The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s upcoming reunion will look a little different this season.
A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that the special is going to film at the same location as season 14 finale, Rails Steakhouse. It will be a “non-traditional reunion where the plan is everyone is not in the same room,” per the insider. However, the cast will watch the finale and provide commentary.
Sister-in-laws Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga will not be in the same room amid their ongoing feud, according to the source. Jennifer Aydin and Danielle Cabral will also not be in the same room together.
The plan is Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Rachel Fuda and Cabral will be together in one of the rooms.
And Giudice, Aydin and Jackie Goldschneider will likely be together in another room.
Dolores Catania and Jennifer Fessler will potentially float in between rooms: “And you never know what else can happen,” says the source.
The insider shares that there is potential for the RHONJ cast members to resolve story lines that are essential to the season. This could include Gorga and Giudice who have not been on speaking terms all season long.
The reunion will be a one-part special as of now and at this time, executive producer Andy Cohen is not hosting. However, the source adds “that could change.”
Bravo was not available for comment.
Last month, there was speculation a reunion wouldn’t happen as the divide between Giudice and Gorga continues to escalate. RHONJ fans have noticed over the season that many of the other Housewives have broken up into factions with some staying friends with Gorga while others are backing Giudice.
“Teresa and Melissa are holding the show hostage,” a second source told Us in May. “Everyone has been forced to choose sides and not have any real interaction.”
Cohen, 55, confirmed in June that the RHONJ reunion was not going to be what the fans are used to.
“We are gonna cross next season as that comes,” Cohen said during a June episode of SiriusXM’s Reality Checked with Kiki Monique. “Right now, we’re just kind of focusing on, ‘OK, well if we’re not doing a conventional reunion, what are we doing and what is something different that we could do?’”
In addition to the reunion drama, there have been rumblings of a potential cast shakeup. However, Cohen shut down the speculation.
“There was a bunch of casting news about Jersey that was reported today. None of it is true. No decisions have been made,” he told Entertainment Tonight in June. “We haven’t even had any serious conversations about next season, so anything you read about what Jersey’s gonna be for next season for the next, I would say six months, is fake, so don’t believe it.”
