Even Margaret Josephs was surprised by this season of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’

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It’s easy to forget that Margaret Josephs is only going into her fourth season on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It feels as though she’s been an integral part of the show for much longer than that.

The multihyphenate businesswoman, whose book Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget hits shelves this spring, opened up about her time on RHONJ during a wide-ranging new interview for In The Know’s pop culture interview series, We Should Talk.

“I got on the show, I had lawsuits, I was in a very bad place and had to put my business into a bankruptcy because my assets were frozen,” Josephs reflected. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe I have to do this. All of my dirty laundry is going to come out.’ Theres no shame in my game, I went on the show and I think [by] just being my authentic self, people could relate. […] Now I’m the oldest one on the show, and [my experience] shows that at any point in your life, you can pick up your bootstraps.”

Margaret also shared her candid thoughts on the explosive feud between her friends Jackie Goldschneider and Teresa Giudice, which takes center stage on the eleventh season of New Jersey, which just recently premiered.

Listen to In The Know’s full episode with Real Housewives of New Jersey star Margaret Josephs below, and keep scrolling for highlights from the interview:

Margaret Josephs on Teresa Giudice and Jackie Goldschneider’s drama: “I thought it could be smooth sailing for a little while — I really did. They are different people, but I thought Teresa didn’t harbor resentment. A lot of people think it’s out of resentment — maybe it is, maybe I was naive to it. It was like, Teresa’s used to cheating rumors. So, to her, it’s like, ‘Who gives a s**t?!’ She did hit it home, and it was very upsetting. It’s not a good look. But, in her head, it’s not as devastating as it is to someone who has never dealt with that. It is a hurtful thing, and because she’s dealt with so many hurtful things, she thinks everybody should be able to handle something like that. But, that’s just not the way it is. And I told her that. […] We shouldn’t get used to that. Certain things you can say, but accusing when there’s no basis for it and when you don’t come with the receipts? Then don’t say it.”

Margaret Josephs on her upcoming book, Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget: “It’s a lot of things that people don’t know about me. I’ve had a very big life before getting on the show, and there are a lot of things I don’t talk about on the show. I’m not from the lucky sperm club. It’s about growing up with Marge Senior in the ’70s — a single mom. It’s about the sexual harassment that took place in the early ’90s and the late ’80s and the things I had gone through and how I wasn’t confident at the time to speak up. It’s about my first marriage, my children… people are going to realize that I did give birth to a son who is very private. We are very close. [It traces] all of the intricacies of my life, and after every chapter there are life lessons about business and what I’ve learned fro each part of my life and how I became the woman that I am today.”

Margaret Josephs on which former Real Housewives of New Jersey star she’d like to potentially come back to the show: “I would say Caroline [Manzo], because I do feel like we’d get along. She’s opinionated, and she was very loved. Her and Teresa have some things to clear up, so that could be interesting. Maybe Teresa is in a different place now, and that could work. That could be very interesting, and we could do things together. Caroline’s naturally friends with Dolores [Catania], and I know Melissa [Gorga] had always liked her, so that could be a good fit for someone to come back. But, I always think it’s fun to find someone new, also.”

Margaret Josephs on how this season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey differed from her expectations: “After watching the premiere, it was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I felt like I was reliving it all over again and having the same anxiety when it was happening, and I didn’t think that was going to be it. It was the Jersey girls getting back together, I was like, ‘It’s going to be kumbaya, all roses, we’ll be so happy to be back together.’ I really thought that, because we were coming out of a pandemic. We’re not gonna sweat the small stuff. Emotions were so high; I think that’s what it was. Everybody was like, ‘We’re just gonna let loose. That’s what it’s gonna be.’ I think everyone’s super emotional after being stuck inside, everyone’s rethinking their life and, it’s like, guns a blazing.”

Watch In The Know’s full interview with Margaret Josephs below, and tune into The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST:

If you enjoyed this interview, check out In The Know’s recent interview with Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, Meredith Marks, here.

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