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Margaret Josephs is clapping back at Teresa Giudice‘s suggestion that she’ll be vindicated before the end of the currently airing season of the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
As she also reacted to claims that Teresa, 52, and Jennifer Aydin, 47, have been feeding information about the show to bloggers, dished on her falling out with Jackie Goldschneider, 47, and addressed Jennifer’s physical altercation with Danielle Cabral, 38, Margaret, 57, spoke of the dramatic season 14 finale, the potential cast reboot, and more.
“It’s sad, a lot of fractured friendships, but I think people see the real truth,” Margaret began during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on June 28. “Everyone’s gonna be super entertained– and just wait for that season finale, because … maybe I’m gonna be the one vindicated this time.”
Although Teresa has claimed that she and her husband, Luis Ruelas, 50, will be vindicated from the lies that have been told about him in recent years, Margaret laughed off the idea.
According to Margaret, the “smoking gun” teasing that she was once in contact with Luis’ ex-fiance. However, as she explained, the timing is off as she only got in touch with the ex after Teresa reached out to her former friend, Laura Marasca Jensen, who accused Margaret of being the source of a rumor suggesting Melissa Gorga, 45, had cheated on husband Joe Gorga amid season 13.
Margaret and Teresa have also been at odds over Luis’ alleged phone calls to Margaret’s son, which he has denied, with Margaret claiming she has more evidence against Luis but won’t because she wants to honor his desire to remain private.
“I don’t have to prove it to anybody. The people who know are myself, the network, my close friends, and that’s what the people need to know,” she stated.
And as for Luis’ suggestion that his number was only on phone records because it was spoofed, Margaret denied any such thing.
“There was a conversation that was had,” she shared. “It wasn’t like there was no one on the other end. There was threats made … [My son] said, the phone number was seen. That I [know who you are] … [Louie] immediately said, ‘Oh, it’s the wrong number. I have the wrong number,’ hung up.”
Moving onto Teresa and Jennifer’s blogger drama, which Teresa has denied, Margaret said the claims of her castmates leaking information is “a thousand percent true.”
“I was alerted by another account that this was happening. I had filed a police report against that account and, it’s so funny, in one of the screenshot this account says to Teresa — the screenshots! Oh my god. ‘I got a cease and desist letter from Margaret’s attorney.’ Classic!” she exclaimed.
“This account has had a change of heart, a come to Jesus moment, thankfully, you know? In good conscience and in good faith, has come clean with everything,” she continued, “I believe it all to be true, because … everything she has said, you know, over the months of last year during filming, of this year, was all coming out on the blogs prior. It’s nothing– everything does add up. And it’s sad. It’s sad that someone would hijack seasons like that, hire people to do these horrible things. It’s very, very unfortunate.”
“This woman [posting receipts now] has an entire Bible, years of things. Screeners were sent. I mean, this is sick. This is manipulation of an entire season — seasons, I should say,” she added.
Although Margaret has been accused of leaking information to blogs herself, she claims she’s “never” done so.
“I don’t need to. I don’t have time,” she insisted. “I actually have businesses and a job outside of this … [Plus] this account was the most vile account in the entire universe,” she reiterates. “So I did all of that, years in advance, to then twist and turn around just to take down Teresa and Jennifer? OK…”
During RHONJ season 14, Margaret had a falling out with Jackie, who then made nice with Teresa. And, in recent months, Jackie has accused Margaret of instructing her to quit the show if Luis returned.
“Jenn Fessler has come to my defense and told the truth,” Margaret said in response, signaling Jennifer Fessler‘s recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live, where she denied Jackie’s claim. “I never said that … Why would I even ask Jackie, who I didn’t even know was going to be asked back, who was hanging on by a thread, to not come back? I would never ask anybody to give up their career.”
Regarding her own decision to return, despite Luis’ role on season 14, Margaret pointed out that she has “not filmed” with him.
“[The producers] understand the severity of the situation, the way I felt. It’s boundaries. I have boundaries that were crossed … and they respect those boundaries. It’s very simple,” she explained.
While it has been alleged that Margaret and Jackie’s feud was prompted by Jackie not giving Margaret an advanced copy of her book, Margaret said there’s more to the story.
“What I was hurt and sad about was, I was the first one who knew about everything, because I helped her get [the book deal] … We had the same publisher. She needed my press list. She needed my influencer list. … Everybody who works for her, worked for me originally,” she revealed. “So, I felt it was very calculated of her to not give me the book.”
“That’s why I was frustrated and irritated. I think that didn’t come across,” Margaret admitted.
After their friendship came to an end, Margaret admitted she was “not surprised at all” by Jackie’s newfound relationship with Teresa.
“I think that they deserve each other,” Margaret stated. “I am a good friend, regardless of what anybody says. I’m brutally honest, and that’s what you get with me as a friend. What you get with both of them is a friend based on being calculated for convenience, and what you could get out of each other, and it’s not a true friendship.”
Looking back, Margaret said she has “no regrets” over her handling of the falling out, even when it came to showing Dolores Catania, 53, a mean text message Jackie sent about her.
“I was very true to myself, and what I was showing Dolores [was] just basically a glimpse [of] … what I go [through] with Jackie,” Margaret reasoned. “My job with Jackie was … talking her off the ledge on a regular basis.”
Margeret went on to say that she only showed the text after Jackie ran and hugged her husband, Joe Benigno, following their falling out.
“Very inappropriate after you just scream at me,” she pointed out. “Then, going to Dolores, who she just [badmouthed] only, like, three weeks prior, not even, you know, saying these horrible things, acting like you’re her friend and everything else? So it was just, like … let me show Dolores what you’re really like. Don’t try and discredit me.”
Although Margaret and Dolores have their own issues later this season, Margaret confirmed it was not over any potential text she leaked of hers and added that she and Dolores “made up very quickly.”
“I hope it was worth that. You gave up true friendships of myself, Melissa. We really, we really loved you. We really championed you, and I just hope it was worth it. But you reap what you sow,” Margaret continued of Jackie.
Reflecting on Jennifer and Danielle’s fight, Margaret said it was Jennifer who was “clearly at fault.”
“Danielle, it was a knee-jerk reaction,” she noted of Danielle hitting Jennifer with a glass after Jennifer pushed her.
“I think Jennifer has set up Danielle more than once,” Margaret went on. “I think it just sets in motion that Danielle realizes that these people, really, it comes to light that these people are not her friends, or never were her friends, and I think this season really takes a turn.”
Looking ahead to the taping of the RHONJ finale, Margaret couldn’t put the blame on anyone in particular.
“I think there’s just such a buildup of so many relationships that just explode,” she suspected, adding that “there’s just nowhere to go from there.”
While Andy Cohen, 56, has stated that the finale will serve as a finale and reunion in one, Margaret said she was disappointed that the reunion was canceled.
“I was very sad, because I think I still have a lot to say,” she shared. “Not that I think there’s going to be amends made, and that’s what a reunion is about, moving forward, but I think there’s things that I wanted to say, because so many things have transpired since. … Receipts have been shown that I would have loved to discuss, but I was like, you know what? That’s just the way it is. That’s life, and maybe it’s better, because some people I really don’t want to ever see again.”
Also during the interview, Margaret admitted she’d be okay if Bravo decided to fire her and reboot the show.
“I’ve reinvented myself numerous times,” she declares. “This is just a part of my life. Housewives has been a beautiful part of my life, not my whole life. I have [my beverage brand] Soirée, which I’m focusing on … I have a lot of things. I was on TV, as a lifestyle expert, prior to Housewives. I still have opportunities to do that. So, I have endless possibilities. So this would just be a great memory, and that would be it so. I’d be super excited just for new, exciting things to happen.”
Live Viewing Thread – This is also the live viewing thread for all new episode of the RHONJ season 14! So please feel free to chat and comment below as the episode airs on Bravo at 8/7c.
