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Revision as of 05:10, 16 July 2010 by 68.192.159.67 (talk) (→Danielle Staub)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2009 United States TV series or program| The Real Housewives of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Current Teresa Giudice Jacqueline Laurita Caroline Manzo Danielle Staub BriAnna Monerico Former Dina Manzo (season 1 to mid-season 2) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Rebecca Toth Valerie Haselton Lucilla D'Agostino Nina Diaz Christian Barcellos Andrew Cohen Shari Levine |
| Production locations | Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, United States |
| Running time | Approx. 44 minutes (excluding commercials) |
| Production company | Sirens Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | Bravo |
| Release | May 12, 2009 – present |
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the network's fourth installation of The Real Housewives of... series, following The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of New York City and The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
The show's first season premiered on May 12, 2009. The five housewives featured on the program are Teresa Giudice, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, and Danielle Staub. For the first time, the series follows related housewives: sisters Caroline and Dina are married to brothers Albert and Tommy Manzo; while Jacqueline Laurita is married to Caroline and Dina's brother, Chris Laurita.
The series began airing in the UK on Channel 4 on Tuesday 1 September 2009 at 10:35pm. and finished on November 3, 2009
The show premiered its second season on May 3, 2010. Dina Manzo left the show after its seventh episode.
Current Housewives
Teresa Giudice
"People make fun of Jersey girls, but I think they're just jealous."
Teresa Giudice (born May 18, 1972 in Paterson, New Jersey) was a child of a couple who emigrated from Italy. She earned a degree from Berkeley College in Fashion Marketing and Management. After college, she worked in the fashion industry in New York as a contributor for Vogue magazine. She is married to Joe Giudice, a childhood friend and entrepreneur. They have four daughters: Gia (born 2001), Gabriella (born 2004), Milania (born 2005), and Audriana (born 2009), with whom she was pregnant during the reunion show. Teresa serves as a committee member for co-star Dina Manzo's charity, Project Ladybug. After much thought, Giudice went under the knife for a breast augmentation surgery. Teresa is fluent in Italian. Known for her lavish spending, she filed for Bankruptcy in October 2009, citing $11 million worth of debt.
Jacqueline Laurita
"Everyone likes to have nice things, but I'm not one to brag about it"
Jacqueline Laurita (born April 26, 1970) is a stay-at-home mother and is married to husband Chris Laurita, brother to both Caroline and Dina Manzo. Together Jacqueline and Chris have two sons: Christopher J. Laurita Jr. (born in 2002) and Nicholas (born in 2009). Jacqueline also has a daughter, Ashley (born in 1990), from a previous marriage. After several miscarriages and pregnancy scares which she openly and emotionally discussed on the show, Laurita gave birth to Nicholas shortly after the Season 1 Reunion show. Jacqueline spent most of her childhood and adult life in Las Vegas, where her parents still reside.
Most of the drama of her character revolves around being stuck in the middle of the conflicts between her family (sisters-in-law Caroline and Dina Manzo) and former friend, Danielle Staub. She was friendly with Staub during filming of the first season, but after a highly publicized falling out following the airing, she no longer remains in contact with her.
Caroline Manzo
"You mess with my family, you mess with me..."
Caroline Manzo (born August 23, 1961) has been married to husband Albert Manzo for 25 years, co-owner of The Brownstone, an event and catering facility in Paterson, New Jersey. Albert Manzo's brother is the second husband of Caroline's sister and former cast mate, Dina Manzo, making the two both sisters and sisters-in-law. The couple have three children: Albert "Albie" Manzo Jr. (born in 1986), Lauren Manzo (born in 1988), and Christopher Manzo (born in 1989). Caroline is the owner of two businesses: Opus Properties, a real estate firm, and a children’s accessories line. In addition, she serves on the board of her sister Dina’s charity foundation, Project Ladybug. She, along with most of her cast mates, resides in the affluent town of Franklin Lakes, NJ. She is known to her close friends in Franklin Lakes by the affectionate nickname "Mommy Salami". Her most memorable line of the first season became a pop culture meme: "Let me tell you something about my family, we are as thick as thieves and we will protect each other until the end." She is known to use many sayings such as "thick as thieves" and "you hang out with trash and you start to smell". Her family connections received criticism from Danielle for throwing a fundraiser in the Season 2 premiere for the Sheriff's Department.
Danielle Staub
" You either love me or hate me, there is no in between with me."
Danielle Staub (born August 10, 1962 as Beverly Ann Merrill) is a divorcee and the mother of two daughters, Christine (born in 1994) and Jillian (born in 1998). She portrays herself as a caring mother with good intentions. She is athletic and enjoys exercising with her daughters.
Danielle is among the subjects of a 1995 book entitled Cop Without a Badge by Charles Kipps. The book is based on stories from the life of Danielle's first husband, Kevin Maher, and includes a 1986 mugshot of Danielle (known by her given name, Beverly Ann Merrill). According to the official indictment filed with the United States District Court on July 2, 1986, Beverly Ann Merrill was charged with eight felonies, including extortion, cocaine possession, and narcotics conspiracy. She agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of making a threatening telephone call "with intent to extort money." She also admitted that she had worked as a paid escort. In November 1986, Danielle/Beverly was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to participate in a drug treatment program. The physician supervising that drug treatment program strongly urged at the end of its court-mandated duration that Danielle continue to be monitored because of her previous "severe" drug use. The Smoking Gun unearthed, and published online, 26 pages of court documents on Staub's 1986 arrest, plea bargain and sentencing, which are the official source for the above details.
Danielle is the only cast member who entered filming a relative stranger (Caroline, Dina, and Jacqueline are related by blood and marriage, and Teresa is a long-time family friend). Shortly before filming, Staub moved into the neighborhood and was immediately received with suspicion. Gossip swirled that she was a "husband stealer", gold-digger, and had been engaged nineteen times. She was also known to be under financial stress after divorcing her husband, who failed to follow through with alimony and child support payments.
Her colorful past was the main focus of Season 1, eliciting distrust and anger from cast mates, most of all protective Caroline Manzo. Staub was notoriously the most provocative character on the show, causing much conflict among her cast mates as she attempted to become part of the Manzo-Laurita-Giudice circle, especially Jacqueline, whose best friend Danielle proclaimed herself to be while trying to turn Jacqueline against her sisters-in-law Caroline and Dina. According to vague references expressed in the Season 1 reunion show, Danielle continued to cause controversy among the women after filming had ended.
Danielle's decision to confront the Laurita-Manzo-Giudice women on their alleged role in bringing Cop Without A Badge to wider knowledge in Franklin Lakes was the cause of cast mate Teresa Giudice's infamous "table flip" during the Season 1 finale. Teresa was hosting the dinner, but Danielle appropriated the occasion by bringing a copy of the book with her and confronting her cast mates for spreading the book's contents among other residents of the town. She denied most of what the book said about her, admitting only that she was arrested and that she changed her name. In the ensuing argument, Teresa flipped the table. This incident has since become a pop culture sensation.
In a recent interview with http://jonisabitch.com/, Danielle dished about an altercation between herself and cast mate Jacqueline Laurita's daughter Ashley. According to Danielle, Ashley attacked her, ripping out ten of her permanent hair extensions. But Danielle claims to be beyond it, saying that she has a new-found positive outlook on life thanks to her energist, Sarai Moore Salinas. In May 2010, Danielle released a memoir and has been in the process of attaching herself to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, having lost 6 stepbrothers to the disease.
On June 14, 2010, Hustler Inc. released a 75-minute sex tape of Danielle. This tape was allegedly filmed in September 2009, months before it was released to the public and also referenced on the show. Also, it was revealed through the show that Danielle and actor Don Johnson had a brief affair.
Former Housewives
Dina Manzo
(Season 1 to Mid-Season 2) "If you think I'm a bitch, then bring it on!"
Dina Manzo (born March 7, 1970) is a mother, interior decorator, and the founder of the non-profit organization Project Ladybug. She and her family live in the affluent town of Franklin Lakes, NJ. She has been married to Tommy Manzo, co-owner of the event and catering facility The Brownstone, since 2006. Manzo is her second husband. Tommy's brother and business partner is the husband of Dina's older sister and cast mate, Caroline, making the two both sisters and sisters-in-law. Their wedding was featured on the VH1 television show My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding. Dina has a daughter Alexia (born on January 25, 1996) from her previous marriage to George Hadjiapostoli (co-owner of Nisha nail salon in Wayne, NJ). Season 1 focuses on the struggles Dina, like many other mothers, faces as Alexia grows up. Dina's foundation, Project Ladybug, is dedicated to supporting St.Josephs Hospital Paterson and helping children with cancer. An event for the charity was featured in Season 1 of depicting Dina as a Type A control freak who loves to work and get things done her way. It is noteworthy that Manzo's husband, Tommy, asked to not participate in the show. Her daughter, Lexi, was featured in season 1, but does not appear on Dina's graphic on the opening theme in season 2.
She was constantly in conflict with troublesome cast mate, Danielle Staub, throughout Season 1 causing most of the problems. After filming, the two experienced an even larger falling out than anything that was featured on the show. The issue was mentioned on the reunion show by a sobbing Caroline, but at Dina's behest, no details were given. It remains a mystery exactly what happened.
In 2010 Dina produced the return of the Off-Broadway comedy "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" at the St. Luke's Theatre in New York City.
Dina left the show in the middle of the second season to avoid further conflict with Staub. Bravo announced that they would not be replacing Dina this season. They are currently casting for a 5th housewife that will star in season 3.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | May 12, 2009 | July 14, 2009 | |
| 2 | 18 | May 3, 2010 | September 6, 2010 | |
Episode guide
Specials
| Ep # | Title | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S–01 | "Preview Special" | April 7, 2009 (2009-04-07) | |
| 5-6 minutes of highlights for each cast member. | |||
Season 1
| Ep # | Title | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Thicker Than Water" | May 12, 2009 (2009-05-12) | |
| It's all about family and friends in this first episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Meet Caroline, Danielle, Dina, Jacqueline and Teresa – five of the most affluent and drama-filled women in the Garden State. While Caroline's focused on getting her sons ready for the real world (one is going to law school and the other is trying to start his own strip club), Teresa attends her daughter's dance recital and decides her eight-year-old is destined for stardom. Danielle gets back in the dating game with a man she met online and sisters-in-laws, Dina and Jacqueline get together for girls' night out in Manhattan. | |||
| 2 | "Mama Knows Best" | May 19, 2009 (2009-05-19) | |
| Not only are the ladies bringing out the drama, but the kids are piling it on too. Jacqueline is upset over her daughter’s declining grades, while Teresa and her daughter Gia receive some exciting news about an upcoming audition, and Caroline’s daughter decides she is finally ready for beauty school. Meanwhile, Danielle attempts to befriend Dina, but that only adds to their already existing tension. | |||
| 3 | "Not One of Us" | May 26, 2009 (2009-05-26) | |
| For the New Jersey housewives, being fabulous is all about being a great mom and a great friend, but when Danielle invites all the ladies over for a Mom's Night Out Spa Party - the party goes from fabulous to frightening. The claws come out and rumors begin to swirl about Danielle, and Jacqueline's family puts pressure on her to end the friendship. | |||
| 4 | "Black & White and Read All Over" | June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02) | |
| Teresa is busy juggling her daughter's acting career while trying to move her family into their dream home. While the ladies decide to get together to discuss Danielle's shady past, Jacqueline takes it upon herself to confront Danielle about the rumors and her possible connections south of the Border. Drama seems to follow Danielle as she and Teresa's husband are involved in a nasty confrontation. | |||
| 5 | "Casinos and C-Cups" | June 9, 2009 (2009-06-09) | |
| Luck be a lady! Dina, Caroline and Teresa head to Atlantic City for a girls' weekend of gambling, shopping and spa treatments. After bikini shopping and an argument with her husband about "the bigger the better," Teresa struggles with the idea of getting plastic surgery. The relationship drama continues as Danielle breaks up with her boyfriend and turns to her children for support. Meanwhile, Jacqueline invites Danielle out for a friendly birthday lunch and the claws come out erupting in a major catfight. | |||
| 6 | "Final Dinner" | June 16, 2009 (2009-06-16) | |
| The tension between the ladies has been mounting all season and in the season finale, it's all out on the table. All five housewives attend Teresa's end of the year party and the night turns ugly as shocking secrets come out and alliances are revealed. | |||
| 7 | "The Last Supper" | June 23, 2009 (2009-06-23) | |
| The directors' cut of what wasn't shown on the "Final Dinner" | |||
| 8 | "Reunion: Part 1" | June 30, 2009 (2009-06-30) | |
| In the beginning Teresa and Danielle are sitting together on one couch, while the Laurita/Manzo sisters are on the other couch. It was announced that Teresa and Jacqueline are pregnant, and Jacqueline was due the following week; Teresa is due in September 2009. The episode ended in a cliffhanger, with Caroline accusing Danielle of having planned something ominous for Dina. | |||
| 9 | "Reunion: Part 2" | July 7, 2009 (2009-07-07) | |
| The housewives were in an uproar about the book, and Caroline confronted Danielle about something she had planned to harm Dina. Exactly what Danielle had allegedly planned was not revealed, and Danielle refused to admit she knows anything about it. | |||
| 10 | "The Lost Footage" | July 14, 2009 (2009-07-14) | |
| Extended footage of favorite fights, funny moments, and additional insights into the women’s home lives. | |||
Season 2
| Ep # | Title | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Water Under The Table" | May 3, 2010 (2010-05-03) | |
| In the Season 2 premiere, Teresa gets her girls ready for their first day of school, Jacqueline has a baby boy, and Caroline throws a bash for the local Sheriff. Jacqueline's husband tells her he would prefer she not see Danielle again and that he doesn't want her in their house. When Danielle hears of the party, she insists it means nothing to her but starts out on a drive-by of Caroline's house. Her daughters make her abandon the drive-by. | |||
| 2 | "Generation Vexed" | May 10, 2010 (2010-05-10) | |
| Jacqueline and her daughter Ashley discuss Ashley’s bad girl behavior. When Caroline’s daughter’s boyfriend causes a rift in the Manzo clan, Caroline does her best to let her babies work it out themselves. Teresa and Danielle’s daughters are invited to model in NYC Fashion Week. In an effort to move forward and focus on the positive, Danielle arranges a luncheon to celebrate Christine’s success. She excludes Christine from the luncheon, but invites Dina and Jacqueline. During the luncheon she draws her guests' attention to Jacqueline and Dina's absence, but still claims it means nothing to her. | |||
| 3 | "Catty-Walk" | May 17, 2010 (2010-05-17) | |
| The drama continues when Danielle accuses Jacqueline of not being her own woman, further alienating Jacqueline. Dina is tired of the negativity and sees a Zen expert to purge Danielle from her life. Meanwhile, a pregnant Teresa and a determined Danielle see their daughters model in Fashion Week. Both Moms could not be more proud, but when mishaps unfold on the runway, the futures of both daughters’ fashion careers are brought into question. | |||
| 4 | "Babies, Bubbles and Bubbies" | May 24, 2010 (2010-05-24) | |
| Teresa and Joe welcome their fourth bambina and Teresa asks Dina to be the baby's godmother. Chris Manzo gets an inside look at his dream business, and Jacqueline gets a look inside her husband’s safe. Jacqueline will have no more to do with Danielle. The Brownstone prepares for a charity event, but the Manzo-Laurita family don't know that a friend has asked Danielle to present the check. Danielle prepares by arranging for an old friend, an ex-convict, to accompany her as "back-up." Caroline is aghast when she hears Danielle will attend. | |||
| 5 | "Into the Lion's Den" | May 31, 2010 (2010-05-31) | |
| Teresa and Joe bring their new baby home from the hospital. Jacqueline meets Ashley's boyfriend's mother, while Caroline's son and daughter go to dinner with the couple. Danielle arrives at the Brownstone charity event with an entourage including a Hell's Angel. As she was not invited to bring so many people, no table space is available. The event organizers (not the Manzos) ask that she and her entourage leave. Danielle claims that the Manzos penalized the young girl whose medical treatment was the object of the event and darkly hints that the Manzos made a "big mistake" in offending her entourage, even though she was not supposed to bring them. | |||
| 6 | "It's Not Me, It's You" | June 7, 2010 (2010-06-07) | |
| After the Brownstone event, Danielle gets what she says is a threatening text from Jacqueline's daughter Ashley, and ponders legal action. Teresa's daughter Gia fails a film audition and starts dialect coaching for a Jersey accent. Kim G. criticizes Danielle's choice of "escorts" to the charity event, and with Jacqueline at a beauty shop, Kim vents frustration at Danielle's behavior. At a family dinner, the Manzo-Lauritas and Giudices toast getting Danielle out of their lives. Dina asks to meet Danielle to discuss their relationship; Danielle fears an "ambush" and has her ex-con on hand. The discussion gets off to a bad start. | |||
| 7 | "Play at Your Own Risk" | June 14, 2010 (2010-06-14) | |
|
Dina and Danielle's meeting ends in argument. At lunch, Danielle and friends including Kim G. mock a text Dina sent Danielle. Kim asks Jacqueline about Ashley and Danielle's Facebook war. The Manzos go pumpkin-picking with the Giudices, Ashley and her boyfriend, who is asked to a family poker game where the men will "initiate" him. At the game Jacqueline tells Danielle's ex, Steve, that she objects to his sale of Danielle's sex tape. Steve explains that the tape is of Danielle alone, and that she herself dropped legal action to stop the sale. Derek holds up well, but a fight between Jacqueline and Ashley interrupts the game. Danielle and friends go for a pole-dancing lesson so she can feel sexy when dating. Dina decides to leave the series to get rid of Danielle and spend more time with her family. Dina Manzo's final episode. | |||
| 8 | ""Bubbies Gone Bad"" | June 21, 2010 (2010-06-21) | |
| Teresa, Caroline and Jacqueline have lunch and regret Dina's absence. Caroline's daughter Lauren finishes beauty school, but Caroline is devastated to hear her son Albie did poorly in law school and may not be able to continue his studies. Ashley considers moving home but is daunted by her stepfather Chris' anger at her fight with Jacqueline at the poker game, and by the rules he imposes if she wants to live at home again. Danielle has surgery to correct her third breast implant operation. Teresa and Joe's housewarming party is disrupted when Kim G. discusses Danielle though the Manzo-Laurita women don't want to talk about her. | |||
| 9 | ""Posche Spite"" | June 28, 2010 (2010-06-28) | |
| Caroline discusses Albie with two of her sisters. Kim D. asks Teresa and Jacqueline to a Posche fashion show Danielle may attend. Danielle hears that Kim D. asked them, claims the Posche desk clerk insulted her and refuses to shop there again. Caroline wants her husband to retire but he offers only to reduce his hours. Danielle arrives late for the show with Kim G. and a bodyguard. Kim D. sits with Teresa and Jacqueline at the show, and Danielle insists Kim set up the show to insult her. After the show, Teresa tries to talk with Danielle. Kim G. tries to keep everyone calm but Danielle responds badly to Teresa. | |||
| 10 | ""Country Clubbed"" | July 12, 2010 (2010-07-12) | |
| Teresa and Danielle's exchange ends in a wild chase through the country club. Ashley pulls out some of Danielle's extensions. Danielle calls the police. Ashley makes a derogatory Facebook comment on the incident. Jacqueline and Chris warn Ashley that another incident will get her thrown out of the house. Danielle's energist calls Jacqueline to remove negative energies, with doubtful results. Danielle mulls legal action against Ashley. Albie's lawyer gives him hopeful news about law school. | |||
| 11 | ""Ashley Gets Arrested, Part 1"" | July 19, 2010 (2010-07-19) | |
| 12 | ""Ashley Gets Arrested, Part2"" | July 26, 2010 (2010-07-26) | |
| 13 | ""Meet BriAnna"" | August 2, 2010 (2010-08-02) | |
| 14 | ""It's The End Of it Already?"" | August 9, 2010 (2010-08-09) | |
| 15 | ""Reunion: Part 1"" | August 16, 2010 (2010-08-16) | |
| 16 | ""Reunion: Part 2"" | August 23, 2010 (2010-08-23) | |
| 17 | ""Reunion: Part 3"" | August 30, 2010 (2010-08-30) | |
| 18 | ""Reunion: Part 4"" | September 6, 2010 (2010-09-06) | |
References
- Official show website on Bravotv.com
- http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/episode-guide/series-1
- http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/blogs/dina-manzo/achieving-peace
- Teresa Giudice official biography on Bravo
- People magazine, May 21, 2009
- "Broke NJ Housewife Teresa Puts Lavish Mansion Up for Sale". UsMagazine.com.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - Jacqueline Laurita official biography on Bravo
- Internet Movie Database: Jacqueline Laurita
- Internet Movie Database: Caroline Manzo
- Caroline Manzo official biography on Bravo
- "Cop Without a Badge" book profile page on Simon & Schuster
- "Real Housewives of New Jersey: Danielle Staub's alleged mugshot" by Vicki Hyman, The Star-Ledger, May 27, 2009
- Case No. 86-560-Cr-Spellman, Indictment, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Case No. 86-560-Cr-Spellman, Plea Agreement, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Case No. 86-560-Cr-Spellman, Judgment and Probation/Commitment Order, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Internet Movie Database: Dina Manzo
- "My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding" episode guide, VH1
- Dina Manzo official biography on Bravo
- Project Ladybug website
- http://www.biggayitalianwedding.com My Big Gay Italian Wedding Official Website.
- http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/blogs/dina-manzo/achieving-peace