The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 began filming at this time last year. But when it comes to season 15, production isn’t expected to start anytime soon — if it does at all.
As producers reportedly consider cast firings, new cast members, and a potential cancellation of the long-running series, insiders have suggested that if Bravo does move forward with a new season, the ladies of the show won’t begin filming until sometime next year.
“Filming will likely not resume until 2025,” a source told Daily Mail on August 2. “There are not going to be any decisions about what will or won’t happen with the show until early next year. There is not going to be any more filming of RHONJ for the remainder of the year. There’s nothing planned. It’s on ice.”
As for the cast, which includes Teresa Giudice, 52, Melissa Gorga, 45, Dolores Catania, 53, Jennifer Aydin, 47, Margaret Josephs, 57, Danielle Cabral, 38, Rachel Fuda, 33, Jackie Goldschneider, 47, and Jennifer Fessler, 54, the insider said they’re “waiting to find out what’s going to happen.”
Although there have been rumors claiming some firings have already happened, the source said those reports are “not true.”
“The cast for the new season is not going to be decided anytime soon. Casting is not something Bravo is rushing into. It’s not even going to start to take form until next year,” the insider stated. “However, there are some cast members that are less likely to come back than others based on certain events that have unfolded this past season. But, for two or three cast members, it could be over for good.”
In addition to possibly giving certain ladies the boot, production is said to be considering new cast members.
“Bravo is actively seeking new housewives, not just in NJ, but for the other franchises as well. They’re always looking for new talent to bring in higher ratings,” the source shared.
Just last month, as season 14 neared its end, the series received just 589,000 viewers — the lowest-rated episode in the show’s history.
As for why they’re waiting to make changes, the insider said they simply aren’t sure how to proceed.
“They don’t know what to do because it’s almost like a puzzle where you’re trying to put pieces together that make sense. And there’s very few pieces of this puzzle that make sense for viewers right now,” the source noted.
Meanwhile, a second source said Andy Cohen, 56, is “not ruling out anything” when it comes to season 15.
“It can be a cast shakeup with only some cast members coming back, it can be rebooted, or RHONJ can be canceled altogether – nothing is off the table,” the insider said. “Bravo has not put a timeline on when filming will resume because, literally, no one knows what’s going to happen and it’s going to take time to figure out the next steps.”
As RHONJ fans will recall, Andy told a caller on his SiriusXM radio show last week that “all fresh faces” were possible on the upcoming season before setting the record straight on another episode.
“I’m like, ‘Wait, this is not new news,’ and I was also not definitively saying it’s going to be all fresh faces. I was like, ‘Maybe all fresh faces, maybe not,’” he explained on Andy Cohen Live. “I mean … It’s just so weird. Sometimes it makes me think there’s not that much to write about, you know?”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 14 finale watch party begins this Sunday, August 11, at 8/7c on Bravo.