Heavy/Bravo/NBCUniversal Cast members from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."
Dolores Catania of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” is struggling over the show’s “pause” after a volatile 14th season. The Bravo reality show typically films in the summer but remained on hiatus during the summer of 2024.
In a September 2024 interview with Us Weekly, Catania gave an update on what her life has been with cameras down—and she sounded pretty down herself. “I’m trying to get used to not working,” Catania told the outlet. “I never called it work. I’m trying to get used to not having that lifestyle that I’m so used to for 8 years. It’s different. It kind of guts you a little bit. You feel bad. I miss what I did.”
Catania shared that she traveled to Africa and Europe over the summer and “did a few events.” One of the events was the cast’s annual “Battle For Brooklyn” charity softball game against Maimonides Medical Center physicians and staff. The event is usually filmed for RHONJ, but Bravo’s cameras were not there this year. Several RHONJ cast members also skipped the game, which took place in August 2024.
“It’s not the same,” Catania admitted of her life post Housewives. “So I miss it. You miss your job. Like is this what happens when people retire? I don’t know. …When you start to feel different is when time goes by when you know you’re supposed to be filming and you’re not and that’s when it starts to feel a little bit off.”
Dolores Catania Hopes to See the Whole Cast Comes Back
BravoRHONJ stars Rachel Fuda, Margaret Josephs, Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Teresa Giudice, Jennifer Aydin, and Danielle Cabral.
In addition to Catania, the RHONJ season 14 cast included Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, Rachel Fuda, Jackie Goldschneider, and Jennifer Fessler.
There have been rumors of a revamp of the RHONJ cast or a complete reboot given the distinct cast divide during season 14.
Catania said in “a perfect world” the whole cast would be invited back for season 15. “I feel we’re an ensemble cast. I would like for us to all come back, but that’s not up to me,” she told Us.
As for estranged sisters-in-law Giudice and Gorga, Catania pointed out that they did film together last season. She noted that even though everybody “fought” she thinks the cast could come together to some sort of resolution at some point. “I think after maybe some downtime that would help,” Catania said of the break.
Dolores Catania Says Bravo ‘Doesn’t Know What to Do’ With the RHONJ Cast
BravoCast members from RHONJ.
More than a month after the explosive RHONJ season 14 finale aired on Bravo, the network has not given an update on the show’s status. In June, executive producer Andy Cohen told “Entertainment Tonight” that “no decisions have been made” about the future of the show. He added, “Anything you read about what Jersey’s gonna be for next season for the next, I would say six months, is fake, so don’t believe it.”
Speaking with USA Today in September 2024, Catania admitted Bravo doesn’t know what to make of her cast mates. She compared the Jersey Housewives to misfit movie characters.
“I don’t even think Bravo really knows what to do with us,” she said. “It’s like ‘The Bad News Bears.’ Like what do you do? We could be better. Maybe they could fix us, you know. There was hope for ‘The Bad News Bears,’ so I always look at it like that. Or ‘The Breakfast Club,’ whatever you want to call it. It’s like everybody’s a different personality and sometimes it doesn’t work out so well.”
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RHONJ Star Says She Misses Her ‘Job’ As Future of Show Remains in Limbo