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Margaret Josephs doesn’t believe Teresa Giudice is all that crucial to the success of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Amid rumors suggesting Teresa may want to leave the series and focus instead on her own spinoff with Luis Ruelas, Margaret shared her thoughts on moving on without her while also revealing why she isn’t convinced that a spinoff following the soon-to-be-wed couple would do well.
Looking back at the moment Luis pulled Teresa away from the cast in Nashville, declaring that they don’t need to engage in the drama and should instead retreat to their $3.35 million home in New Jersey, Margaret said on Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef, “That was a heated moment.”
“I was shocked when I saw that back. Listen, I’m sure sometimes she’s like, you know, ‘Take me away from all this.’ And at other times, it’s a business, it’s the only thing she’s known for so many years,” Margaret explained.
While many felt that the moment pointed toward Teresa leaving RHONJ, Margaret said she isn’t concerned either way.
“I think we’d be fine,” she stated. “It’s an ensemble… We’d get more women and I think everything evolves. I mean, [The Real Housewives of Atlanta] has carried on. Other shows have lost the people they’ve started with… The Garden State won’t fall down.”
As for Teresa’s potential spinoff, Margaret said, “I don’t think it’s happening… I just don’t see it happening.”
“I’m sure she would love it… [But] what would be happening?” Margaret wondered. “I don’t know what would be happening there. I just feel like she’s good in an ensemble. She needs other people to play off on.”
Although many Real Housewives spinoffs have seen success, including Vanderpump Rules and Kandi and The Gang, Margaret pointed out that they didn’t follow only their respective Housewives, Lisa Vanderpump and Kandi Burruss, but also an ensemble cast.
“Kandi’s not the main character. It is an ensemble. You know, Don’t Be Tardy was… [Kim Zolciak] and [Kroy Biermann] and everything else,” Margaret said. “I just, I don’t know. I just don’t see it.”
According to Margaret, she believes Teresa is “tired” after being “drained” by season 12 but doesn’t know if she would actually leave the RHONJ cast.
“I don’t know what she wants… “It’s a weird thing. I mean, after the last episode, you have to decide,” she shared.
As the cast looks ahead to season 13 amid rumors of the additions of three new ladies, Margaret said it’s not easy for new cast members to be brought into the group.
“I think it’s so hard to infiltrate because we are all genuine friends and we’re very strong personalities… And I think that’s why the emotions run so deep,” she explained. “We see each other all year round and we socialize. The husbands. We have husbands that are good friends… Everybody socializes. So this is real emotions. I think this is hard. I don’t know if any other franchise has the bond that we have all year round.”
During the latest season of the show, Gia Giudice, 21, made waves as she became part of the drama, much to the dismay of several cast members, including Margaret.
“I’m not going to yell at [Gia]. I love her. I’m upset that she gets upset. Of course, she wants to be protective of her mother but I am not going to yell at a young girl. I was shocked,” Margaret admitted of the shade she threw at her after she refused to wear a pair of pants from Teresa’s leggings line. “I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I’m not going to bring in someone’s child into an argument. I mean, Teresa says, ‘I’m proud she defends her mother.’ I would be to my child: ‘This is not your fight This isn’t for you. I want you to be okay. You know, thank you for feeling the need to protect me, but that’s not your job.'”
Margaret also didn’t agree with Teresa’s decision to leave Dolores Catania out of her engagement party, reportedly because she’s close to Dina Manzo‘s estranged sister, Caroline Manzo, although she claimed to have invited only couples.
“Dolores isn’t single, she has [Paul Connell]. So I find that not very nice,” Margaret declared. “She’s known Dolores a very long time. I just find that a little weird.”
Also on the podcast, Margaret revealed the biggest misconception she believes fans have about her.
“I care about kids so much that I don’t mention my children’s names. I keep them out of the public eye… My whole life is really about my children… I think that’s the biggest misconception people think because I don’t show that part of my life,” she shared.
RHONJ Live Viewing – This is also the live viewing thread for tonight’s episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 12. Please share your thoughts below as the episode airs at 8/7c on Bravo.