You can take the girl out of New Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl! The Real Housewives of New Jersey franchise has seen many of its stars leave the world behind over the years — and Us Weekly is taking a trip down memory lane and checking in on where they are now.
OG cast member Caroline Manzo left the show in 2014 after five seasons. During her time on the series, she got entangled in a rocky feud with former costar Teresa Guidice.
Manzo later revealed her reason for exiting the franchise for good.
“There wasn’t a final straw, the burden became too heavy in my personal life,” Manzo told Bravo’s The Daily Dish in January 2021. “You can’t work with something that doesn’t reflect your beliefs. The show became something that just didn’t reflect my beliefs or who I was as a person.”
She added, “It’s not about the money, it’s not about the fame — it’s about your moral compass and how you live your life.”
As many RHONJ fans know, Manzo went on to star in her own spinoff series titled Manzo’d with Children from 2014 to 2017.
Siggy Flicker, for her part, broke the news of her departure from the Bravo franchise in a letter shared exclusively with Us Weekly in 2018. She had only been a part of the show for two short seasons.
“That’s a wrap! I want to thank Andy Cohen and Bravo for the opportunity they gave me on The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” she wrote at the time. “Andy Cohen is a mentor, a friend and the sweetest man in the universe, not to mention GOOD LOOOKING! Bravo has amazing people who made a tremendous impact on my career and my life. I don’t regret one second of the good and sometimes the not so good.”
Meanwhile, Jacqueline Laurita starred on RHONJ’s first five seasons before being demoted to the “friend” role for season 6. Though she was restored to full-time status again in season 7, her run on Bravo ended just before season 8 in 2017.
“I was asked by an executive producer what it would take for me to come back to #RHONJ…I said full time and a whole new cast. Lol! (Dolores [Catania] can stay.) I don’t like the direction it’s going in anymore,” she tweeted in March 2018. “I’m a very positive person & I’m very happy with my life. I love my family & I love my friends. I want to do positive things. I love sharing my journey & knowledge I’ve gained along the way. I love helping people and that’s what I am going to continue to do.”
Scroll through the gallery below for an update on where former Real Housewives of New Jersey stars are now: