Danielle Staub may be back in the RHONJ conversation, but sources close to production tell us exclusively that fans should not expect to see her holding a Jersey comeback anytime soon.
Despite recent reports claiming Danielle could return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey for their upcoming season, insiders tell us Bravo has no plans to bring the former Housewife back into the mix.
“Melissa Gorga has thrown out Danielle’s name and Danielle seems to be in a good place with Melissa and Teresa but they have no plans of bringing her back,” a source close to production tells us exclusively.
According to the insider, the network feels Danielle already had another opportunity on RHONJ and that her return did not land the way they had hoped.
“Bravo gave her a second chance to come back and it really just didn’t deliver. Her coming back didn’t end on a positive note,” the source claims.
Danielle was one of the original stars of The Real Housewives of New Jersey when the show premiered in 2009. Her feud with Teresa Giudice helped deliver one of the most iconic moments in Bravo history, with Teresa flipping the table during the Season 1 finale.
After exiting the show as a full-time cast member, Danielle later returned in a friend role. However, her second run on the series ended with plenty of controversy, including fractured relationships within the cast and her eventual departure from the franchise.
Sources also point to Danielle’s past comments about Andy Cohen as another reason a return would not make sense.
“It’s also worth it to note that she didn’t end off on a good note with Andy Cohen,” a source tells us exclusively. “She was given a second chance then ripped Andy Cohen in a rant about the pain she endured while on Real Housewives of New Jersey so it wouldnt make sense bringing her back for a third time.”
After her exit, Danielle publicly aired her issues with Andy in both a social media post and on her podcast, Absolutely Danielle.
“I am no longer forced to walk into the Lions Den,” Danielle wrote at the time. “Andy kept me In the dark long enough! He has taken whats mine and given it to others!”
Danielle continued, “Now that you are a parent I’d hoped you would see some of the pain you caused my family, even when I left the show to protect my young children, you mocked me repeatedly defaming me and yet I still continued to give you over a decade to do right by me and mine!”
She added, “Now it’s time you understand that “for every action there is a reaction.””
Danielle also accused Andy of not acknowledging what she contributed to the franchise.
“You must’ve seen this coming and YOU know you were wrong, yet you continued,” she said. “So for all the times you held me down and picked me apart instead of building me up and standing with me, for all the times you made me stand alone “kept me in the dark,” may you tread lightly in your own darkness. “For letting me be the last to know” may you learn to do better.”
She continued, “I’ve been waiting for you to revere me. I’ve even gone as far as to ask you to be kinder and more gentle with me but it fell on deaf ears. No more waiting or asking, I have no hate no more respect I don’t honor you and I won’t defend you.”
Danielle added, “But I will advise: “Be careful whose toes you step on today because they may be attached to the a** you have to kiss tomorrow.””
On her podcast, Danielle also teased that she would reveal personal information about Andy’s off-camera life.
“Is Andy ready for his son to know who he is? Because the Andy I know would hit up Grindr and go on three or four Grindr dates an evening,” Danielle said. “And these are people who are pretty reputable sources, I just don’t, I don’t even want to talk about the drugs and the partying, not now anyway, but we can get back to that.”
She added, “I can accuse him all I want and I’m not talking about marijuana. I’m not talking about legalizing.”
Danielle had also previously made it clear that she did not plan to return as a Housewife again, something our sources say has not been forgotten.
She said at the time: “‘I will be never returning as a Housewife again with the Jersey girls. I have, over the past 12 years and 10 seasons, been a part of this whole franchise and I’ve been very happy to rally and stand on a platform and be here with all of you. But it is time for me to leave and do something that I want to do that makes my heart happy every day.”
The rumors about Danielle come as RHONJ enters a new era after one of its most divided seasons. The cast became so fractured that Bravo did not film a traditional reunion, and fans have been waiting to see what direction the network will take next.
With RHONJ trying to move forward, Danielle’s name being floated was bound to get fans talking. She remains one of the most infamous figures in Jersey history and has always been tied to some of the franchise’s biggest moments.
But according to sources close to production, there are currently “zero plans” to bring Danielle back.
