The Real Housewives Of New Jersey ended its last season without a reunion, and it was noticeable that things were shifting with the cast, leaving many wondering who would be returning for RHONJ season 15. While there have always been mainstay cast members on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, like original cast member Teresa Giudice, there have also been additions in the last few seasons that viewers aren’t interested in seeing again. The long-running show is part of the Real Housewives franchise, which has become one of the largest in the reality TV industry over the years.
While The Real Housewives Of New Jersey is meant to be a peek behind the curtain at a group of luxe housewives living in northern New Jersey, the show has turned into something totally different through the years. Each of the Real Housewives series is critical to the franchise, bringing groups of women into the spotlight as they navigate their own lives and the groups they’ve created with one another, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. While some of the drama on Real Housewives shows can feel manufactured, it’s typical that the situations may be fabricated, but the reactions are real.
The Real Housewives Of New Jersey has been an outlier in the Real Housewives franchise for years, as it focuses on a small area of the Garden State, around 35 miles out of the glamour of New York City. The suburban area has a layer of glitz of its own, and the women featured often show off that their lifestyles are just as fabulous as the women in the city, sometimes more. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey features more family members than any other Real Housewives series, which has ultimately complicated the series more than the others, as well.
The past iterations of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey have featured cast members like Caroline Manzo and her sister, Dina Manzo, and their sister-in-law, Jacqueline Laurita. Teresa also has a family affair on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, as her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga has become her nemesis on the show. Teresa and her brother, Joe Gorga, have been estranged for years, and Teresa’s feud with Melissa has become the backbone of RHONJ whether viewers are interested or not. With RHONJ season 14 struggling to keep viewers, the drama of the feud has fallen flat.
Although Teresa and Melissa’s feud has carried on for seasons, things have gotten to a point where the women are in an unmovable stalemate. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 14 was difficult for viewers to watch or invest in, knowing that there was going to be no movement on Teresa and Melissa’s messy relationship, but also knowing that the rest of the show’s drama would get sucked into the vortex of their feud, as well. With the show returning for a revamped RHONJ season 15, many are curious about which alumni could be joining the cast.
10 Dolores Catania
Main Cast: Season 7-Present
As a longtime part of the RHONJ cast, Dolores Catania has been a main cast member for nearly half of the series. While her storylines in recent years have revolved around supporting the Teresa and Melissa feud, Dolores has been showing off her relationship with her family during her time on the series outside of the feud. While she doesn’t typically get up close and personal with the drama, Dolores knows how to engage when she has to.
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Dolores being one of the longtime cast members of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey has brought her a group of fans who care for her deeply, even though she can be polarizing in some ways. Her extended time on the series has ensured that viewers have gotten to know her in moments of strength and moments of weakness. While she may not always add to the drama of the show, she should return for RHONJ season 15 for her strength, tenacity, and humor.
9 Kathy Wakile
Main Cast: Season 3-5/Friend Of: Season 6-7
Although she hasn’t been on the show since The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 7, Kathy Wakile was part of the show for a stretch during the early seasons. Viewers may remember Kathy’s difficulties on the show as she tried to make peace between Teresa and Melissa frequently. A cousin of Teresa and Melissa’s husband Joe, Kathy did her best not to take sides when it came to the fighting between the sisters-in-law, but it was tough for her to handle.
While Kathy was initially closer to Teresa, she got dragged into the middle of her arguments with Melissa and found herself empathizing with both women as they continued their never-ending fight. Though viewers may not have always understood Kathy’s decision not to take one side or another, they appreciated her dedication to staying unbiased. Though Kathy no longer speaks to Teresa or Melissa because of their feud, seeing her back on RHONJ season 15 would be a fascinating twist.
8 Margaret Josephs
Main Cast: Season 8-Present
As another current cast member on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, Margaret Josephs has become one of the more polarizing figures on RHONJ aside from Teresa and Melissa. After joining The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 8 as a main cast member, Margaret was quickly able to make a name for herself on the series and off. Margaret has worked hard to build her lifestyle brand from the ground up, and moving into her role on the show, she knew she wanted to be memorable.
While Margaret is typically part of the drama on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, she doesn’t always make herself the focal point, which has drawn viewers in and kept them supporting her. Margaret doesn’t mind adding fuel to the fire when it comes to the drama of RHONJ, but she does her best to only do so when it makes sense and won’t blow back onto her. With RHONJ season 15 needing a refresh, allowing Margaret to take on more of the drama would be a great thing to see.
7 Teresa Guidice
Main Cast: Season 1-Present
As one of the main cast members of the series and the only remaining original housewife, Teresa is the most memorable name and face on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey. Although many have panned her and Melissa’s feud on RHONJ season 14, some even pointing out that it could be a series-ending issue, Teresa is still the focal point of the show. As the only original cast member remaining, Teresa has likely been hesitant to move away from the show that made her a household name.
While Teresa’s issues with Melissa have been longstanding and don’t seem like they’re going to be resolved, it’s possible that the women could figure out how to co-exist on RHONJ if they need to. Teresa’s been excited to branch out, but returning to The Real Housewives Of New Jersey is likely the best possible idea for her. If Melissa is willing to take a step away, Teresa could truly be the star of the show.
6 Caroline Manzo
Main Cast: Season 1-5
Although Caroline Manzo hasn’t been part of the show since The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 5, she’s been on other reality TV series surrounding her family and the Real Housewives franchise, which could bode well for a return. Caroline, who was one of the older cast members featured on the series at the beginning of its run, brought some intense drama to the show. Fiercely loyal to her family, Caroline was clear that she wasn’t there to hear what anyone else thought of her.
Caroline’s time on RHONJ branched out into a spin-off with her three children, Manzo’d With Children, which ran for three seasons before coming to an end. Though she’s taken a step back from reality TV after appearing on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls’ Trip season 4, Caroline returning to RHONJ could be a fascinating turn of events. Even though she may not be interested in the drama, Caroline has always been someone who could handle anything the other housewives threw at her.
5 Amber Marchese
Main Cast: Season 6
Amber Marchese was only part of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 6, but her time on the series was memorable. At a time when the show was going through a bit of a refresh, Amber was able to bring some levity to RHONJ. As a one-season cast member, Amber worked hard to stay relevant on the show, but remain out of the drama as much as possible without being entirely out of the story.
Though Amber was only part of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey for a season, she left a lasting legacy on the show and beyond. Working through some incredibly difficult issues in public on an appearance on Marriage Boot Camp after RHONJ, Amber’s life changed drastically after her time on the series. Even though another appearance on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey may look entirely different, Amber would be an interesting alumnus to invite back.
4 Kim DePaola
Guest/Friend Of: Season 2-8
As one of the more memorable guest cast members on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, Kim DePaola appeared on the series for several of the early seasons. First showing up as a friend of Teresa during RHONJ season 2, Kim was able to stir up drama on the show without even getting her name in the opening credits. While she shared her own issues on the show from time to time, her main function in the cast was supporting Teresa and doing it better than most of the other guest cast members.
Kim may not have many ties to The Real Housewives Of New Jersey cast at this point, but her friendship with Teresa could bring her back to the show for another season. Kim’s life was always interesting to watch, and as she came in to support Teresa in times of struggle, she was always someone viewers were interested in. Seeing Kim on RHONJ season 15 would be an incredible turn of events.
3 Danielle Staub
Main Cast: Season 1-2/Friend Of: Season 8-10
As one of the most memorable cast members in The Real Housewives Of New Jersey history, bringing Danielle Staub back for RHONJ season 15 would be iconic. Having started out with the rest of the main cast during the first few seasons of the series, Danielle was immediately someone who the public recognized as reality TV gold. With a shady past and an outspoken personality, she did her best not to make too many enemies but failed in doing so time and time again.
Danielle and Teresa were able to play off each other in the first seasons of the series, and with Melissa potentially out of the game, Teresa will need a new opposition. While Danielle and Teresa could potentially repair their issues if she were to return to the series, it would be shocking to see either of them fold so easily. Instead, seeing Danielle come back to The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 15 would be an amazing twist.
2 Jacqueline Laurita
Main Cast: Season 1-7
As a main cast member in the first seasons of the series, Jacqueline Laurita has been one of the fan favorites on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey throughout the years. Though she has made appearances in the years since, her last time as a main cast member was on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season 7. Jacqueline returning in a full capacity would be interesting considering the lack of Manzo family members still on the series, but her penchant for drama could be well worth it.
Jacqueline’s time on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey was memorable because of the issues she faced within her own family, as well as with the rest of the cast. Jacqueline has always been open to sharing her opinions on what’s happening with the rest of the RHONJ cast. Despite the fact that Jacqueline doesn’t love confrontation, she’s always willing to get her hands dirty for the sake of loyalty.
1 The Twins: Nicole Napolitano & Teresa Aprea
Main Cast: Season 6/Friend Of: Season 7
While the twins, Nicole Napolitano and Teresa Aprea, were only on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey seasons 6 & 7, they would be iconic to bring back for RHONJ season 15. Nicole and Teresa were rather low on drama with the rest of the cast, but they were both able to bring a unique sense of energy to the series, and their issues with one another were a major source of drama in the series. The pair struggled to deal with Teresa Giudice as well, which made for some interesting storylines.
Despite the fact that Teresa and Nicole weren’t on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey for long, the pair were able to make a lasting impression on viewers. Both had issues with the longtime cast member Teresa, but they’ve been able to mend fences with the RHONJ titan in their time offscreen. Now, Nicole and Teresa could be great assets to Teresa if they were to return to The Real Housewives Of New Jersey in the future.
Source: Danielle Staub/Instagram, Kathy Wailke/Instagram
