RHONJ Recap: Drama Unleashed

This week’s RHONJ Recap episode of the Real Housewives of New Jersey picks up in the aftermath of Teresa Giudice and Louie Ruelas’ housewarming party.

The ladies are all doing their things with their families, with Rachel Fuda down the shore with her family. She gives them the 411 on Jennifer Aydin, insulting her bad-nose job. Rachel dubs Jennifer A a “shit person” and notes that their fight ended with Jennifer in her face, calling her a “f–king idiot.”

Danielle Cabral, on the other hand, is planning her daughter’s Barbie-themed 5th birthday party, which includes a grand entrance. Danielle is nervous about the party because she invited both Jennifer A and Rachel, who got into a blowout at Teresa and Louie’s housewarming event.

In Franklin Lakes, Melissa Gorga takes her daughter Antonia out to practice driving ahead of her upcoming test. Antonia has her mom switch places with her to go through the Starbucks drive-thru and is shocked when Melissa uses the fake name “Julia.” As the two switch places again, Melissa brings up Teresa’s party, noting that she knows Antonia sees a lot on social media. According to Melissa, she doesn’t want Antonia to hold a grudge against Teresa for the drama between her and her dad, Joe Gorga.

Antonia makes it clear she still talks to her cousins and that they don’t get involved in their parents’ drama. She adds that they don’t even talk about the bad blood. Melissa says she will NOT put her kids in the middle like Teresa has and allow them to speak on the drama, whether on the show or on social media. On top of that, Melissa begs Antonia to always remain close to her brothers because “family is everything.”

Speaking of the Giudices, Teresa Giudice and her daughters Gia and Melania are in NYC to do some bridal shopping. Teresa tries on some gorgeous dresses and looks like an absolute Queen.

Teresa gets emotional thinking about her parents, wishing that they were there to see her get married this time. She and the girls start talking about family, Teresa asks if Melissa chatted with them at the housewarming party. Gia says it was more like hi and bye, while Milania notes that they haven’t seen their aunt in a year.

In her confessional, Gia says the last time she felt like a family with the Gorgas was the summer her mom met Louie. According to Gia, they were always at Joe and Melissa’s shore house that summer, having fun. She admits she doesn’t know what happened to change that.

Milania thinks Joe should be walking Teresa down the aisle and says that it’s sad he is not. The girls admit they aren’t sure if he’s even coming to the wedding at this point. However, Teresa insists she’s sure he’s coming. Milania says if their uncle doesn’t come to the wedding, their relationship with him is over for good, and they are never speaking to him again.

Back in Jersey, Jennifer A meets up with Melissa for lunch, which is surprising AF. Jennifer A admits she can’t believe they are FINALLY in a good place after so much drama the last few years and says she’s excited to start a friendship with the mom of three.

Jennifer tells Melissa she just didn’t think Melissa wanted a baby at 40, to which Melissa says so many of her friends are just starting to have kids now at 40. Melissa asks how Bill and Jennifer are doing in their marriage, and Jennifer admits their biggest issue isn’t even fighting about Bill’s infidelity. Instead, Jennifer says she and Bill fight about their kids and how to raise them. Jennifer says she can’t stand when Bill gets on her for how she’s raising the kids when he’s never around, which is why she called Jen Fessler for advice on marriage counseling. The mom of five insists she didn’t call Jen F to shit talk Margaret Josephs but that the conversation naturally went there eventually. Melissa agrees that Margaret doesn’t give Jennifer a pass ever.

According to Jennifer, Marge goes through friends like water. She’s lost Laura Lee Jensen as a friend, Siggy Flicker, and Danielle Staub since being on the show. Melissa doesn’t seem to want to agree, but Jennifer says sees that Melissa knows she’s right. Jennifer then tells Melissa that Laura told her that Margaret encourages Melissa to leave Joe, which Melissa denies being true. Yet, Melissa confesses that Margaret did tell her she should be with a ball player “a thousand times” but insists she told Joe all about it. Apparently went down a few seasons ago when Joe and Melissa were going through a rough patch. Jennifer tells Melissa to be careful around Margaret.

Fast forward to Jen F’s house, where she’s having a nice little brunch for the ladies. She’s hoping it can be a nice little event instead of a bloodbath. Talk about wishful thinking. Marge arrives first and reveals she has to have surgery on her broken wrist from episode one. Next to arrive is Melissa. The three ladies decide to discuss Jennifer A. Jen F says she likes getting to know Jennifer A despite her badmouthing Marge to her. She hopes they can move past that. Melissa then informs Marge that Jennifer A told her to watch out for her, claiming that Marge talks crap about her to others. Marge laughs off the accusation and claims that Jennifer A is trying to turn everyone in the group against her. She calls Jennifer “pathetic” and “obsessed.”

Danielle arrives, and the ladies admit they haven’t gotten to know the newbie very well but note she seems much different than her Instagram videos. Melissa asks if there’s any change in Danielle’s relationship with her brother, to which Danielle says no. The RHONJ newbie previously told Melissa that she had a falling out with her brother several years prior. The group peppers Danielle for the scoop. She explains that her brother was making fun of her Instagram posts, so she blocked him, which resulted in him kicking her out of his wedding. Rachel doesn’t seem to buy it.

The ladies continue chatting as Teresa arrives at the brunch. As they wait for Jennifer A to get there, Melissa asks Dolores Catania where she stands with Jennifer. Dolores says she has no idea, but all she knows is she wants peace. Melissa continues to stir the pot by mentioning Rachel’s drama with Jennifer A at Teresa’s housewarming party. Rachel says Jennifer A was all up in her face and was trying to “sway me” to her side. As Rachel is talking, Marge interjects, bringing up Jennifer A’s lunch with Melissa, where she “shit-talked” her the “whole time.” Melissa adds that Jennifer A tried to warn her “that Margaret is not my friend.”

Surprisingly, Teresa is the voice of reason, saying that “sometimes people need more time to get over something” as Jennifer finally arrives at the brunch. However, Marge isn’t buying what Teresa is selling and calls Jennifer A an “asshole.”

Just as the food is being served, Jackie Goldschneider takes a shot at Jennifer A. The host, Jen F, says she’s not one to brag after Jennifer A notes how beautiful her home is. Jackie quips, “You’re going to love Jen [Aydin]. Have you met Jen?” Flashbacks to when Jen A joined the show and told the group about how her house has 16 bathrooms. Jackie insists she’s just joking, while Marge points out there’s a fine line between bragging and stating facts. Jennifer A explains that everyone receives things differently based on how they feel about someone.

This leads Marge to ask Jennifer why she’s trying to sway Melissa against her. Jennifer says she’s not trash-talking Marge but is only sharing her opinion. She also says she was simply sharing her side of their drama with Jen F. Marge and Jen A, then start bickering about their drama last year. According to Marge, Jen can’t move forward even after they mended fences. She then screams that Jen F will NEVER love Jennifer A more than she loves her. Are we in middle school? Like, how stupid is this fight?

Marge and Jen continue to scream and curse at each other. As Melissa attempts to intervene, Marge tells Jennifer A this is why she doesn’t have any friends. Jennifer A fires back, saying at least she has a family, which is something Marge will never have. Marge then calls Jen a “stupid b–ch” and says at least she has a good marriage. These nasty words are shocking everyone at the table.

Jen F has had enough and says they can’t fight like this – she has neighbors. The insults continue to be hurled. Marge calls Jen a “drug addict,” while Jennifer says Marge is a bad mother and a “jealous wench.” The argument finally ends when Jen F asks Jennifer A to leave, and Teresa follows suit. The brunch ends when Jen F tells the rest of the ladies to “get the f–k out” of her house in the nicest way possible.

Fast forward to Danielle’s daughter’s 5th birthday party. Rachel shows up with her daughter. She and Danielle discuss the drama at Jen F’s brunch. Rachel says she’s willing to give Jennifer A another shot despite getting off on the wrong foot.

Jennifer A shows up to the party with Olivia, and Rachel asks her how she’s doing after the brunch. Jennifer A claims she was trying to keep her composure at the brunch, but things get “spun around” like their prior conversation on the phone. In her confessional, Jen A says she initally called Rachel to bond over their “f–ked up” nose jobs but then “sneaky” Rachel spun it to make it seem like she called her to trash talk, Dolores. It seems that it’s the not-so-perfect time for Jen and Rachel to hash out their drama. Rachel says she didn’t appreciate Jen screaming in her face, while Jen says she was just trying to give Rachel the history between her and Dolores so she could better understand their issues. Rachel says she doesn’t want to be dragged in the middle and doesn’t really understand Jennifer’s point of view but is willing to move past it.

Teresa and Louie pop up at the party just as the fun is amping up with dancing and glow sticks. Louie asks Jennifer A about her drama with Margaret. Teresa says Margaret was hitting below the belt as Jennifer explained that Marge was tossing out “venom” and called her a “disheveled drug addict.” Jennifer says marijuana is not a drug and that Marge is so phony. Danielle and Rachel join the conversation as Jennifer continues to blast Marge. Jennifer tells the newbies not to trust Margaret. Teresa adds that it’s better to keep Margaret as a friend instead of having her be an enemy, which is why she made amends with her at the start of the season.

Jennifer then calls Marge a “master manipulator” however, Rachel doesn’t see it that way. The newbie adds that she’s trying to get to know everyone on her own without letting others sway her feelings. Teresa respects Rachel’s point of view but warns her to “pay attention” and “do your homework.”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Tuesdays at 9 pm on Bravo.

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