Teresa Giudice Thankful For 'RHONJ' Pause After 'Toxic' Last Season

Although Teresa Giudice has been on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" since Season 1, the reality star is thankful for the current break.

Due to several seasons of extremely problematic behavior between castmates, Bravo decided to shelve the Jersey iteration of their popular series after Season 14.

During a new interview, Teresa Giudice updated her fans on life after "RHONJ" and shared how she felt about not filming for Season 15.

Bravosphere fans know that Giudice is the breakout star of "RHONJ."

The series OG has been center stage since the beginning, arguing with friends, enemies, and, yes, even her family members.

Watchers have become familiar with Giudice's strained relationship with the Gorgas, as the family of three has showcased their tumultuous relationship for years. However, things took a turn for the worse when the Gorgas skipped Giudice's fairytale wedding during Season 13.

The family members didn't speak to each other during the series' 14th season either, which fractured the cast. Consequently, Bravo and Andy Cohen placed "RHONJ" on pause for the unforeseeable future.

Giudice, though, doesn't seem phased. While chatting with Pix 11, the reality star said that the break from filming has been "good" for her.

"It's good to take a break," she said before calling the last few seasons "toxic."

One of the biggest reasons Seasons 13 and 14 were "toxic" is Giudice's longstanding feud with her family members, the Gorgas.

In case you forgot, Giudice's brother and his wife joined the series behind her back during its third season. She's spoken openly about the hurt she felt by their betrayal for years, calling the moment very "hard."

She went on, saying she felt "stabbed in the heart" by the people she felt closest to, which wound up being quite "traumatic" for her.

"I never signed up to be on a TV show with my family," Giudice said. "This ['RHONJ'] was my thing. I was excited about it. It was something new for me, and it was like my job, and I was excited, and then all of a sudden I get bombarded and ambushed by my family. And it was very sad because I felt like my dream kind of got shattered."

Although they worked past this issue then, their beef during the latest season ended up being too much, driving both families away from each other for good.

When asked if she saw herself reconciling with the Gorgas in the future, Giudice described that relationship as a "permanent break."

Another "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member who had some involvement in the family drama is Giudice's ex-husband, Joe Giudice. The former reality star no longer appears on the show. However, when he did, he, too, had explosive feuds with the Gorgas.

Since his exit from the series, Giudice occasionally speaks about his experience on the show, including his thoughts about his ex-wife's relationship with the Gorgas.

During a recent interview on the Reality Court podcast, the 52-year-old opened up about their challenging dynamic, calling it "weird." He also believes jealousy plays a critical role.

"I think, in all honesty, [Joe Gorga's] wife ... is so jealous of Teresa [Giudice]," he said. "And so is he."

Giudice's controversial comments didn't stop there, though. He continued, slamming them as "fame whores."

Although Giudice gave a recent update on her relationship with her family, calling it a "permanent break," fans knew the Jersey natives weren't on speaking terms.

During a BravoCon event in 2022, news broke that the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" panel was split in two due to the group's fractured relationships. At the heart of that was Giudice's unstable connection with Gorga.

The pair kept their distance during the three-day event; however, they both seemingly took shots at each other on separate stages. Joe Gorga gave a heartfelt speech about the importance of family, while Teresa Giudice slammed him for letting "fame" ruin their once-tight bond.

Due to the broken friendships on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey," Cohen and Bravo have been open about placing the show on "pause" to figure out the next steps.

Although Giudice is okay with the break, some of her cast members aren't so thrilled about the decision.

Dolores Catania, one of the program's mainstays, said she was upset with her peers for their behavior. According to her, had they worked on fixing things with each other, they'd still be working.

"I’m a little mad that everybody couldn’t get it together," Catania said. "I really am.”