.
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The most noticeable cast change is Jackie Goldschneider’s demotion from full-time cast member to friend of.
For fans, the change in status isn’t all too surprising. Since joining the show, Goldschneider has been extremely open and vulnerable about her eating disorder, which she began seeking therapy for in season 12.
From watching season 12, we know Goldschneider was struggling with managing her time between both recovery and filming. After the reunion, it was rumored that Goldschneider would be stepping down to focus more on her health.
The last two seasons of RHONJ have also come with a high level of stress for Goldschneider, after one of her castmates accused her husband of having an affair. Goldschneider is never one to leave a rumor open for interpretation. We’ll have to wait and hear from her in season 13.
Rumors of infidelity and family drama are once again at the crux of RHONJ season 13’s drama, as is Guidice’s wedding to Louie Ruelas.
It appears Catania has a new man in her life and things are getting pretty serious, leaving her ex-husband Frank Catania bothered. Meanwhile, Josephs and Aydin seem to be butting heads, but what else is new?
Albeit the meat and potatoes — or should I say meatballs and pasta? — of RHONJ season 13, is the ongoing battle between the Giudices and Gorgas, which is fueled by Teresa’s wedding to Ruelas. (For non-RHONJ fans: Melissa is married to Teresa’s brother Joe Gorga, and the two women never get along.)
In the trailer, we see Joe not accompany his sister down the aisle nor Melissa stand by Giudice’s side at the altar. “[Melissa]’s always wanted to keep my brother and I apart,” Giudice says in the clip, “and she got her wish.” It also looks like Joe and Ruelas try to get physical with one another at one point in the season.
Season 13 of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey will premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 7 with a supersized 75-minute episode. Fans can also stream new episodes the next day on Peacock.
