Roxanne 
Margaret Josephs is speaking out about her Real Housewives of New Jersey exit, and she insists her decision to step away is not about Teresa Giudice.
The longtime RHONJ star recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, where she opened up about being off the show, why she feels good about the decision and where she stands when it comes to Teresa after years of tension between them.
Margaret’s future on RHONJ has been a major topic of conversation as the franchise moves into a new chapter. Fans have been trying to understand what happened after a toxic final season that left the cast completely divided and unable to come together for a traditional reunion.
When Margaret was told that many fans are still trying to come to terms with the fact that she will not be returning, she responded simply.
“I know. It’s okay,” Margaret said.
As for what she would say to fans upset that she is not coming back, Margaret said she feels at peace with where things stand.
“Yes I feel so good about the decision. You know, everything, all good things must come to an end. And I rather go out on a high and I feel like I was very vindicated the end of my last season. And I just want to go out feeling good. And I know, you know, it just wasn’t the right situation for me. I want to enjoy being around the peopleI I work with and my friends. And I didn’t, you know, that last season I just didn’t love it anymore.”
Margaret explained that while every job has difficult moments, the overall experience has to feel worth it. For her, RHONJ no longer felt that way.
“You know, every job’s not fun. Every housewife episodes not fun, but the overall feeling has to be great and it just wasn’t great,” she said.
Margaret also addressed the idea of resolution on Housewives, saying the point is supposed to be making up and moving forward. But when it comes to RHONJ, she suggested that chance had passed.
“The whole point is making up and it’s just like the ship has sailed obviously,” Margaret said.
While Margaret and Teresa’s feud has been one of the biggest storylines on RHONJ for years, Margaret insisted that her feelings about leaving the show are not rooted in Teresa.
“And the truth is it’s not about Teresa for more. I don’t wish her any ill. You know what I’m saying?” Margaret said. “She has had a very rough go, a rough life, whatever it is.”
Margaret then added that, in her opinion, Teresa sometimes makes her own life harder.
“And I think she makes her life, in my opinion, more difficult,” Margaret continued.
Still, Margaret said she does not want bad things for Teresa and actually hopes she succeeds.
“And I only truthfully want for her to be successful and everything else,” Margaret said.
By the end of the last season, the RHONJ cast was so divided that the show could not move forward in its usual format. Teresa and Melissa Gorga were not speaking, the group was split into sides and the finale felt more like a breaking point than a resolution.
Although Margaret says she no longer loved the environment and feels good about walking away, it is worth noting that she still test filmed for the upcoming season while knowing Teresa was very much involved at that point.
And according to Margaret, she only wants Teresa to be successful.
