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Credit: Iris Zimmerman/INSTARimages, INSTARimages
Bravo fans currently have several of their favorite shows airing simultaneously. However, one that’s notably absent and has no premiere date in sight is The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Recently, Margaret Josephs sat down for an interview to discuss the show’s future, her thoughts on the debt issues with Teresa Giudice and Luis Ruelas, and her feelings about Dolores Catania joining The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, among other topics.
Season 14 of RHONJ aired in 2024, but the cast’s divisions were so great that Bravo canceled its reunion and instead aired a watch party. Now, there have been no official announcements regarding its return.
Margaret recently interviewed on the Reality Court podcast and discussed the series in-depth. During part of the interview, the hosts asked a series of rapid-fire questions, one of which was if she thought Luis was a good businessman. Specifically, she was supposed to answer true or false. Margaret responded, “False. No explanation.” She also confirmed that she does not believe him to be a “stand-up guy.”
From there, the hosts asked the RHONJ star if there is a part of her that feels bad for Teresa amid all the headlines about their financial woes and tax debt. According to her, “No. You know why? I think you could be that way once. And to be honest, this is, and I do believe this.”
She went on, “And I think he’s entertaining and funny. He loves his daughters. And I think he has a lot of good qualities. And I do think he’s not evil. I think he could get mad and all those things.
Regarding Teresa and Luis, she continued, “I think there is something here that’s very calculated. I think she’s, that she could stand by somebody who’s clearly isolated her from people who are in her life. I’ve seen her be isolated from friendships in her life, her family. I had no ill will towards her whatsoever.”
She continued, “I was protective over her from the beginning. I was like, listen, I’ve been around the block. I’m on my second husband. I’ve had adult relationships. I was just like, keep your eyes open. You know, we’re doing a show. I was like, all right, address the video. I wasn’t being mean about it. ‘I didn’t release that video. The ex didn’t send me that video.”
For context, Teresa accused Margaret of releasing a strange video of Luis at a self-improvement camp, where he was shirtless on a beach and chanting affirmations.
She added, “But with that being said, I don’t feel sorry for her. Numerous people spoke to her and just said, take it slow. Andy Cohen told her to get a prenup, all those things, you know, they chose their path. Things are coming to fruition that everybody forewarned her about.”
She then said, “By the way, I feel terrible for them. You know, I’ve had very bad things happen, and when you’re in the public eye, you know, I hope they get out of it. I don’t want bad things for her. She has four daughters and everything else. But with that being said, she’s vicious.”
Margaret continued discussing her feelings about Teresa, saying, “You know, she says horrible things about me on a daily basis, obsesses about her brother, says horrible things about Melissa. While we’re all going on with our lives, she is sitting there, you know, ruminating over us. And I think that’s all.”
Naturally, they also discussed what’s going on with The Real Housewives of New Jersey. When asked if she’s in the dark about its status, Margaret explained, “Truthfully, I am. I do know nothing’s happening. A little more like I know definitely nothing is happening this year, let’s put it that way.”
She then said, “Nothing’s happening till 2026. You know, the IP is very valuable. And that based on, you know, what’s going on in Atlanta, that some people will come back, some people won’t, but you know, things change every day at Bravo.
The interview went on, and they later asked if she believes there is a world where Teresa and Joe Gorga could repair their relationship. She said, bluntly, “No. No. I don’t see it.” The hosts then remarked on how sad this was, and she continued, “I think it’s very sad. I think it’s very sad. I think, in my opinion, it’s generational.”
She continued, “I said this to Teresa. I said this to Joe. Their own father did not reconcile with Kathy’s mother.” Margaret went on to explain how it’s not unheard of for siblings to go non-contact with each other.
The topic of Dolores potentially joining The Real Housewives of Rhode Island also came up in the conversation. When asked if she had any intel on this and if she’s heard the rumor, she responded, “Of course I’ve heard the rumor. I mean, you’d have to be Stevie Wonder, and blind and deaf, you know, or a combination of.”
The businesswoman continued, “Now, Dolores, you know what I’m saying? I’m sure there’s some validity to it. You know, Dolores, when she wants to tell me, she’ll tell me. We haven’t really discussed it. I don’t push my friends to tell me something. When they’re ready to tell me, they’ll tell me.”
She added, “She did amazing on Traitors. I’ll be thrilled for her. Whatever she does, I am happy.” Regarding Dolores, they also asked Margaret if she was “terrified” the time she yelled at her during season 14 over the pre-reunion meetup. Margaret said, “No, I wasn’t terrified, but I was in shock. I was a little in shock. I was like, ‘what is going on here?’”
She went on, “Because we are very good friends and she’s never yelled at me like that before, because I was like, what’s happening? I was like caught off guard.”
Towards the end, they discussed The Real Housewives of New Jersey again. Specifically, the hosts asked what Margaret would do to save it. She answered, “My idea of a perfect cast would be the majority of the ladies coming back. I can’t work with Teresa, so I can’t say that. She could go do her own spinoff. You know, she has a lot going on, I think that people would like to see.”
She went on, “I would love, you know, everybody, not everybody, but, you know, my crew to come back and some, at least three new ladies. Beverly Hills has a very big cast. And I think we could have like nine girls. I think we need some new blood.”
They then asked about Jennifer Fessler coming back as a friend of the show, and she agreed, saying, “I’m going to be honest with you. I think Jen Fessler cannot, I love Jen Fessler. I don’t think she can handle it as a housewife. She gets too nervous. She says it herself, she can’t handle [it] as a housewife.”
Fans can listen to the full episode of Reality Court on all podcast platforms.
