Will Ashlee Holmes Have a Season 5 Storyline?

Laurita’s entire story line, which involved troubles with her daughter Ashley, has disappeared following Ashley’s departure from the show. “Producers have been showing all the ladies private footage of what they have all been saying behind each others’ backs hoping to bring Jacqueline and Caroline into the drama,” an insider tells me. “But so far, they have kept their cool on camera and saved the drama for Twitter, not TV.” – Huffington Post on December 3, 2011

In the trailer for RHONJ season 5, there is a clip of Jacqueline Laurita with her daughter Ashlee Holmes where Jacqueline says:

“Did you ever think we’d be here two years later…”

According to sources, Ashlee was home for two months while Bravo was taping season 5 and probably will have a minor storyline. She came home to New Jersey in early December 2012 and went back to Los Angeles in early February 2013, staying with her boyfriend.

In the beginning of season 4, Ashlee was forced from her family home and dropped off at the airport by Albie, who didn’t even carry her bags for her. Ashlee missed the flight and came back home that day, where Jacqueline was hosting a party, probably to celebrate Ashlee’s departure.

In past seasons, the Manzos and Lauritas liked to point out Ashlee’s flaws, but at least, unlike the Manzo kids, she is trying to make it on her own. Caroline and Al bought the store Cafface for Lauren, who probably hired people to run it for her, and, of course, Uncle Chris Laurita is the mastermind behind blk, stealing the idea from others and then using autism as a platform to promote the product on Bravo.

Season 3 is when Ashlee’s mother Jacqueline staged a public intervention and gave the Manzos and Greg an opportunity to mock her daughter on camera.

The 4-on-1 epic put-down fest, in which both sets of Ashley’s parents gathered together to tell her what a spoiled brat she is. To my surprise, however, the second half of the intervention brunch was a much more civil affair. Well, as civil as things get amongst Garden State guidos. Even worse, Jacqueline Laurita came off as the psycho mom and made Ashley look positively level-headed by comparison. But the Lauritas aren’t the only ones who are pissed at Ashley. Caroline Manzo‘s daughter, Lauren, asked Ashley to design some promotional t-shirts with more than a month’s notice. So basically, Ashley had a month to draw some pictures, and she didn’t do it. Lauren is definitely her mother’s daughter, so when Ashley comes bouncing into a meeting empty-handed with her jowly, bulldog grin and stupid Lindsay Lohan hat, Lauren has no interest in joining her pity party. Lauren lets her have it. [Source]

During episode 13 of season 3, Lauren berated Ashlee about being late in designing t-shirts for Lauren’s makeup-line, FACE, featured in her booth at a store in Franklin Lakes called Chateau, where Lauren was a makeup artist for a day — she quit the day after the grand opening because, according to her, she wasn’t respected [Chateau later closed and now is the location of Lauren's store Cafface, which she owns with her mother]. Jacqueline even addressed this in her Bravo blog for that episode:

“I thought it was very nice of Lauren to ask Ashley to design her T-shirts for her  grand opening at Chateau for her new business. I’m so proud of Lauren. She has come a long way in the past two years with her business and in her life. She will be a very successful woman. She is a very creative and talented make-up artist.  I think Lauren was disappointed in the designs Ashley presented to her, because not only did she not design anything from Lauren’s vision that they had previously discussed, but also because it showed that Ashley didn’t put any time or effort into them. Lauren is well aware of what Ashley is capable of drawing, and she was TRYING to give Ashley a chance to shine. Why wasn’t Ashley taking advantage of that? I just don’t get it! Ashley had plenty of time to do it and do it well. Lauren was right, Ashley did tell me she did those sketches in her car before she walked into that meeting with Lauren. I was upset about that, but I did my best not to say anything to her about it. I gave Ashley a few reminders here and there to get it done but that only annoyed her, so I decided to leave it alone.” – Jacqueline Laurita, August 15, 2011, Faking It

The following is a recap of that episode:

Cousin Lauren, a newly minted makeup artist with an alleged store that sells her makeup line, FACE, and her handbag line, Chateau Face, joined the spree. The setup was thus. Ashley, per a few grandfather-praised sketches shown for our benefit, is apparently a talented artist. (The sketches revealed pastels of women’s faces in the tradition of Virginia Slims ads in the ’70s, which is to say Ashley is still miles ahead of any Housewife in the entire franchise in terms of native talent.) Lauren needs a T-shirt design for her alleged makeup line. Ashley is tapped.  I’m not even going to get into how a half-hour of Google-searching — decades  in pre-digital research years — yielded no further information on Lauren’s lines other than that they may be procured at a pre-existing salon in Franklin Lakes. (If anyone can find more than the bare-bones Facebook page with 17 Likes and a brief mention of a “launch” with her brothers and mother present, please talk to me.) I’m only going to point out that flipping through Ashley’s sketchbook and cuttingly saying, “No. No. No,” is only appropriate if you’re auditioning for the role of Anna Wintour in a community theater production of “The Devil Wears Prada” and already playing to the cheap seats.

Ashlee tells her mother, “You lecture me about how I act and how I do this and that, but it’s, like, I’m 20 and I don’t have a kid.” She tries to turn it around by telling Jacqueline that she must have done a good job raising her, because, hey, she’s not knocked up! In her confessional, she says that Jacqueline likes to talk about the sacrifices she’s made for her, but the moment she decided to keep Ashley was the moment Jacqueline chose to be responsible for her. “So I don’t think any of that should be held against me,” Ashlee says.

Jacqueline and Chris Laurita chat with Matt and his wife Jodi about Ashley’s plans to move to California, mentioned earlier in the episode. (“I want to be somewhere that I can just focus on me and not have to hear parents in this ear saying all this stuff that I should be doing,” she said earlier. “In California, I can just focus on me and see what I want from me.”)

Matt tells them that he recently got a text from Ashleey: “I’m going to California. Are you going to pay for it or not?” He also says that Ashley flunked all of her courses at community college last year: “She has yet to show she can start or finish anything on her own.” Chris suggests they all take Ashley to a back room and beat her up. When he says this, he is smiling perhaps the only genuine smile I have seen form him in three seasons.

As Ashlee’s father Matt talks, Jacqueline makes a hand gesture to him meaning, this is going over Ashlee’s head. Ashlee sees this and is annoyed. (Rightfully so. ) A bit later, Jacqueline brings up Lauren Manzo’s decision to have Ashlee design a T-shirt for her makeup bar as proof that people believe in her. “That’s, like, not my style, what she’s making me do,” Ashlee whines. “Like, that’s why I need help. She only wants that design and, like, I don’t even, like, know how to … That’s why I have to go see a graphic artist. I’m, like, I don’t know what she’s talking about. Like, I do, but, like, I don’t. Like, it’s weird.”

As Ashlee is fighting back tears, everyone switches tack, telling her she also needs to show some more respect for them. “Just act like you give a (crap) about other people than yourself,” Matt tells her. Jacqueline tells her she feels Ashlee doesn’t respect her enough to listen to what she has to say. And that’s when Ashlee drops the “Don’t lecture me about responsibility, Miss Unplanned Pregnancy 1991.”

Jacqueline gets huffy, saying she worked hard to take care of Ashlee and was certainly more responsible when she was 20. Some back-and-forth must have gotten cut here, because suddenly Ashlee, referencing a request her mother made earlier in the episode to babysit her brothers, says, “You’re missing my entire point, and then you give me attitude. I didn’t choose to have C.J. and Nicholas. You chose to have C.J. and Nicholas.”

Jacqueline starts to lose it. “You don’t do a goddamn thing. If I ask you to watch your brother for an hour, you watch your brother for an hour. You should want to help me because I’m helping you.” Ashlee is sort of crying and laughing now: “You don’t stop and then you wonder where I get it from?” Matt tells her she needs to get that chip off her shoulder.

“She is the most disrespectful brat that I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jacqueline says, gathering her things. “You don’t appreciate a goddamn thing anybody does for you. Nothing. You continue to treat me like I’m a piece of (crap). So you know what? Why don’t you get out of my house because I don’t need to be living with someone who feels that way about it.” Then Jacqueline leaves the table.

Ashlee starts crying to Chris, Jodi and Matt that her mother makes her look like a bitch. Chris says that Jacqueline made a lot of sacrifices for Ashlee, and she feels like Ashlee hates her. Matt is more blunt: “You need to know when to shut the hell up. You know damn good and well if you pulled that (crap) and tipped your head and rolled your eyes, I’d snatch you by the neck.”

Chris finds Jacqueline sobbing in the basement. “I’m done, I swear to God,” says Jacqueline.

- Season 3, Episode 13, Child’s Play No More

RealityTVBliss outlined their theory on why Ashlee was not on season 4:

Melissa Gorga’s and Teresa Guidice’s Bravo Blogs for Season 5 Episode 1: ‘Garden State of Emergency’

Melissa’s Bravo blog for season 5 episode 1, like her performance in the premiere episode, shows her true colors, and they ain’t pretty. I’m sure she struggled to write her blog for the episode (she was the last one to publish it). In the premiere, she came across as snarky, petty, bitter and pompous and as a cold, insensitive controlling mother who could care less about her nieces on her husband’s side of the family.

“ITA Fame. She struggles to act appropriately and has always seemed very wooden and artificial to me like a jerky marionette reacting a shade too late, her voice pitched an octave too high, inappropriately enthusiastic, shrill and truly insensitive. Melissa uses a shovel when a teaspoon would do. There is something seriously wrong with that chick but I cannot put my finger on it!” – Aint Pittypat, June 2, 2013 at 10:39 PM, Fame-Whorgas

In comparison, Teresa’s Bravo Bravo blog for the premiere episode shows she is trying to move on.

Melissa started her season 5 episode 1 blog (see below) talking about and listing all the great things she did and bought for the people affected by hurricane Sandy. “It’s tacky and really shocking. She is supposed to do charity for others in private and not pat herself on the back when she does for others. It’s not charity and it loses something when you tell everyone about it to get credit for how great and kind you are. It just doesn’t look right and it’s not OK. [wife1000, Melissa's Bravo Blog]“

Learning to Trust Teresa Again
By Melissa Gorga
Sunday, June 02, 2013 10:11 PM

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I last blogged. So much has happened. Miss us?

First and foremost, last October Hurricane Sandy battered New Jersey hard. I’ll never forget walking into our Toms River shore house and seeing the destruction. We were so lucky only to lose our second home. We can rebuild. That was nothing compared to what others went through. I was born and raised in Toms River. Places I knew as a child had been swept away by the storm. We felt horrible for the victims. Joe and I had to do something! We went to Target and filled carts with diapers, baby wipes, socks, children’s clothes, blankets and sweaters — the stuff people really needed. We brought it all to Toms River Intermediate East, my old school, which was a hub for distributing supplies to displaced residents. Alongside the principal, teachers, and other volunteers, Joe and I packed boxes of food and clothes. What became evident quickly was that the main resource that was needed was man power. They needed people to get out there, roll up their sleeves, and help their communities.

We’re still committed to doing what we can to help our neighbors get back on their feet. In the meantime, the boardwalks are open for business! We’ll be back on the beach this summer, as soon as we get a chance.

The storm definitely put the show drama in perspective. I didn’t need or want that negativity around us. I built up an emotional fortress and had to put distance between my family and those who meant to do us harm. At the time, cutting ties with the Giudices seemed like the only logical decision to protect my family. That was a year ago. Things have changed. We are in a better place now. But on the episode, I was very much in Protective Mama mode.

Teresa and I hadn’t spoken in a year. I simply couldn’t stomach listening to one more lie. The distrust was just too deep. My emotions were hard set, and they weren’t going to change overnight. As far as I knew, she felt the same way. Then Antonia sent the letter to Milania. Suddenly, Teresa was overwhelmed with missing her brother and niece. She invited Antonia to their house for a play date.

Let me ask the Moms reading this: Would you send your child to a home where you knew for a fact that the parents were openly involved in spreading terrible lies about you? If you knew, for example, that your child might hear you called a stripper or a gold digger, would you rush her there and feel comfortable with her alone there for the day?

Hear it right from the horse’s mouth: I wouldn’t. I don’t want Antonia exposed to lies and insults about her Mom by her other relatives. And I knew she would be. In this one episode alone, Joe called me “Horsey Face” and a “skank ass beeatch.” I don’t know which is worse. But I know it’s just wrong and Teresa didn’t correct him. He even spoke to his six-year-old daughter directly when calling me a name, it’s not like she just overhead them.

It was also sad when I saw Teresa and Gia discussing my daughter’s supposed birthday party with Milania. For the record Antonia’s birthday was in August and she did not have a party. Her first communion was coming up and we asked her if she wanted a big party for her birthday or for her communion. She chose her communion, so for her birthday she had two friends sleepover at our shore house. Why they are discussing it three months later is beyond me, but that’s not fair to tell Milania she wasn’t invited to her cousin’s party, when it’s a complete lie.

To each her own, as far as parenting goes, but I try my hardest not to involve my kids in very mature matters. That’s not my style. My kids don’t have the slightest idea what’s going on with the Giudices. They’re too young to understand the complicated, ugly situation. I’d certainly never confide in my seven-year-old and ask her for personal advice, as if she were my best friend! She’s a child, not a friend.

I wanted the play date with Milania to be at mutual place. I think that’s pretty understandable for all the reasons I just explained. I had no idea it was going to be like pulling teeth to organize a simple play date. What you see on my face at the jewelry-making store is confusion.

Why was she pretending to be nice, when she said she didn’t “give a shit about me?” Why was she acting like she suddenly wanted to fix things when she hadn’t lifted a finger in a year? Oh yeah. The cameras were on now.

Her sudden change was so weird and confusing, I was thrown by it. I focused on helping the kids make jewelry. My OCD really came out when the kids were beading. I’m the same way about keepings things organized at home. I can’t help it! Bring on the neat.

Anyway, I want the cousins to be close. That’s how I grew up. We moved to Montville in the first place so they could go to school together. The only reason they’re not as close as they could be is because Teresa had herself involved in a lot of wrong doings that brought hurt to our family. Case in point — the lies at the end of last season. It’s not fair for her to say, “Oh, poor kids,” when she was the one involved in destroying the trust we had just started to build again.

I almost had to laugh when I saw Teresa say I should apologize to her. For what, exactly? Did I miss something?

What I saw this episode is that Joe Giudice can’t control his mouth. We all know that. He is the Godfather of my firstborn child, and he called me a skank on national television. How to do I take the certificate back?

At their dinner date, all Joe and Teresa did was trash me. She says, “I love my brother. I want to fix it.” Of course she loves Joe! Everybody loves Joe. If she really wanted to fix it, she would have picked up the phone months ago, way before her sincere heartfelt sadness could be caught on camera. She wouldn’t trash me and undermine my relationship with her kids. She never has to worry that when her kids come over here I’ll say horrible things about her. And yet she wants to be “the bigger person.” Well, I wasn’t ready to forgive or forget. If that makes me the smaller person, so be it.

There’s a lot more to come, a lot of emotional twists and turns. Being part of this family is a long, crazy journey. We’re not even close to hitting rock bottom. Wait until you see what’s coming. Buckle up. It’s going to be a wild season, but reconciliation is on the way. It’s so hard to go back to this place, but without explaining where we were then you’ll never understand where we are now.

XO,
Melissa

I’m sure the Giduice cousins were not aware that Antonia didn’t have a party – all they would have known as kids is that it was Antonia’s birthday and they weren’t invited to a party. Melissa is lying in her blog. Her tweet on Antonia’s birthday in August 2012 was perfectly clear – they said they were taking Antonia to Great Adventure for her birthday instead of throwing her a party, but that never happened (they never took her to Great Adventure even though they went there in September 2012 for Melissa to sing at “Gay Night Out”). So Melissa is changing her story to fit her new lie, that Antonia’s communion party in May 2013 (9 months after her birthday) was going to be so big that she couldn’t also have a birthday party in August 2012 – how ridiculous!

What a great day with Antonia! She chose not to have a party this year, she wants us to take her to Great Adventure!! #loveher – Melissa Gorga, August 12, 2012, Twitter

@melissagorga @joegorga Tell Antonia HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Aunt Teresa & Uncle Joe from Gia, Gab, Mil and Aud….We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. LOVE YOU! – Teresa Giudice, August 12, 2012, Twitter

@Teresa_Giudice Thanks, why don’t you call so she can talk to you, her godfather, & her cousins… – Melissa Gorga, August 12, 2012, Twitter

@Teresa_Giudice called to wish Antonia a Happy Birthday nobody answered so she left a message hence the tweet #truth #RHONJ – ‏@BillyCharlesNY, Retweeted by Teresa Giudice

Reuniting Milania and Antonia
By Teresa Giudice
Sunday, June 02, 2013 6:19 PM

Hi Sweethearts! Can you believe we’re finally back? Did you miss us?

After last season (which was not fun) and the horrible reunion, we all took a big break from each other. We didn’t see each other for over a year. Not seeing my brother and his family was heartbreaking, but after what Joey and Melissa said at the reunion — that they were moving and didn’t want to have anything to do with me or my kids — what could I do? I had to respect their wishes and give them space. It broke my heart, but it was what they wanted. I just concentrated on my own family, on my girls, and prayed that they would find their way back to our family.

Hurricane Sandy hitting New Jersey was the first thing that started to bring us all closer together. When the hurricane hit, it was bad. Scary bad. The storm itself was terrifying and the destruction left behind was unbelievable. Everyone was affected in some way. When you know your friends and family are hurting, when you live through this giant natural disaster, little things like who said what don’t matter any more.

We were one of the only houses that still had electricity, and we hosted everyone we knew who didn’t — my parents and lots of our friends. While my brother wasn’t talking to me, I did check up on him through my parents. He told them he had electricity and everyone was fine; he even invited my mother to come over to his house and stay. It was only later when people told me on Twitter that he didn’t have power and that there were pictures of Antonia and her brothers bundled up cold on the couch. It killed me. I would have loved to shelter them at our house.

Watching this first episode and reliving everything was hard. It was hard to see the devastation of Sandy again. It was hard to see my brother thinking I didn’t care about him. It was hard for me to see Jacqueline cry for her son.

I give Jacqueline a lot of credit for sharing Nicholas’ story. Dealing with his disorder and dealing with it publicly takes a lot of courage. Nicholas holds a special place in my heart because he was born three months before Audriana. Jacqueline and I were pregnant together, did our first major magazine photo shoot together with our babies, and used to joke that Nicholas and Audriana would be sweethearts. He is such a beautiful boy.

I was so happy to get Milania and Antonia back together for the first time in over a year! I love that little girl! (I love my nephews too of course!) They do live so close, they love each other, and it was sad Melissa didn’t want her kids to see mine. My kids have other cousins on Joe’s side — Joe’s sister has 4 girls and his brother has 3 girls–all the same age! That’s 11 little girls we have running around — we need Gino and Joey around to balance things out! Joe’s family also lives close, so my girls still had lots of fun family events all year. Melissa’s kids don’t since her sisters are so much older, their kids are all grown up. I always felt so bad that her kids were missing out on their only cousins their age. But happily, they are back together! Antonia and Milania are in the same cheerleading class now, so they are thick as thieves again! I hope they are never, ever separated ever again.

You can see how I raise my kids to respect and love their family no matter what. Even after all the hurt, I still had Melissa listed as “Zia Melissa” in my phone. Adults might not always get along, but the kids shouldn’t suffer because of it. I hated the time I didn’t see Kathy and Rosie growing up, and I would never want that for my kids.

I honestly didn’t care what anyone said about me in their interviews (although I did laugh at Jacqueline’s bleaching comment!), I’m so happy Joey and Caroline have found love. God bless them! Love doesn’t have limits. Loving one person doesn’t mean you can’t love a million more. I love that people love my brother.

The only thing that hurt me was when Melissa said staying away from your siblings is how Joey and I grew up because of Kathy’s mom and mine and Joey’s dad. The issue wasn’t between my dad and his sister. It was between IN-LAWS: Kathy’s dad and my dad. And it was over business dealings. Family is everything to us, and that’s how we were raised. Melissa wasn’t around back then, so she really has no idea. I would never make a comment about how her dad raised her because I have no idea. It’s not my business, it’s disrespectful, and I wasn’t there. Her comment was months ago, and we’re in a good place now, I just wanted to clear that up on behalf of my family. You know how protective I am of my parents! I adore them and owe them everything. They raised Joey and me in a house of love.

And yes, I did move Gabriella’s First Communion party so my parents could go to both hers and Antonia’s. I couldn’t move the day because we don’t go to different churches, we live in the same town, and that was the only day they had First Communion services. The girls had different times though and had separate parties. The most important thing to me was making sure my parents could be at both. I didn’t grow up with grandparents and I missed it, so I always make sure my parents are there for my kids and Joey’s too. A few people did ask me why we didn’t have a joint party for the girls. Because we didn’t think it was fair to each girl. They each deserved to be a princess for the day. We have different extended families to make them each feel special, and my parents were there for both of them. Everyone was happy!

I’m so happy myself right now, and I can’t wait for you all to see how we got there. It was a long road with lots of ups and downs, but if we can do it, anyone can!

I’m so blessed to have my family and my wonderful friends and fans. Love love love you all!

Tanti Baci,
Teresa

In the photo at the top of this blog post, Melissa driving her loaner Bentley, she looks like the wicked witch of the east as she rode her bicycle to spread her venom.

RHONJ Season 5 Premiere: Melissa Gorga Still Expecting an Apology from Teresa Giudice for ‘Strippergate’

New taglines for season 5:

Caroline: “Love me or hate me – I always speak the truth!”
Melissa: “Sexy life. Loyal wife. Take a page from my book.”
Teresa: “Haters are gonna hate, but I just love, love, love.”
Jacqueline: “I face my share of challenges, but I’m tougher than I look.”
Kathy: “If you can’t take the heat, get out of my kitchen.”

On May 31, 2013, The Star-Ledger reported on the June 2, 2013 premiere of RHONJ. The following is their take on this season’s first episode, which will air at 8 PM EST:

Dealing with the Giudice-Gorga family drama, Jacqueline Laurita tells us in the premiere of the fifth season of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” is right up there on her priority list with bleaching a certain part of her anatomy — that place where the sun don’t even shine.

Preach it, sister.

The fourth season ended with Teresa Giudice barely on screeching terms with the rest of the cast; when season five opens, Teresa had not spoken to her brother, Joe, and his wife, Melissa, for more than a year.

No doubt this makes everyone happy except for the producers, so Melissa “decides” to send a note “written” by her daughter, Antonia, to Teresa’s daughter, Milania, saying how much she “misses” her.

This opens up a text message Cold War between the mothers — Melissa still expects an apology for the Teresa-instigated “Strippergate” that capped last season, and Teresa still won’t admit she did anything wrong — and sets the stage for yet another season of mama drama.

After the girls have a play date with all the warmth and whimsy of a war crimes tribunal, Teresa tells us she wants a rapprochement for the children, but, she says, “The kids are not stupid. They know it’s kinda fake.”

So do we.

There does appear to be some degree of character rehab in the premiere: Teresa and Melissa (separately) confront the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy on their beach houses, and Teresa’s daughters cull pink fur vests and gold lamé leggings for the less fortunate. Laurita movingly talks about son Nicholas’ autism diagnosis, hence her priority reshuffling.

Joe Giudice, however, continues to be charm personified, referring to his sister-in-law as “horsey face” to his 6-year-old and “beyotch” to his wife. Isn’t it a comfort to know some things don’t change?

Click here or the image below to watch a sneak peek from the season premiere, where the housewives deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Click here or the image below for another sneak peek of the season 5 premiere:

If Jacqueline sticks to her old habits, we should expect some Twitter commentary from her during the premiere.

“I’m tired of listening to Gorga-Giudice family drama. It’s right up there on my priority list with bleaching my asshole.” – Jacqueline Laurita, Season 5, Episode 1

RHONJ Cast Says “We Are in a Good Place Now”; Caroline Manzo Says the “Real Truth is Gonna Come Out”

On May 30, 2013, the cast of RHONJ appeared on The Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee to talk about the new season and to convince the viewers that the cast has reconciled, maintaining they are in a good place now and, although it was a long road, season 5 will show how they got there (click here or the image below to watch the video).

On her relationship with Melissa, Teresa said:

“We’re in a good place now. When you watch the show you’ll see how we got there. You’ll see our journey.”

Melissa responded by saying:

“It was a long road to get to where we are. When you see us in the premiere, you see us how we left off at the reunion.”

When asked what caused their estrangement (beginning with the season 4 setup at the Posche Fashion show finale, taped on September 27, 2011, through January 11, 2013, when Melissa attended Gia’s birthday party), Teresa chalked it up to the “sprinkle cookies” squabble but Melissa blamed it on “the whole strippergate thing and the set up.” Teresa elaborated about the estrangement, saying:

“It was two Christmases without my brother and that never happened before, so it was sad.”

Jacqueline defended her decision to put her child’s personal struggles on TV with the claim that she is “bringing awareness to autism” and that “people are reaching out to us and our son, giving us a lot of support and treatment options and tools to use to help him.” Jacqueline also said:

“Season 4 was all about that whole time my son was regressing, and we suspected that’s what it could be. We got the diagnoses after season 4 stopped airing, and since then that’s been our main focus.”

About the cast, Caroline said:

“It’s a crazy dynamic because there’s so much history between us all, and the feelings are very deep. It really is a roller coaster that, as I sit here right now, I can’t say we’ll be sitting here in a year from now in the same good place because there’s so much going on between us all, deep stuff… People like to poke fun of our show, and I see it differently. I see it that we are a show you can really learn from — take the good and the bad from it… I defy anybody to say that they don’t have the issues we have somewhere in their life.”

Caroline and Teresa also appeared on Extra and New York Live together (click on the images below to watch the videos).

The cast also spoke to Access Hollywood, repeating what they said on The Today Show:

“We’re all in a good spot right now,” Melissa said, revealing a dramatic shift from the events of Season 4, which left many of the women not on speaking terms.

“It was a long process,” Jacqueline explained.

“We did some work,” Kathy added.

Caroline said the new-found peace “was a progression throughout the season.”

“There is going to be a lot of drama, drama, drama,” Teresa confessed.

“To get to where we are today,” Melissa, interjected.

“[Everyone] reaches their boiling point and that’s when they explode,” Teresa said of the show’s events.

Just the day before, on May 29, 2013, Teresa and Melissa spoke to Life & Style magazine, explaining why they don’t trust each other:

Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice are opening up exclusively to Life & Style about their ongoing family feud.

“The trust isn’t there,” Melissa tells Life & Style, on stands now. “The trust needs to be built.”

Melissa believes that her nieces “weren’t taught a lot of [respect] toward me,’ suggesting that Teresa has allowed her girls to openly mock her.

On the trailer for the upcoming fifth season, Teresa’s daughter Milania, 7, is shown “going on the pole” like Melissa.

But Teresa insists that’s not true: “Do I say anything negative about Melissa or my brother in front of my children? No, that does not happen.”

For Melissa, Teresa’s involvement in spreading rumors that she’d cheated on her husband with ex Brian “Bulldog” Bowen was “unforgivable.”

Yet, Teresa claims her motives were pure. “I was just trying to warn [Melissa], before she came on the show, that I was hearing these rumors about her,” she tells Life & Style.

Teresa says it will take “a lot of time, a lot of hard work” for them to get to a good place. And though they both claim all they want is “peace,” it doesn’t look like the hatchet will be buried anytime soon.

On May 31, 2013, Teresa told E! (E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family) that season 5 is a “roller coaster” and that there is “the one incident and, when I see it, my heart gets beating again—when it’s something I don’t like to see—but I’m in a good place with my brother and his wife”:

The premiere is so close! How are you feeling heading into the new season?

“The season was definitely a roller coaster. Like you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s definitely one you don’t want to miss. I’m excited for it to start. I mean, I lived it and I’m curious to see how it’s going to play out.”

Are you nervous to see how your relationship with your husband or the other girls are going to play out on the screen?

“There’s the one incident and when I see it my heart gets beating again—when it’s something I don’t like to see—but I’m in a good place with my brother and his wife. But you’ll see how it took a lot to get where we are now, so you’ll see that play out throughout the season.”

Would you say this season was more emotional for you than seasons in the past?

“This was a very emotional season. I’m tired of crying, I’ll have to say emotional, but also in a good place with myself. I started working out a lot and meditating, doing things for myself. So I was mentally in a good place. I just got over the whole thing–them being the whole show, how they came on the show behind my back, I was totally over that. This season’s going to remind you more of season one, relating to me anyway, a lot of good times.”

So your family’s in a good place right now?

“We’ve always been. Last season, my husband didn’t like how my brother was treating me. That was a problem. So that was hard for him to deal with and for me to deal with. But we’ve all moved past that.”

Was it hard to strike a balance this season between sharing so much of yourself and putting yourself out there and repairing? But also wanting to keep things private?

“I put it all out there, you guys will see it. I think I’ve never cried so much! You’ll definitely see another side of me. I didn’t hold back, it was just put out there. I’m just a more private person because everyone has family issues, everyone. But in another aspect maybe I’ll help other people get through things in their life—I look at it that way. Hopefully by me putting it out there it’ll help another family get through things.”

During the May 19, 2013 WWHL special, Andy Cohen brought up the season 4 finale at the PFS when Melissa was outed as a former exotic dancer. When Andy talked to Teresa about the setup, she told him that every single housewife knew something was going down but they didn’t know what:

Teresa: We ALL knew something was gonna go down, every single housewife.

Andy: But you didn’t know what?

Teresa: No.

When Andy talked to Caroline about the season 4 PFS setup, she said, with a big grin on her face, that the truth is going to come out, and she is reserving comment until then:

Joe Giudice Goes to Trial on July 15, 2013 for Identity Theft Charges (Video)

On May 28, 2013, a superior court judge set a trial date for Joe Giudice for charges that he used his brother’s identity to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license. He will go on trial July 15, and could face 10 years in state prison if convicted. Joe rejected a plea deal in April that would have gotten him four years in state prison, and the prosecution has maintained that that is its final offer.

“In order to get a NJ license you need to produce original docs. In the case of Joe, he is accused of using his brothers original birth and marriage certificates (a ’4-point’ and ’3-point’ doc) to prove identity. A photo is not needed when using those documents. If he used those docs, he would have then had his brother’s information, including DOB and SSN in the MVC database associated with *his* picture, which would have been taken during his visit to the agency. When police ‘run’ your license they scan the barcode on the back in to their computer and pull up the current MVC data to compare with the physical license. Pete’s MVC data now had Joe’s picture associated with it, which was cause for immediate concern.” – Saddle_River_NJ, May 28, 2013, Fame-Whorgas

“Something else must be going on because the brothers are so close in appearance that the photo alone would not have raised a flag. I’m guessing there is some kind of behind the scenes auditing going on at NJMVC to verify information in their databases. Jersey has a colorful history of fraudulent licenses and it would make sense that something in the system set off an alert when someone tries to get a license ‘from scratch’ with ID when the system already shows an existing issue…” – Saddle_River_NJ, May 28, 2013, Fame-Whorgas

I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the RHONJ cast members (or their associates) tipped off law enforcement that Joe Giudice was driving without a license, and when he was pulled over, the fraudulent license was discovered. If I remember correctly, Jacqueline said at the reunion 4 special that Joe had asked Chris about getting a fake ID. If this is true, then I would say it is highly likely that one of the cast members (at the reunion, Jacqueline was the one who said, “I hope Joe goes to jail”) tipped off law enforcement and this is the reason Joe was caught with the fraudulent driver’s license.

Joe flipped his car in March 2010 and was arrested for a DUI. He subsequently had his license revoked for 12 months and was ordered to serve 30 days of community service. Then in September 2010, Joe was arrested for driving without a license and spent 10 days in jail. Joe was then arrested in March 2011 for allegedly obtaining a fraudulent driver’s license using his brother’s ID, and was indicted in December 2011.

At the time of his 2011 arrest, NorthJersey.com reported: “Giudice’s legitimate license, which was suspended at the time, is still suspended… Giudice is charged with wrongfully using identifying information of another person, a second-degree crime. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison… Giudice is also charged with forgery, a fourth-degree crime that carries an 18-month maximum prison sentence.”

Joe has since rejected plea deals to serve five years in jail, and he now faces a 10-year sentence. He plans to reject future plea deals that stipulate serving time in jail and is choosing to take his chances and go to trial. As we previously reported, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jay McCann said, in May 2012, that any sentence Joe receives will definitely include some jail time.

Source: Starcasm, March 3, 2013

“A source close to the case tells Celebuzz there is new evidence that could be damaging to the reality star. “Joe is caught on surveillance camera walking into the motor vehicle’s office with papers in his hand on the same day the driver’s license was issued in his brother’s name,” said the source. Cops think he’ll get at least two years,” added the source. Joe’s attorney Miles Feinstein confirmed to CB! his office was presented with new discovery from the Department of Motor Vehicles. He hasn’t had a chance to view it yet, but downplays the potential evidence. “It’s my understanding there may be some grainy photos of individuals at the Department of Motor Vehicles. It may be Joe and other individuals and it may not,” he told CB! – Celebuzz

According to the courtroom video (click here to watch the video), the prosecutor received additional discovery, “from a different source”, which “was extensive — it was a whole notebook full of information”; and he notified Joe’s attorney, Mr. Feinstein, of its existence, turning it over, as required; however,  Mr. Feinstein had not yet had a chance to review it.

From NorthJersey.com on May 28, 2013:

Joe Gorga Tells Melissa Her Body is ‘Thick’ with an Extra Five Pounds and Controls What She Eats, Even When She Was Pregnant

Melissa made the cover of Us Weekly’s ‘Best Bodies 2013′ issue which hit newstands on May 24, 2013. Jessica Alba, Melissa Gorga, Zac Efron, and Kerry Washington are just a few of the stars on Us Weekly’s Hot Bodies list.

From the Us Weekly article:

After three children, Melissa Gorga definitely worries about how her body looks in a bikini — but not in the way one would think. “I know there’s a lot of women who try to minimize their backsides . . . but I actually want a bigger booty!” the married mom of Antonia, 7, Gino, 5, and Joey, 3, told Us Weekly at a bikini photo shoot for our annual Hot Bodies issue, out Fri., May 24. “I do a lot of squats and lunges to bulk and lift it up.”

Sticking to a strict thrice weekly workout schedule, Gorga, 34, often hits up group classes at New York City’s Soul Cycle, or lifts weights with her husband of eight years, Joe Gorga. Admitting that she was about 10 pounds heavier when she first met her husband, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star slimmed down after each of her kids was born.

Teaching healthy habits to her three children from a young age, the fit “I Just Wanna” singer — who donned a sexy red bikini at Us Weekly’s shoot — says she’s become more conscious of showing skin as a mom. “I’m a firm believer in showing a little bit, but keeping a lot a secret,” Gorga tells Us, adding that her stomach is her favorite body part. “If I’m going to show leg, then I’m not going to show much boob. I feel like everything in small drips is great.”

Vowing never to deprive herself of her favorite sweet treats or Sunday Italian dinners, Gorga — who reaches for berries when cravings hit — is willing to log hours at the gym to see results. “I definitely work out now harder than I’ve ever worked out in my life. It came naturally to me before I had children, and now I have to work for it, which I’m used to. I’ve always been a hard worker. I don’t mind working for it.”

In the video accompanying the Us Weekly article, Melissa says that her husband considers her body to be “thick” with an extra five pounds, like when they got married and were on their honeymoon:

“In the video, Melissa still claims she doesn’t have nannies and runs around ALL day long with her kids (I guess Lysa watching her kids constantly doesn’t count), claims she only drinks on the weekends (which I find amusing considering she is out almost every night promoting herself and is photographed frequently with a glass of wine sitting in front of her), and says Joey considers her body with an extra 5 lbs. on it as being “thick” like when they got married and were on their honeymoon.” – Jeannie5233, May 25, 2013, Fame-Whorgas

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-video/title/melissa-gorga-poses-in-sexy-red-bikini-i-want-a-bigger-booty

According to an insider at Reality Tea on December 21, 2012:

And just a sample of how things are behind closed doors in the Gorga’s temporary mansion?

“I wonder if she will talk in her book about how her husband has always controlled how much she ate, even pregnant because he wouldn’t allow her to ‘get fat’ as he put it. When she was pregnant he would push food away from her and tell her that’s enough,” our source alleges!

“I have also seen my fair share of fights between those two.”

There have been a TON of rumors surrounding Melissa’s marriage, but so far the Gorgas have maintained a happy facade. Who knows what the truth is, but knowing Bravo as we do if there is any truth to these rumors they will find a way to worm their way out.

Our source claims that besides money Melissa’s motivation for the book is a storyline – and also to try and outdo Teresa Giudice! The release date for Melissa’s book apparently coincides with the planned airing of RHONJ season 5 (Fall, 2013).

A year ago, on May 7, 2012, Exit4 at LynnNChicago made an astute observation about Joe Gorga:

Teresa and Melissa don’t get along and they never will. If they live to 80, they will still be going at each other, tit for tat, over who copied who’s leopard print Depends. They are one upmanship people, who actually do care about the shallow things in life like gifts, when one visited the other in the hospital, cookies, re-done houses and on and on and on…it’s exhausting and they will never change.

I guess the big picture is that they want “respect” from each other, but I don’t think either one of them does much to earn it. But then again, I don’t think this whole dynamic they have going on is really driven by either one of them. I think Joey Gorga is driving that train.

My beef (and a lot of other people’s) with Melissa from the beginning is that, regardless of the excuses she makes and the reasons she gives, she joined the show with the full knowledge that it would put their family problems on TV for the world to see. She knew attacking her sister-in-law was part of the deal and she went with it. Is a show like this hard to turn down? The money and opportunities? Absolutely! But is it worth damaging maybe without repair an already damaged family? I guess for the Gorgas it was, which tells me that the damage was probably irreparable when they came on, so why pass up the show? It’s easy to make Melissa the bad guy in all of this, but the more I see, the more I think Joey is the villain (for lack of a better word).

If it was just Melissa on screen, doing what she does, then yes, I’d say she is to blame, but she’s not. Her husband, Mr. Poison himself, has just as much screen time, just as many talking heads and just as big of a role (if not, some may argue, bigger) in the show as his wife. He is at every appearance, every WWHL . I’m starting to wonder if Melissa can poop on her gold plated toilet without Joey sitting in the bathroom, making sure it all comes out okay and ready to blame Teresa if she’s irregular.

No one knows Teresa better than her brother. He knows what drives her, what buttons to push and pretty much how to hurt her, if he wants to. He is the only one besides Teresa who is really aware of the Gorga family dynamic (we can only speculate). He had to know that being on the show was going to hurt his parents, who as far as the show goes, are innocent in this. It’s one thing for the wives to bicker and it makes perfect sense that a husband sides with his wife, but I have this strange feeling that Joey is ENJOYING the discord. I don’t know if it’s just sibling rivalry run amok, meaning Joey HAD to be on the show too because, God forbid, his sister outshine him in any way……or if two women (even if one is his sister) seemingly fighting about “who loves Joey more” feeds his overinflated ego. But whatever it is, Joey feeds the beast as much as, if not more than, his wife.

Don’t forget, the Giudices and Gorgas grew up together: Joey didn’t meet Juicy when he married Teresa — he was a little brother figure to him as well, since childhood. He knows how to hit Juicy where it hurts too. Is part of it rivalry between them as well?

God knows Melissa wouldn’t be doing this show without Joey’s blessing, so he obviously approves of whatever is put out there, good or bad. Melissa may be self centered and petty, but I am starting to think Joey Gorga is the biggest snake of all. Just my opinion.

As for Caroline and Jac? Ugh. Could they BE anymore intrusive into someone else’s family life? And Jac…Ashlee hit it on the head: she loves to stick her nose in other people’s drama. Oh and Kathy was there too. LOL.

“Teresa, your brother is a camera hog–at any cost. I used to think it was Melissa alone who was the driving force behind all of this BS, but your brother has his eye on your star as well. Maybe this family isn’t worth the pain it’s causing. Melissa lets Joe keep the fighting going while standing back pretending to be innocent. Fans only needs to watch the first episode of season 3 to know what this family of fame seekers is all about.” – Eva18, May 31, 2012, Teresa’s Bravo Blog

Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff; Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice; Joe Guidice Goes to Trial May 28, 2013 for Identity Theft Charges

Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff

When asked by TheWrap what makes a “Real Housewives” spinoff, Andy Cohen said that “getting married lends itself well to another series:”

“Phaedra does a lot of other things outside of the Housewives show. Kandi is a songwriter. Lisa has restaurants. So, these are other things that the women do in their real lives that lend themselves to seeing more of them. I think that the women just living their lives, that’s what they do on the Housewives. The shows that we’ve picked up have been because the women have other things going on. Kim’s show started with her getting married, which is really the natural way to, it lends itself well to another series, you know?”

On May 22, 2013, Bravo announced that ‘Real Housewives of O.C.’s’ Tamra Barney landed a spinoff, which will feature the road to her summer wedding.

According to TheWrap:

The network’s camera crew was shooting the 45-year-old’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party with fiancé Eddie Judge,  40, in Las Vegas for the new series. Heather Dubrow and husband Terry Dubrow were the only O.C. co-stars who attended the event.

The show will follow the couple’s road to their summer wedding, which would be Barney’s third time walking down the aisle. The couple were engaged in February 2012 after dating for two years.

The series is the latest example of Bravo’s penchant for greenlighting series capturing their “Real Housewives” stars’ new relationships and marriages. They’ve previously awarded wedding spinoffs to New York’s Bethenny Frankel and Atlanta’s Kim Zolciak.

Last month, Bravo announced a new spinoff series for ATL’s NeNe Leakes that would capture her road to re-marrying ex-husband Gregg Leakes.

“I Dream Of Nene-The Wedding coming soon on Bravo! Greg & I hope 2 inspire others 2 save their marriage pic.twitter.com/0P6xyyXGOV” – NeNe Leakes, April 18, 2013, Twitter

NeNe and Gregg Leakes divorced back in 2011 after roughly 13 years of marriage (Gregg claimed that fame had gone to his ex-wife’s head). The couple announced in January 2013 that they were tying the knot once again, so they were divorced barely a year before deciding to remarry, which makes you wonder if this was all done for the show and a future wedding spinoff. Sounds like a game plan for the Gorgas!

Melissa was not wearing her wedding ring when the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All) was taped on May 1st. Perhaps she intentionally did not wear it to generate tabloid fodder before the season 5 premiere, with plans to divorce for her season 6 storyline, followed by a wedding spinoff when they tie the knot again.

Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice

In a season 4 testimonial, Caroline predicted Teresa and Joe would divorce; however, during her appearance on the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All), which premiered on May 19, 2013, Caroline denied saying that.

The following is what Caroline said during season 4 about the Giudices divorcing:

“Prediction: Something may happen where someone has to go somewhere. Teresa’s going to have to pull herself up on her bootstraps and take over. She’ll say, “You know what, I tried. I stood by him, but I have to divorce him now. And I’m gonna show my daughters what it’s like to be strong and independent on your own and survive.” There’s a book in there – you heard it here first!”

Below is the video link for that footage from season 4 (or click on the image for the video):

http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-7/videos/carolines-prison-prediction

The following is what Caroline claimed she said, as explained to Andy on the May 19, 2013 WWHL special:

“If they were to get a divorce, Teresa would capitalize on it – she would write a book.”

Caroline also said she was right about her prediction because two weeks later Teresa put out a magazine article about it. She told Andy:

“I meant it. I’m sorry I had to say it… but I meant it.”

Caroline went on to tell Andy that there are things in your life that are not for sale and that is what she meant:

“It was me saying, ‘What is sacred in your life?’ because to me there was nothing sacred in Teresa’s life.”

On June 4, Jacqueline Laurita attended the Samsung Hope for Children Gala at The Museum of Natural History in New York City with Caroline Manzo and their families. On the red carpet, reporters asked what would happen to Teresa Giudice should her husband Joe go to jail, and Jacqueline replied: “Teresa will get her own spin-off, My Life Without Joe, raising her kids, and all will be good. I think that would be an awesome show!” There’s no sign that the former friends will be reconciling any time soon. “Today, she’s not somebody I want in my life. I realized that she was never there for me, she always wanted me to be there for her, I gave her my advice and she didn’t appreciate it,” Jacqueline revealed. Yet Jacqueline also insists that her decision not to be involved with Teresa isn’t because of jealousy. “I’m not jealous in any way, I’ve always been the biggest supporter of her, of anything that she’s done,” she continued. [Wetpaint, June 7, 2012]

Joe Guidice Goes to Trial May 28, 2013 for Identity Theft Charges

Joe Giudice rejected a plea deal on identity theft charges which would have put him in a NJ state prison for four years. Instead, he opted to go to trial beginning May 28, 2013.

Miles Feinstein, Joe’s attorney, told In Touch:

The state offered him NJ State Prison, and we rejected that offer. Instead, we set a trial scheduling hearing for May 28, since we’re rejecting the new plea offer. Joe is being treated differently. He shouldn’t have to do any jail time for this. The best outcome for this will be we win the case and he doesn’t do any time at all.

If convicted, Joe could face up to ten years in prison. Caroline Manzo predicted Teresa will write a book about life without Joe, and rumors are Bravo will give Teresa a spinoff if Joe goes to prison.