Jacqueline Laurita Will Not Join RHOC in New Season

Amid rumors of a possible move by Jacqueline Laurita from «The Real Housewives of New Jersey» to «The Real Housewives of Orange County,» insiders have revealed details of the situation. After the departures of Katie Ginella and Gretchen Rossi from the project, a new cast member was needed, and Laurita«s name was considered as a possible option.

However, as confirmed by several sources, Laurita will ultimately not join the show for its 20th season.

According to one insider, Jacqueline has been offered a role on RHOC multiple times over the years, since she now lives in California, but she was not interested. This time, negotiations were the closest to success, and she even considered the possibility.

As fans know, Laurita has repeatedly said that she is in a new happy phase of life and has left «Housewives» behind. However, as explained by a source, this time she might have agreed if the offer had been financially attractive.

Regarding the reasons why the deal did not go through, one source noted that production ultimately went in a different direction, choosing a newcomer for a full-time role instead of Laurita.

Another insider added that at the end of her time on RHONJ, Jacqueline was earning so much that the offer would have had to be very generous for her to even consider it. She knows her worth and is not desperately eager to return to television, as she has stated in interviews.

Meanwhile, as previously reported by the media, Laurita recently reunited with her former RHONJ colleague Melissa Gorga after years of strained relations. The meeting occurred during the filming of «Real Housewives: Ultimate Road Trip» in Miami.

According to a source, the interaction was initially tense: Gorga asked Laurita what she had against her. Jacqueline shared some past grievances, but since the feud happened long ago, there was no point in rehashing everything. Melissa, according to the insider, genuinely did not understand why Jacqueline was angry with her.

In the end, as reported by several sources, the women made peace. They won«t become best friends, but they definitely eased the tension and seemed to have a good time together, happy to meet after so many years.

Despite Laurita not joining the milestone 20th season of RHOC, many former cast members will return to the project. Among them are Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti, and Gina Kirschenheiter.

Vicki Gunvalson will also return to the show on a permanent basis. After the 13th season, her role was reduced, but in 2025 at BravoCon, she was offered to return.