Jacqueline is preparing for the Real Housewives Of New Jersey reunion, which films next month. Jacqueline predicts it’ll “be a good one” and “extremely eventful,” adding, “I think it’s gonna be pretty intense.”
Jacqueline teases about the upcoming drama on the show but warns, “they cut so much out” of the backstory. She’s annoyed that the viewers aren’t getting more information.
Jacqueline admits she was “surprised at Melissa” this season (she did not mean that as a compliment) and has not spoken to Melissa or Teresa since filming wrapped. She also has “no idea” how Juicy is doing in prison and Chris hasn’t spoken to him.
Jacqueline insists she’s no longer as emotionally invested in the show as she once was, and although she finds editing annoying sometimes, she understands it’s meant to be “entertainment.”
“I found it really hard to express myself when I first started doing Housewives because I was always taught if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. So I was very uncomfortable,” Jacqueline explains.
“It was really hard for me,” she continues. “But then after you’ve been on for a few years you’re just trained [that] if you’re thinking it to just say it, so that the viewers understand what you’re thinking. And it makes better TV.”
She continued: “It’s frustrating sometimes because things that air don’t really tell the full story of what happened in a scene, so there’s always more to the story that people don’t see,” describes Jacqueline. “But then I look at it as, it’s entertainment. If people are loving me or hating me – as long as they’re engaged in the show. I don’t have to deal with them in my real life. People are judging you for what they see and they’re not getting the full story, so I don’t get offended.”
“There’s things that I’m shocked, over the seasons, didn’t make the air. Cause I’m pretty open and I put a lot out there. I don’t really get embarrassed because everybody has shit in their lives, and has ups and downs. The people who are gonna be in my life, are gonna be in my life.”
“We don’t have any say in editing,” adds Jacqueline.
She disagrees that being required to discuss certain topics or instances makes the show scripted, or that producers influence the drama this way. “It’s pretty real. You’re just put in unusual situations you wouldn’t normally put yourself in, but whatever happens in those situations is real,” she clarifies. “It’s not scripted at all.”
“When you’re cast to film on a show, you’re cast to film together so you have to talk about each other. Would I be talking about certain cast members if I wasn’t on the show? Probably not,” Jacqueline says. “But when you’re all forced to film together things happen and you gotta talk about whatever’s going on in your life.”
“In a typical situation if I was fighting with somebody I’d probably just ignore them and walk away, but when you’re on TV and you’re being filmed – if I were to just walk away every time you guys would be bored to death. So you’re kind of trained to just, whatever’s on your mind, express yourself and think out loud.”
“Then of course you can’t just let it go, because you gotta film telling everybody whatever happened in the scene,” Jacqueline adds. “You gotta make sure that’s caught on camera so the viewers know what’s going on too. So that gets a little redundant.”
She is friends with some of the ladies in real life, naming Kathy, Rosie, Siggy, and Dolores, but others are just co-workers or acquaintances.
“I love Rosie,” Jacqueline gushes. “Rosie is amazing. I love Kathy and Rosie. I love Siggy. She’s a very kind person. She’s very much like me season 1: she just wants peace with everybody, she just wants everyone to get along. She doesn’t really know the full history of everything and she’s just navigating her way through it. I think she’s a great addition to the show – her and Dolores. I actually pushed for them to be on the show. To be honest, I recruited them. They’re both great. I talk to Siggy and Dolores all the time.”
Jacqueline claims that both Siggy and Dolores will be asked back next season.
“We’re like the sisters who rip each other’s hair out and the next second we’re hugging. It’s really weird,” Jacqueline describes her relationship with Teresa . “Never say never,” Jacqueline shrugs of a future friendship with Teresa. “This is gonna sound crazy, but my favorite Housewife to watch is Teresa!” Jacqueline laughs. “I just think she’s so funny and she makes great TV.”
Jacqueline now takes her relationships with on-screen enemies in stride. “I wouldn’t quit if anybody returned on the show,” she promises. “Listen – I’m the last person to be afraid of confrontation. I never have a problem with confrontation. I do best with one-on-one confrontation, but I don’t get intimidated by people.”
“You’ve gotta film with those people even if you’re uncomfortable around those people,” Jacqueline says, “so that’s when things happen: because you don’t really wanna be there, but you gotta be there!” My, my – miss I once skipped a reunion has certainly had a change of heart! “I never regret things I do because it always leads to other things.”
She explains that being part of RHONJ definitely creates a divide between her real life and her reality TV life, and certain aspects of her real reality are never seen. “I have a lot of friends who are not part of the show and would not be part of RHONJ in a million years. It’s hard hanging out with them when we’re filming, because we get so involved with filming.”
She also says filming never really wraps since they do “pick up interviews,” or the confessional one-on-ones, throughout the season so production can get soundbites from each woman that coincides with whatever scenes will likely make the final cuts. RHONJ is no longer actively filming that Jacqueline knows of.
Jacqueline also commented a bit on Caroline and Dina’s feud – she is not involved this time.
“Caroline and I are good,” she says. She talks to Albie and Chris more than Lauren.
“We’re peaceful right now, but I haven’t seen [Dina] in a few years. We haven’t talked at all.” Jacqueline isn’t sure if Dina and Chris are in contact, but they were recently on a “group text” thread, and Dina did a shout-out to promote The Little Kernel on social media. She is still close with Jamie Laurita, her brother in law, and they talk frequently.
“It’s unfortunate with Caroline and Dina,” Jacqueline muses. “I guess it’s like that with a big family – it like goes in cycles. Never say never. Eventually people come around. Did you guys ever think Teresa and Melissa would be friends? She finally took my advice! I don’t care if it’s fake; it doesn’t matter. It’s so much better for the parents, the kids… It’s so much better for Teresa to have a relationship with her brother, and all she has to do is respect his wife to make it work.”
Jacqueline has not seen “freaking psycho” Danielle Staub, but she heard a rumor that her name is on Danielle’s “kill list.” (aka the list of people Danielle wants to murder). Jacqueline doesn’t think Danielle will ever return to Real Housewives Of New Jersey because she’s “sort of a liability” but says Danielle “begs” to return every season.
Jacqueline‘s friendly with several other Housewives from other shows. “There’s women from each of the Housewives that I talk to. Tamra and Gretchen, I love. Carole… and Kim Zolciak. I love Kandi – she’s a sweetheart.” She recently ate at Lisa Vanderpump‘s restaurant and really likes her. “I love Andy Cohen,” she adds. “I think he’s brilliant.”
The Laurita’s finances are also improving. “Things are definitely going better with us. Little Kernel is doing aaaaamazing – it’s in almost 4,000 stores already. BLK is finally making money!”
After leaving RHONJ, Jacqueline discussed doing a spinoff, but decided against it. “I just think that takes a lot of work with it just focused on you. I’d rather be part of a group to be honest with you. If I had a show it’d probably be called ‘Livin’ Laurita Loca’.”
Jacqueline also revealed her funniest moment that never made the air. “I shouldn’t even talk about it…” she begins, “but we did this Halloween thing one time and Teresa dressed up as Danielle Staub!”
“She put underwear on with an earring, like her thing was pierced – like nude panties (over her clothes),” Jacqueline laughs. “It was terrible!”
Transcript courtesy via Reality Tea
Photo Credit: Bravo