Relations between the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were so volatile that Bravo bosses had no choice but to scrap the season 14 reunion over fears the women could not be trusted to be in the same room, insiders have revealed.
Viewers witnessed yet another fractured season thanks to the longstanding rift between feuding sisters-in-law Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga, while the rest of the famous cast – Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Jackie Goldschneider and Jenn Fessler – also continued to drift apart.
Earlier this week it was confirmed that the traditional reunion had been dropped for the first time in the series’ history, sparking reports producers are frantically trying to figure out a way to move forward with the show.
Now, insiders have revealed show bosses were forced to scrap the reunion as reuniting the women would have proved cataclysmic.
‘The reunion was scrapped because there is absolutely no way these women could be in a room together after the final,’ a source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Relations between the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were so volatile that Bravo bosses had no choice but to scrap the season 14 reunion
It comes as Teresa Giudice (left) and Melissa Gorga (right) refused to speak to each other while filming the current season – a dynamic that Andy Cohen branded ‘unsustainable’
‘A reunion is for resolution and it is clear that this would not happen in the traditional reunion format so bosses are working on something else that could work.’
The ongoing drama has resulted in RHONJ having split panels at BravoCon for the past two years, and executives are said to be desperately scrambling for ways to keep the series moving forward.
A second insider claimed show bosses believe some fresh new faces might be the answer, adding: ‘Producers have been advised to be on the lookout for new wives.’
They also claimed bosses could consider the possibility of a spin-off series for Teresa.
‘They do not want Teresa to take her audience to another platform so are mapping out a way to keep her on the network if she decides not to return after the current series,’ the insider explained. ‘They could offer her a spin off, but there are concerns about what this would actually involve.’
News that the show would not have a reunion did not come as a complete surprise to fans who watched as Teresa and Melissa refused to speak to each other while filming – something executive producer Andy Cohen branded ‘unsustainable.’
However, Teresa recently made it clear that she would have been keen to attend the reunion, noting that she had come up with a way to handle her feud with husband and wife Rachel and John Fuda.
Speaking on Sunday’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the mother-of- four said: ‘It’s too bad we aren’t having a reunion because I was going to bring an envelope and I was going to take something out of the envelope.’
A source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com: ‘The reunion was scrapped because there is absolutely no way these women could be in a room together after the final’
Executives are said to be desperately looking for a way to keep the series moving forward (pictured Melissa and Joe Gorga)
The comment was a reference to the season 13 reunion which saw John flaunting an envelope with alleged proof that Teresa’s husband Luis Ruelas had been investigating his family – however, he never actually opened it.
Former RHONJ star Kim ‘D’ DePaola agreed, telling DailyMail.com that the axed reunion could spell trouble for the current cast members – noting that Bravo would need to pull off a miracle in order to salvage the series.
Kim insisted that it was ‘unheard of’ to cancel a reunion episode, adding: ‘Bravo are disgusted with this cast.’
The Get Real With Kim D podcast host said that there’s ‘no saving’ the show with the current cast because none of them are actually friends in real life.
‘They all can’t stand each other,’ she said. ‘Not one of them really like each other,.
‘There’s no chance this group will have resolution… These people were banding together on each side to get the other side fired.’
She then stated that the only way to fix RHONJ is to reboot it entirely, something Andy shut down this week.
‘No decisions have been made,’ he told Entertainment Tonight. ‘We haven’t even had any serious conversations about next season.’
Viewers will have the opportunity to see the feuding Teresa and Melissa on-screen in the final episode of this season, which Dolores described as being so chaotic that it ended ‘a lot of relationships’ on the show.
Andy described it as ‘The Last Supper’ – potentially a dark foretelling of what could be coming for the current stars.
Teresa recently revealed she was keen to face off against Rachel Fuda (right) and her husband John at the season 14 reunion
‘I think that the main thing is this will all make sense once you see the finale,’ he revealed on Radio Andy’s Reality Checked. ‘It is one of those classic Jersey finales that people will be talking about for a long time to come.’
Teresa and Melissa’s feud has been raging for months now – with the former even going as far as to blame her sister-in-law for putting her in prison during last year’s reunion episode.
‘I want everybody to hear this because we’re bringing this all out because this is over after today,’ Teresa told Melissa during the heated exchange. ‘I’m never going to look at your face again.’
But that’s not the only drama to have rocked the show as Jennifer Aydin and newcomer Danielle Cabral were also suspended during filming following a physical altercation, further throwing the future of the series into question.
Plans on casting changes for the 15th season have yet to be confirmed (pictured Danielle Cabral, Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania and Jennifer Fessler in May 2023)
Last September, US Weekly reported Jennifer and Danielle were ‘suspended from filming for several days’ due to an on set altercation.
During the pre-taped finale, the costars were seen insulting each other, with a glass pitcher thrown during the blowout.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s current and 14th season premiered on May 5.
Episodes air on Bravo every Sunday and are available to stream on Peacock the following day.
Plans on casting changes for the 15th season have yet to be confirmed by the media company or current housewives.
