Former ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Stars: Where Are They Now?

Credit: NBC/Getty Images

Former ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Stars: Where Are They Now?

You can take the girl out of New Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl! The Real Housewives of New Jersey franchise has seen many of its stars leave the world behind over the years — and Us Weekly is taking a trip down memory lane and checking in on where they are now. OG cast member Caroline Manzo left the show in 2014 after five seasons. During her time on the series, she got entangled in a rocky feud with former costar Teresa Guidice. Manzo later revealed her reason for exiting the franchise for good. “There wasn’t a final straw, the burden became too heavy in my personal life,” Manzo told Bravo’s The Daily Dish in January 2021. “You can’t work with something that doesn’t reflect your beliefs. The show became something that just didn’t reflect my beliefs or who I was as a person.” She added, “It’s not about the money, it’s not about the fame — it’s about your moral compass and how you live your life.” As many RHONJ fans know, Manzo went on to star in her own spinoff series titled Manzo’d with Children from 2014 to 2017. [jwplayer X8podUwV-l3ahXupL] Siggy Flicker, for her part, broke the news of her departure from the Bravo franchise in a letter shared exclusively with Us Weekly in 2018. She had only been a part of the show for two short seasons. “That’s a wrap! I want to thank Andy Cohen and Bravo for the opportunity they gave me on The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” she wrote at the time. “Andy Cohen is a mentor, a friend and the sweetest man in the universe, not to mention GOOD LOOOKING! Bravo has amazing people who made a tremendous impact on my career and my life. I don’t regret one second of the good and sometimes the not so good.” Meanwhile, Jacqueline Laurita starred on RHONJ’s first five seasons before being demoted to the “friend” role for season 6. Though she was restored to full-time status again in season 7, her run on Bravo ended just before season 8 in 2017. “I was asked by an executive producer what it would take for me to come back to #RHONJ…I said full time and a whole new cast. Lol! (Dolores [Catania] can stay.) I don’t like the direction it’s going in anymore,” she tweeted in March 2018. “I’m a very positive person & I’m very happy with my life. I love my family & I love my friends. I want to do positive things. I love sharing my journey & knowledge I’ve gained along the way. I love helping people and that’s what I am going to continue to do.” Scroll through the gallery below for an update on where former Real Housewives of New Jersey stars are now: [podcast_block]

Credit: Alex Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; CJ Rivera/Getty Images

Amber Marchese

Amber’s post-Bravo life has been a bit more dramatic than her one season on RHONJ. After announcing her departure from the series in November 2015 — and claiming her onscreen arguments with costars Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano were staged — Amber and her husband, Jim, appeared on season 6 of Marriage Boot Camp. While the duo fought about Jim’s drinking and Amber admitted she had an affair with another woman, the twosome are still together as of November 2018 and raising their two young kids, Isabella and Corbin. The couple faced another hurtle, however, in May 2016 after Jim was arrested for domestic assault after an alleged incident on a flight. Both Amber and Jim publicly denied any abuse took place and sued Virgin America and the flight attendant who claimed to see the abuse on the plane. The Blast reported in August 2018 that Amber dropped the lawsuit.

After surviving a battle with breast cancer in 2009, Amber revealed in September 2016 that her cancer had returned, but she finished treatment and was back in the clear. Months earlier, the former Bravo star also revealed she was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Professionally, Amber switched her focus from reality TV to real estate and works as a real estate agent in Manalapan, New Jersey. 

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Caroline Manzo

Caroline left RHONJ after five seasons in October 2013 and began filming a spinoff series that followed her family called Manzo’d With Children. Her new show premiered in October 2014 and ran for three seasons until Caroline announced in March 2017 that the network was not moving forward with a fourth season. Caroline, who has three adult children with her husband, Albie, became a grandmother in February 2017 when her daughter, Lauren, and son-in-law Vito Scalia welcomed their daughter, Marchesa. Caroline also sells soap through her Etsy store, The Friendly Monkey Soap Company. 

In January 2023, Caroline announced she would be joining the cast for the fourth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

The reality TV personality told Us exclusively in March 2018 that returning to RHONJ would be a “major, major decision” and would have to be “a very well thought out” choice. 

Credit: Andrei Jackamets/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Dina Manzo

Dina appeared on the first two seasons of RHONJ, before taking a break until season 6. In between seasons 3 and 5, Dina filed for divorce from her husband Tommy and hosted her own party-planning series, Dina’s Party, on HGTV. Following her second departure from RHONJ in 2015, Dina moved to California and started a relationship with Dave Cantin. In May 2017, Dina and Dave were attacked at their second home in Holmdel, New Jersey, by two masked robbers, who stole cash and jewelry before fleeing the scene. The following month, Dina and Dave tied the knot.

Dina also still runs her nonprofit foundation, Project LadyBug, and launched a skincare line called Glow by Dina in 2016. 

Dina is still close with her former costar Teresa Giudice, who made Dina the godmother of her youngest daughter, Audriana. As for her relationship with her sister Caroline, Dina revealed in August 2018 that the two women haven’t spoken in two years. “People become [caricatures] of themselves. A little part of what people say that they liked, they tend to put it on,”  Dina told Jeff Lewis on his SiriusXM radio show about her sister at the time. 

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Bill McCay/Getty Images for Hard Rock Inter

Jacqueline Laurita

After starring on RHONJ for five seasons, Jacqueline appeared as a friend for season 6. While she returned full-time for season 7, her time on the series — and her friendship with Teresa Giudice — ended ahead of season 8. When asked what it would take for her to return in March 2018, the reality TV personality tweeted, “full time and a whole new cast.” 

In April 2018, Jacqueline made headlines after she claimed her then 8-year-old son Nicholas, who was previously diagnosed with Autism, was asked to leave their local library because he was making “non-contextual vocals and tapping” on DVD cases. Jacqueline and her husband, Chris, are also parents of son CJ. Jacqueline became a grandmother in August 2016 when her daughter from her previous marriage, Ashlee Holmes, welcomed her first child, Cameron. Ashlee and her then-fiancé Peter Malleo tied the knot in August 2018. “I couldn’t be more thrilled for them. May they have a beautiful life together!” Jacqueline tweeted at the time. 

She began cohosting the “LookOver Ladies” podcast in 2019.

Credit: Heidi Gutman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Nicole Napolitano

After starring on RHONJ for season 6 alongside her twin sister, Teresa Aprea, Nicole made a guest appearance in season 7 before departing the series for good. Their mother, Santa, threatened to sue their then-costar Amber Marchese’s husband, Jim, in September 2014 after he claimed Santa once had an affair with Teresa’s husband. Nicole’s love life remains a mystery in 2018 after she seemingly split with boyfriend Bobby Ciasulli after her time on the show wrapped. 

As for Nicole’s relationship with the other Teresa in her life — Teresa Giudice — which was strained on the series, Nicole revealed in February 2016 that the two women surprisingly “became friends” right after the season 6 reunion. "Unfortunately, the public didn't get to see that, but for us, once the show ended, we all made everything right, the way it should've been from the beginning,” she told Bravo’s The Daily Dish at the time. “When you film, there's a lot of drama, and there's a lot of tension, and so much is going on, and you're so exhausted from filming that every choice and decision sometimes aren't the ones that you would make from the beginning. So I'm glad where it all ended up and where we all are today, so I'm happy about that."

Credit: Alex Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Teresa Aprea

Like her twin sister, Teresa appeared on season 6 of RHONJ in a full-time role and made a guest appearance in season 7. As of November 2018, Teresa is still married to her husband, Rino Aprea, with whom she shares her adult son, Giovanni. Twelve people were injured at the pair’s restaurant, Angelo’s of Mulberry Street, in February 2018 after a fire broke out. Teresa vowed to the New York Post at the time that Angelo’s "will be back stronger than we ever were.’’ Teresa and Nicole also hosted BlogTalkRadio’s Girls In Heels from 2014 to 2016. 

According to Nicole, Teresa also made up with Teresa Giudice and both sisters were thanked in the acknowledgment of Giudice’s 2016 member, Turning the Tables. "To my fellow Housewives who reached out and were there for me: Lisa Vanderpump, NeNe Leakes, Dorinda Medley, Jill Zarin, Teresa and Rino Aprea, and Nicole Napolitano: I want to thank all of you for your support. It means so much to me," she wrote in her book. 

Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Vh1; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Siggy Flicker

After two seasons, Siggy said goodbye to RHONJ in a letter penned exclusively to Us Weekly in January 2018. “I learned that viewers have touched my life as I had intended to touch theirs. Many have become friends. Those friendships are flourishing,” she wrote. “Finally, I learned we can’t plan our future. I could never have predicted that my time on The Real Housewives of New Jersey would take me to where I need to be today. So as I continue to write my fairytale, I pray that each of you will continue to write yours.” 

Since her exit, Siggy continues to fight back against antisemitism in the United States, attending conferences, visiting colleges and sharing her message on Instagram. The matchmaker is also still married to her husband, Michael Campanella, and often visits her son, Joshua, from her previous marriage, at Penn State University. 

Credit: Tommy Garcia/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images); Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Kathy Wakile

Kathy, who is Teresa Giudice’s cousin, starred on RHONJ for three seasons before announcing her exit ahead of season 6. Despite not returning as a full-time Housewife, Kathy made appearances throughout seasons 6 and 7. In May 2017, Kathy announced she was opening an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant called Pizza Love in Bergen County, New Jersey. Four months later, the pizza joint opened in September 2017. 

In February 2018, Kathy told Bravo’s The Daily Dish that she doesn't really have “any relationship” with Teresa or Melissa Gorga. “I keep so busy with my family, with my kids. When you have adult kids, it's not like when they're younger and you schedule their day. Their day is scheduled, and then you schedule your day around when you're gonna see your kids,” she said at the time about her two adult children, Victoria and Joseph, whom she shares with husband Richard. “So with our travel schedule, our pizzeria that we opened up, the restaurant keeps us busy, there really isn't any time for anything else." Melissa echoed her former costar and cousin-in-law’s thoughts during an appearance on WWHL in November 2017. "We don't see them too much anymore, honestly," she said, referring to Kathy and Kathy’s sister, Rosie Pierri. 

For the latest TV news and interviews, subscribe to our new podcast “Watch With Us” below!

Credit: Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo ; Kristina Bumphrey/Shutterstock

Danielle Staub

The former All My Children actress joined RHONJ for the first two seasons. In August 2017, Staub returned to the Bravo series as a “friend.” For seasons 8, 9 and 10 she returned as a recurring cast member. In January 2020, she announced her permanent departure from the reality series. In July of that year, she started her podcast series “Absolutely Danielle.”

The former model was previously married to Kevin Maher from 1986 to 1987, Thomas Staub from 1993 to 2007 and the pair share two daughters, Christine and Jillian. She tied the knot with Marty Caffrey in 2018 but the two called it quits after a little over a year.