Relations between the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were so volatile that Bravo bosses had no choice but to scrap the season 14 reunion over fears the women couldn’t be trusted in the same room, insiders have revealed .
Viewers witnessed another fractured season thanks to the longstanding rift between feuding sisters-in-law Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga, while the rest of the famed cast – Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Jackie Goldschneider and Jenn Fessler – also stayed on drift apart.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the traditional reunion had been scrapped for the first time in the series’ history, leading to reports that producers are frantically trying to find a way to move forward with the show.
Now insiders have revealed that show bosses were forced to scrap the reunion as reuniting the women would have proven catastrophic.
“The reunion was scrapped because there is absolutely no way these women could be in a room together after the finale,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Relations between the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were so volatile that Bravo bosses had no choice but to scrap the season 14 reunion
It comes as Teresa Giudice (left) and Melissa Gorga (right) refused to speak to each other during filming of the current season — a dynamic that Andy Cohen called “unsustainable.”
‘A reunion is meant to find a solution and it’s clear that wouldn’t happen in the traditional reunion format, so the bosses are working on something else that could work.’
The ongoing drama has led to RHONJ splitting panels at BravoCon over the past two years, and executives are said to be desperate for ways to move the series forward.
A second insider claimed show bosses believe some fresh new faces could be the solution, adding: ‘Producers have been advised to look for new women.’
They also claimed that bosses could consider the possibility of a spin-off series for Teresa.
“They don’t want Teresa to take her audience to another platform, so they’re figuring out a way to keep her on the network if she decides not to return after the current series,” the insider explains. “They could offer her a spin-off, but there are concerns about what exactly that entails.”
The news that the show wouldn’t have a reunion didn’t come as a complete surprise to fans who watched Teresa and Melissa refuse to speak to each other during filming — something executive producer Andy Cohen called “untenable.”
However, Teresa recently made it clear that she would have loved to attend the reunion, noting that she had figured out a way to address her feud with husband and wife Rachel and John Fuda.
Speaking on Sunday Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the mother of four said: ‘It’s a shame we’re not having a reunion because I wanted to take an envelope and get something out of the envelope. ‘
A source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com: ‘The reunion has been scrapped because there is absolutely no way these women can be in a room together after the finale’
Executives are said to be desperate to find a way to move the series forward (photo by Melissa and Joe Gorga)
The comment was a reference to the season 13 reunion, where John showed off an envelope containing alleged evidence that Teresa’s husband Luis Ruelas had investigated his family, but he never actually opened it.
Former RHONJ star Kim ‘D’ DePaola agreed, telling DailyMail.com that the scrapped reunion could spell trouble for the current cast members — noting that Bravo would have to perform a miracle to save the series.
Kim emphasized that it was “unheard of” to cancel a reunion episode, adding, “Bravo is disgusted with this cast.”
The Get Real With Kim D podcast host said the show is “unsavable” with the current cast because none of them are real friends in real life.
“They can’t all stand each other,” she said. ‘Not one of them really likes each other.
“There is no way this group will find a solution… These people united on each side to get the other side fired.”
She then stated that the only way to fix RHONJ is to completely reboot it, something Andy concluded this week.
“No decisions have been made,” he said Entertainment tonight. “We haven’t even had serious conversations about next season.”
Viewers will get the chance to see the feuding Teresa and Melissa on screen in the final episode of this season, which Dolores described as so chaotic that it ended “a lot of relationships” on the show.
Andy described it as ‘The Last Supper’ – possibly a dark prediction of what could happen for the current stars.
Teresa recently revealed she was eager to compete against Rachel Fuda (right) and her husband John at the Season 14 reunion
“I think the most important thing is that this will all make sense when you see the finale,” he revealed on Radio Andy’s Reality Checked. ‘It’s one of those classic Jersey finals that people will talk about for a long time.’
The feud between Teresa and Melissa has been raging for months, with the former even going so far as to blame her sister-in-law for putting her in jail during last year’s reunion episode.
“I want everyone to hear this because we’re putting all this out there because this is over after today,” Teresa told Melissa during the heated exchange. “I’m never going to look at your face again.”
But that’s not the only drama to rock the show, as Jennifer Aydin and newcomer Danielle Cabral were also suspended during filming after a physical altercation, further putting the future of the series in doubt.
Plans for casting changes for the 15th season have yet to be confirmed (photo by Danielle Cabral, Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania and Jennifer Fessler in May 2023)
Last September, US Weekly reported that Jennifer and Danielle were “suspended from filming for several days” following an altercation on set.
During the pre-taped finale, the costars were seen insulting each other, with a glass jug thrown during the clash.
The current and fourteenth season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premiered on May 5.
The episodes air every Sunday on Bravo and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
Plans for casting changes for the 15th season have yet to be confirmed by the media company or the current housewives.