Teresa Giudice Rejects Notion She Won’t Return To Upcoming Season Of ‘Real Housewives Of New Jersey’

Not so fast! “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” can’t go on without its marquee player, Teresa Giudice^[1]—at least, that’s what she believes.

In a new interview, Teresa Giudice clapped back at rumors suggesting Bravo is filming the show without her, maintaining her position on the series and telling fans to wait for an official announcement.

For those unfamiliar, a new report from Us Weekly^[2] went viral this week, with an inside source claiming the network has started “test filming” with potential newcomers and veteran cast members Margaret Josephs, Dolores Catania, and Melissa Gorga.

The source went on to say that the network only wants to “see how the new girls work on camera with some veteran cast members from the show.”

According to the insider, Jackie Goldschneider, Jen Fessler, and Giudice did not test film. However, the three “are still in consideration to be part of the new season.”

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Giudice, who joined the show during season 1 in 2009, seemed unfazed by the rumors that the show was test filming.

“Obviously they’re not, because if they were filming, it would actually be out there,” she said. “So, it’s just speculation and people putting stories out there.”

“You really can’t believe anything you read unless Bravo is saying it,” she added, later pointing to the fact that there’s been no leaks of the alleged filming online.

When pressed on whether she had any more tea to spill about the show’s status, Giudice jokingly told interested fans to message “Andy Cohen,” the show’s executive producer.

After season 14 of “RHONJ” wrapped in August 2024, Bravo announced it was pausing the show to reimagine its future, potentially with new players.

Throughout the years, the show became bogged down by Giudice’s family drama with her brother, Joe Gorga, and his wife, Melissa Gorga, which caused a massive divide among the cast.

According to a previous report from The Blast^[3], Giudice was excited about the break following the last season, calling it “good” before branding the previous few years as “toxic.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time Giudice has voiced her opinions about filming the explosive reality show with her sibling.

“I never signed up to be on a TV show with my family,” Giudice said previously. “This [‘RHONJ’] was my thing. I was excited about it. It was something new for me, and it was like my job, and I was excited, and then all of a sudden I get bombarded and ambushed by my family. And it was very sad because I felt like my dream kind of got shattered.”

During a separate interview, Cohen responded to the fan concerns about the status of one of the network’s most beloved series.

“It was really on a deep pause and we are actively there casting and looking at the future of what that will be,” Cohen said, later sharing, “It’s a great franchise, and we love it. I just have to reiterate that.”

While a premiere date for the next season of “RHONJ” is still TBD, Cohen did tell members of the Bravoverse that the new “Real Housewives of Rhode Island^[4]” will remind them of the show’s early days.

“The cast is incredible,” the father of two said. “They are very Italian,” explaining that their interpersonal relationships will make for must-see television.

“Rhode Island is such a small state, and they all kind of know each other and overlap, and it’s an incredible group of women who have really interesting connections. I think it’s going to really surprise people,” he said.

And Cohen isn’t the only one excited about welcoming a new title to Bravo’s slate of programming. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee also got in on the fun, writing, “We’re excited to welcome Bravo, The Real Housewives, and their millions of viewers to Rhode Island to showcase our vibrant communities, amazing food, and stunning coastal beauty. #RHORI.”