But Kathie Wakile and Rosie Pierri will be back as friends of the main cast. There are speculations that Traci Johnson, the wife of former NFL star Tiki Barber, was also asked to appear on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” but she has yet to confirm if she will indeed join the cast.
Several months ago, Bravo was reported to have sought Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and Erica Levy, Geraldo Rivera’s wife, to join the cast but Levy immediately turned down the offer.
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” premiered on May 12, 2009 as the fourth installment of “The Real Housewives” franchise following “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” “The Real Housewives of New York City,” and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
The show focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in New Jersey. When it first hit the airwaves six years ago, it focused on Teresa Giudice, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, and Danielle Staub.
For the first time in the franchise, the series followed housewives who are related to one another – sisters Caroline and Dina are married to brothers Albert and Tommy Manzo. Jacqueline is also married to Caroline and Dina’s brother Chris. In the course of the show, Dina and Tommy Manzo broke up and parted ways.