The blame for the downfall of The Real Housewives of New Jersey shifts depending on viewers' allegiances. Many feel either Teresa Giudice or her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga are the guilty parties, because they could never resolve the heated family issues that divided the cast. Some blamed Jennifer Aydin for engaging with bloggers in order to dig up dirt on the cast. The divisions on RHONJ were too firmly held by the cast for any obvious way of moving forward to present itself to the production, and the series has been in limbo ever since.
Other fans were certain that Margaret Josephs was to blame for the downfall of RHONJ, since they felt she was overly negative in her feuds with both Teresa and her one-time friend Jackie Goldschneider. But now that Bravo has announced the new series in the franchise, The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, allegedly headed by New Jersey star Dolores Catania, RHONJ needs Margaret more than ever. Margaret is booked and busy, with or without the reality series, and her recent appearance on The Vault podcast made clear that she is still exactly what RHONJ needs.
The Issues on 'RHONJ' Weren't Margaret's Fault
RHONJ has been struggling to get back on track for years, and viewers can point figures to any one individual in the cast that they want to blame, but the problem is bigger than that. The series is ostensibly about a group of women who share the same social circle, developing friendships and alliances, and, sure, stirring up some petty drama. But that's just it; the drama is supposed to be light, and most importantly, resolvable. The problems that had been developing on RHONJ were too dark to be resolved, but Margaret never played a significant role in the stories that took the series to this place.
Margaret's feud with Teresa about her husband, Luis Ruelas, wasn't Margaret's problem alone, since Luis threatened he would have a private investigator look into the entire cast. And Margaret's feud with Jackie actually made great reality TV, since the ladies were true friends, and viewers felt genuine whiplash with Jackie turning on Margaret to side with Teresa and Jennifer in the last season. Margaret likes to be a little messy, like when she sent the funeral floral arrangement over to Teresa's house to mock her rival for having an on-camera meeting with an attorney about their issues on the show. But Margaret has always shown she is willing to come to the table for a reasonable resolution in a fight, and it was the other cast members who weren't able to let go of the animosity.
'RHONJ' Needs Margaret More Than Ever
Margaret confirmed on The Vault that she had heard from the production not to expect RHONJ to film at all in 2025, saying it was "dead in the water." She also confirmed that "a lot of ships have sailed with that particular friend group." Speaking about her friendship with Jackie, it was clear that chapter had closed, with Margaret assuring the host that she wishes her once friend "no ill will," but after the betrayal in the last season the relationship was over. When asked about the opinion that Margaret was responsible for RHONJ being put on pause, she joked with her typical caustic humor, "I wish I had that much power."
Margaret is exactly what a Real Housewife should be; she is light, funny, breezy, and has a big heart underneath her kooky persona. She does charity work, treats her friends to fabulous vacations in places like Marrakesh, and has multiple entrepreneurial endeavors that keep her busy outside of being a reality star, including a new mocktail line, Soiree. Margaret even expressed that she would be willing to collaborate with fellow Bravolebirty Carl Radke from Summer House, who is opening a non-alcoholic event spot called Soft Bar. Which is exactly what makes Margaret a great Real Housewives character and a Bravo asset; she is always a team player. So when she's accused of getting in the production's ear and ruining the show, she can only laugh and say she wished she had that kind of power, because then RHONJ would be back on the air.
