Credit: MEGA
After it was confirmed that Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, and Dolores Catania would be the three main cast members returning for season 15 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, rumors began popping up that Danielle Staub and Kim DePaola would return to the show.
Reality Blurb spoke exclusively to an insider to find out if the rumors had any truth to them.
“Kim D is absolutely in the running to return,” the source revealed. “She knows all the women, has authentic relationships with them, and a LONG history both with them and the show.”
Aside from that, the insider insisted she’s in the running because Bravo knows “they need someone to stir the pot.”
“She’s never been afraid to be that person,” they added. “Love her or hate her, she’s authentically herself and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.”
As far as Danielle goes, though, the source spilled there’s “not a chance production would bring her back.”
“They gave her a second chance, and that resulted in her pulling Margaret’s hair hard, which production was not a fan of,” they explained. “They like drama, but violent behavior has always been something they’re not in favor of.”
“She hasn’t been brought back in years, has hardly been discussed in years, and isn’t on production or Bravo’s radar to bring back,” they elaborated.
The insider also pointed out that Danielle was “the first guest ever to be on Watch What Happens Live,” but still hasn’t returned to the network in quite some time.
“Was she even invited to Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip? No,” they shared. “So many of the other women were, and she wasn’t. If she was SO important to Bravo and even REMOTELY on their radar for season 15 of RHONJ, trust there’d be some sort of contact with her.”
The source concluded by also sharing Danielle “doesn’t have relationships currently with any of the women on the cast,” so a return for her “simply wouldn’t make sense.”
“Ultimately, Bravo finds her to be a liability given her past behavior, and there’s not a chance she’s coming back,” they said.
When Reality Blurb initially confirmed Teresa, Melissa, and Dolores were returning to the franchise, a source stated that fans “long believed it would either be Teresa or Melissa due to all of the tension and issues that arose during season 14 with them refusing to talk to one another, but Bravo ended up bringing them both back. It absolutely helps that they made up off-camera and are now getting along as a family unit. Bravo stressed during the last season that something needed to change, and the cast could not go on like this.”
They noted that Teresa and Melissa have “legions of fans,” and so Bravo knew cutting one or the other “wouldn’t make sense.”
“As far as Dolores goes, she’s always been neutral, but she’s absolutely a fan and network favorite,” they added. “Bravo put her on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island not only because they enjoy her, but also due to her popularity. She’s easy to work with, pleasant, and was the only person able to navigate the very split cast of season 14 of RHONJ without taking sides.”