Bravo Pictured: (l-r) Margaret Josephs, Jackie Goldschneider, Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice, Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin opened up about her family’s drama in a new interview.
Amid a rocky patch in Aydin’s parents’ marriage, her father, John, moved in with her while she was filming the 11th season of the Bravo reality show. The move-in caused a rift with her mother, Josephine, but the RHONJ star revealed that she still believes she made the right choice in separating her parents.
Aydin Explained That the Closure of Her Family’s Jewelry Business & Her Brother’s Move to Turkey Caused Problems For Her Parents
In a new interview with Page Six, Aydin explained that her family’s jewelry business, John Michaels Jewelry, in Woodbury, Long Island, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demise of the family business marked the end of an era, as Aydin’s father previously owned the Craft Jewelry store, which he established in 1984, per Bravo.
According to an Instagram post shared by Aydin, her parents sold their Long Island home in 2019 to move to New Jersey to be closer to the rest of the family. But the closure of the business, coupled with Aydin’s brother’s decision to move to Turkey, left her parents with too much togetherness.
“And we all know how that could be with our spouses and add being married 50 years to that,” she told Page Six.
Aydin revealed that RHONJ viewers will see what her parents were going through because the cameras “filmed a lot” of it.
While her father considered moving into an assisted living facility instead of staying with his wife, Aydin convinced him to move into her large New Jersey home.
The mom of five admitted that it will be hard to “relive” her family drama this season on the Real Housewives of New Jersey, but that she still feels she made “the right decision” in moving her dad in with her large brood.
“He’s happy here,” she said. “He gets to see the kids. My dad is a very quiet man. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t like confrontation. Seeing the kids every day gives him purpose. It gives him joy. So I’m happy that I’m able to do that for him.”
Aydin Recently Revealed That Her Mom is Not Speaking to Her Now That Her Father Has Moved In
Aydin also spoke about her family’s problems in an interview with TooFab.
She explained that the store closure was “traumatizing” for her parents, and the temporary departure of her brother caused a breakdown in their five-decade marriage as they were “stuck together 24/7.”
“I just thought it would be healthier if my dad moved out of there, you know, in order to help my mom,” she explained, “Let him live here so that she doesn’t have to be irritated by him. They don’t need to bicker so much because that’s toxic energy.”
Aydin explained that she told her parents one of them needs to be “ removed from the situation.” She felt it was easier to take in her dad, which caused even more problems for her with her mother.
“By me getting involved, it ultimately showed my mom that I was choosing my dad instead of her,” she told TooFab. “And it caused problems between me and my mother. We are not speaking.”
Aydin said she feels like she is getting a “punishment” for what was supposed to be a good deed. She added that while she understands why her mother is angry at her, she wants her to know that she just took her dad in it to keep peace in the family.
“She is not receptive to [a reconciliation] at this point in time,” Aydin said of her mother. “So I’m just going to give her her space, you know, and ultimately let the ball be in her court whenever she’s ready.”
Aydin told Page Six that if her mother comes around and agrees to live peacefully, she has room for her in her spacious home, too.
“My mom is one of those Middle Eastern moms that, like, just comments and critiques everything without you even asking her,” she said. “I don’t need stress. So if my mom, like, would come in and be mute, like how my father is, by all means, I got a West Wing with her name on it.”
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