The RHONJ Season 13 cast announcement and trailer dropped earlier today (Wednesday, December 21), confirming months of rumours that Jackie Goldschneider would be appearing as a Friend of the Housewives instead of a full-time cast member.
In a new interview, Jackie explained the reasons for her reduced role on the upcoming season, revealing that the network offered her a Friend contract after she expressed concerns about balancing filming with her eating disorder recovery.
“When Bravo approached me about casting for season 13, I obviously was very excited to be a part of the show again because I love the show,” she recalled. “But my recovery was not in the place that I expected it to be. It was moving very slowly. I was still being triggered by stress and I still needed a lot of intense therapy.”
She explained, “I just wasn’t sure how to balance the time commitment for the show with my recovery.”
Due to her concerns, Bravo offered her a reduced role on Season 13. “They were so supportive,” she told People Magazine about the change. “And even though that was a really tough pill to swallow and it was hard for me to step back a little bit after having been such a big part of the show for so many years, I really knew that that was probably the best solution.”
According to the interview, Jackie will be very much a part of the season despite not appearing in the Season 13 trailer. “In retrospect, it was the best decision that I could have made,” she continued. “It was really tough to do, but I’m really proud of myself for prioritizing myself. I’m so incredibly healthy now and I don’t know that wouldn’t bee the case if I didn’t do this. So I have no regrets.”
“And it really was the sweet spot for me, being a Friend,” she added. “I had a killer season and, aside from seeing the poster without my face on it — which is a little bit of an ego punch — other than that, I really don’t feel like there was that big of a difference between this season or any other season for me as far as being in the mix. It was just much less stress.”
Thankfully, Jackie seems to be in a much better place now.
“I’m really so appreciative of them,” she said of Bravo’s response to her concerns. “The fact that they understood where I was coming from and were willing to work with me on this so that I could remain a part of the show and still prioritize my health was such a gift. At every turn, they told me how important I was to the show. They never made me feel unvalued. I’m just so grateful.”
RHONJ Season 13 cast: Who’s in, and who’s out?
Back for Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are Margaret Josephs, Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Teresa Giudice, and Jennifer Aydin, with Danielle Cabral and Rachel Fuda joining the cast as full-time Housewives. Jennifer Fessler will be introduced as a new Friend of the Housewives, while returning cast member Jackie Goldschneider will also be featured in a part-time role, according to a network press release.
As previously announced by Bravo, RHONJ Season 13 will be followed by Teresa Giudice and Louie Ruelas’s four-part wedding special which is set to air exclusively on the network.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 13 premieres Tuesday, February 7 at 9/8c on Bravo with a supersized 75-minute episode.
