Credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto, Bravo
Andy Cohen caused shockwaves among Real Housewives of New Jersey fans on Monday when he declared on his SiriusXM radio show that the series would be rebooted, potentially with “all fresh faces” for season 15. However, according to an insider, no official decisions have been made.
After Andy, 56, suggested that Teresa Giudice, 52, Melissa Gorga, 45, Dolores Catania, 53, Margaret Josephs, 57, Jennifer Aydin, 47, Danielle Cabral, 38, Rachel Fuda, 33, Jackie Goldschneider, 47, and Jennifer Fessler, 54, would all be replaced, the source suggested that producers are still unsure of how to move forward.
“Nothing has been decided yet,” an insider revealed to PEOPLE on July 29.
Hours prior, Andy had said on Andy Cohen Live, “We are rebooting the show. We’re going to reboot it. We’re going to do something different.”
“We’re gonna see what we do. We’ll see. I don’t know. Maybe just all fresh faces? Maybe. We’ll see,” he added.
And this wasn’t the first time he mentioned the idea. In fact, earlier this month on his radio show, Andy discussed a “rebrand.”
“We’re gonna figure something out. We are all on the same page about that,” he confirmed.
While a full reboot may seem drastic to some, it would be the second time it happened in the Real Housewives franchise. As fans will recall, The Real Housewives of New York City received a new cast after a poorly rated 13th season, which, like RHONJ season 14, also featured a canceled reunion.
Following the cancellation of RHONJ‘s reunion, producers opted to bring the ladies together for a casual watch party at Rails Steakhouse (where the finale was filmed), sans Andy. And while the special won’t air for a couple of weeks, it’s already become controversial due to footage allegedly getting scrapped from the final cut.
“As you guys know, Danielle threw a glass pitcher at Jennifer,” a source alleged to OK! Magazine on July 29. “[But] for some reason, the action of Danielle actually throwing the glass pitcher at Jen was cut. You still see glass on the floor, and there’s obviously a ton of tension in the room, but the scene doesn’t make complete sense, as no one completely understands what caused it to be there.”
“The cast was dumbfounded when they were brought together to see the finale at Rails and discuss it,” the source continued. “None of them understood why this scene would have been cut. It was a completely violent, insane outburst and fans should truly get to see it in order to fully grasp the severity of the situation and what happened.”
According to the report, no one understands why the scene was allegedly scrapped, but some believe producers left it out of the upcoming special for legal reasons pertaining to Danielle, who was also involved in a physical altercation with Jennifer earlier in the season.
As for season 15, OK! Magazine’s insider said that the cast was currently in the dark.
“So much is up in the air as to who, if anyone, will stay. So, some people are surmising it’s possible they wanted to not make Danielle look as bad for the audience in case they decide to bring her back. She is on the younger end, so it’s totally plausible they could be trying to build a cast around her,” the source suspected. “Danielle does have an issue with Teresa at this point. And whatever ends up happening with the show… many don’t feel there is a show without Teresa. So, ultimately, if they keep anyone, it probably will end up being her and one or two others.”
“She’s been with the show since [its] inception,” the insider added. “And when you think RHONJ, you don’t immediately think Teresa. It truly is her show.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 finale airs Sunday, August 4, at 8/7c on Bravo.
