Margaret Josephs Celebrates Mom Marge Sr. on Her 76th Birthday

Margaret Josephs and her mom

Getty Margaret Josephs and her mom Margaret "Marge Sr." Kiss.

Margaret Josephs has had an emotional few weeks.

The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star celebrated the birthday of a loved one and mourned the death of another.

Josephs, 55, has been a star on the Bravo reality show since its 8th season in 2017. Since that time, fans have gotten to know her complicated backstory, which includes her relationship with her mom, Marge Sr., and her ex-husband, Jan Josephs, who she cheated on with her current spouse, Joe Benigno.

Josephs recently paid tribute to both her mom and her ex.

Here’s what you need to know:


Margaret Josephs Celebrated Her Mom’s 76th Birthday

In an Instagram post on September 7, 2022, Josephs shared a photo of her mother, Margaret Kiss, who is affectionately known as Marge Sr.  In the photo, Josephs’ mom was in full glam mode in a red dress as she held a small dog.

“Happy 76th birthday to my Momma @margesr,.” Josephs captioned the pic. “This picture captures why we all love you….You are the life of the party, a fun ball of energy teetering in heels all while managing to be the best grandmother (to the kids and Bella) mother, and mother-in law !! Love you so much xoxo.“

Several RHONJ stars commented with greetings for the birthday girl.

“Happy birthday to that beautiful soul and mama!!” wrote Melissa Gorga.

“Happy birthday queen mamma,” added Dolores Catania, while “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Cynthia Bailey posted a series of birthday cake emoji.

“Best mother-in-law ever!! Happy birthday!! Luv ya!! wrote Josephs’ husband, Joe Benigno.

Fans have been witnessed Marge Sr.’s birthday festivities in the past. Her 75th birthday party was featured on RHONJ season 12. According to BravoTV.com, the formal party held in 2021 featured a three-tier cake that was decorated with a message that read, “75 Years of Fabulous Marge Sr.”


Marge Sr. is Only 1 Year Older Than Margaret Joseph’s Late Ex-Husband

Margaret Josephs’ happy birthday to her mom came days after she announced the unexpected death of her ex-husband, Jan Josephs. The RHONJ star was married to her first husband for nearly 20 years, from 1994 to 2013 before she had an affair with her current husband Benigno, per People.

During her marriage to Jan Josephs, she gave birth to a son in 1996. According to New Jersey Superior Court documents obtained by Radar Online, the exes shared custody of their son following their 2013 divorce.

On September 5, Josephs posted a throwback photo of her ex-husband on what would have been his milestone 75th birthday.

“Today would have been Jan’s 75th birthday,” she wrote. “He passed away unexpectedly last week and a piece of us died with him. We are heartbroken. The night before he left us we shared a beautiful conversation of how blessed we are, our children all successful and happy and that we could only brag to each other. We spoke everyday, he was my family . Jan was an amazing father, grandfather, friend, partner to his girlfriend, he loved everyone unconditionally … Happy Birthday my angel.”

Some fans may have not realized that Josephs’ ex-husband was the same age as her mom, although the RHONJ star has been vocal about her 20-year age gap with both her mom.

“I always say, I was raised by wolves,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2021. “Marge Sr., as much as it was so crazy, I knew she really loved me. We raised each other. It was like, she was Barbie and I was, you know, her sex kitten little sidekick, like Skipper.”

“When you think of it, she was 20 years old when she had me. I mean, people are in college, right, at 20 years old. So we have to — I give her a break,” Josephs told Page Six in a separate interview.

READ NEXT: OG RHOBH Husbands Reunite for Business Deal