Andy Cohen explained why season 14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey won’t have a typical reunion.
For the first time in its 14 seasons RHONJ will not have a reunion special. The cast is feuding more than ever especially Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga who are not speaking to each other. Because of this Bravo is looking at different ways to end Season 14.
Fans will see the drama unfold with the cast splitting into two groups: one with Melissa Gorga and the other with her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice.
“Teresa and Melissa are holding the show hostage,” the source explained. “Everyone has to pick sides and can not really interact.”
Teresa 52 and Melissa 45 have not interacted in the first five episodes of Season 14. Their family feud blew up at the end of Season 13 and they said their relationship was over.
Another source confirmed there won’t be a traditional reunion this season. Instead Bravo is working on a different way to wrap up the season.
“A dramatic all-cast dinner in the season finale will show there is no way to have a reunion,” the source said.
Andy Cohen who hosts all the Real Housewives reunions confirmed this. He said on SiriusXM’s Reality Checked with Kiki Monique that when he and the producers watched an early cut of the finale they realized it serves as both the finale and the reunion. “It is a dramatic and shocking Jersey finale with an epic group encounter,” Andy said. “It’s amazing TV and you will feel complete after watching it.”
He hinted that Bravo has other plans to wrap up the season but they have not been announced yet.
The current season is very intense with ongoing feuds especially between Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga who are not speaking. Other cast members include Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Danielle Cabral, Jennifer Aydin, Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler.
An insider told People the reunion is not happening because there is no resolution among the cast. Instead, Bravo is exploring a different way to end the season. Another source mentioned Bravo is still deciding the future of RHONJ.
In summary, due to intense drama and unresolved conflicts season 14 will end differently without a traditional reunion.
While cast division can make good TV, it can also lead to big cast changes. The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac recently had major cast changes due to unresolvable feuds.
In Potomac, Robyn Dixon and Candiace Dillard Bassett left the show after failing to make peace. This is not the first canceled reunion in Housewives history the 2021 reunion for Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New York was also canceled. When the show returned for Season 14 in 2023, it had an entirely new cast.
