A lot of fans of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were upset when they first heard that long time cast member Jacqueline Laurito had been fired. Throughout the shows’ various seasons Jacqueline has been one of the few ladies that seems to be genuine. You can only watch Teresa Giudice manipulate or Melissa Gorga play innocent so much- eventually a real scene between Jacqueline and her autistic son was a relief. She was ultimately cut in favor of bringing back Dina Manzo, Jacqueline’s sister-in-law.
When Dina refused to film with Jacqueline it cost the regular her spot on the show. The problem is that RHONJ’s ratings have completely tanked this season. It seems that without a dose of realness to balance out the over-the-top crazy even the most diehard fans aren’t interested. The good news is that Bravo execs are desperate to gain some ratings ground again so they offered Jacqueline a sweet deal to return and they didn’t care who (ahem, Dina) objected- or how loudly.
According to the Aug. 25th print edition of Star Magazine Jacqueline was happy to rejoin the cast but there was something else motivating her- the cash. Apparently the Laurita’s bank account is totally in the red because Bravo has really helped to pay for their lifestyle these past few years. Without that RHONJ check they have been in trouble. Jacqueline was thrilled to have an opportunity to earn a nice chunk of change to help support her son Nicholas and to pay off some of the debt that has been piling up. Are you glad that Jacqueline will be returning to RHONJ? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!