Jackie Goldschneider shared where she stands with Melissa Gorga – amid her feud with Melissa’s ally Margaret Josephs – and addressed whether she switched “teams” for clout.
On the upcoming season of Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jackie and Margaret battled over Jackie’s book deal. Melissa – who swears constant fealty to Margaret – soon joined Margaret’s shade parade against their former friend.
“Nothing happened with Melissa,” said Jackie in a December 8 interview with In Touch. “So I don’t know if Melissa just jumped on what was happening with me and Margaret [Josephs] and made it hers … But I have no problem with Melissa, I never had an argument with Melissa. So I’m officially saying that I have no issue with Melissa.”
The ‘friend of’ said she’s “not sure if [Melissa] has an issue with me,” though Jackie admitted she’s developed close relationships with other castmates.
“I really have a nice friendship now with some people that I wasn’t friends with in the past and so I’m excited for people to see how that came about,” said Jackie, who noted that her podcast co-host Jennifer Fessler has the “best spot,” as she’s “friends with everybody.”
“I’m trying,” said Jennifer of her position with the cast. “We don’t know how long it’ll last.”
Will Jennifer and Jackie get promoted to full-time status?
“People think about it probably more than we do because we are very involved the whole season,” answered Jennifer. “We were in the thick of it, but I’m not really necessarily waiting for that.”
According to Jackie, the only distinction between a full-time castmate and a “friend” is “the picture on the poster and the tagline.” She continued, “Other than that, I’m not sure there’s that much of a difference. I like where we are, so there’s also that.”
Their castmate Melissa – speaking to the same outlet – addressed the reality of filming with sister-in-law Teresa Giudice, who she’s no longer speaking to.
“It’s not an easy navigation. Never was,” said Melissa. “I feel like it always just finds me the drama on this show.”
The star claimed she’s staying “true” to herself.
“I always have. And I call a spade a spade and if I see bulls–t, I call bulls–t,” Melissa added. “And that’s how you do Housewives.”
In an interview with The Messenger, Jackie addressed the allegation that she switched ‘teams’ for clout.
“There’s this narrative going around by some people that I did it for relevancy,” said Jackie. “I can breathe and be relevant enough. I can show up and just be relevant enough. So I didn’t need to do that.”
“I can’t wait for people to see organically how a new friendship came about,” she continued, addressing her friendship with Teresa. “I think it’s great. That’s what the shows should be like — you were fighting and then you found your way back to each other. Who wants to stay on a ‘team’?”
Fessler said it was “difficult” when Jackie and Margaret’s drama emerged.
