Jackie Goldschneider once called out Teresa Giudice for being a nonstop monster. Season 14 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey shows just how badly the writer wanted to be part of the inner sanctum. In an about-face, Jackie now seems to be best friends with the Skinny Italian author. And the move is making everyone’s head spin. Jackie came onto the franchise with a heroic story as she opened up about her eating disorder and sought treatment.
I get why Jackie might want to stick it to Melissa Gorga after her friend was caught on camera talking smack about her. It was not only hurtful but arrogant to think that Jackie wouldn’t take the criticisms personally. A theory is that once Jackie was demoted, she no longer felt that her friendships with Margaret Josephs or Miss G held value. I’m all about branching out and meeting new people, but Jackie befriending Tre is just downright weird.
There was a time…
I remember when Jackie first got her moment on the Garden State franchise in Season 9. She was a breath of fresh air, mouthy, educated, and didn’t let Tre walk all over her. The two have pretty much been on the outs ever since they met. The two stars were cordial to one another for a moment. But it was obvious they never truly liked one another’s company. In fact, the two mothers were embroiled in an all-out war after Jackie tried to make a valid comparison to Tre about her daughter. But it went way over her head. The OG vowed never to interact with Jackie again.
What was so great about Jackie was she was the ally Melissa so desperately needed in her corner after years of feuding. The sister-in-laws may have been on good terms at the time, but Jackie made sure to reignite their issues. Who could forget the time Tre maintained that a woman could control her husband? Jackie called immediate b*llshit and quickly disagreed with the OG. But ever persistent and to drive her point home, Jack used Teresa as an example, asking her if she could control Joe Giudice so she wouldn’t have to go to prison.
Today is different
But for Season 14 fans are seeing either Teresa eat crow or Jackie changing her alliance. For seasons, the lawyer has been extremely close to Melissa and Margaret. Yet, something has either gone terribly wrong, or we are currently living in a multiverse. Even before the new season premiered, Jackie publicly made it clear that she was Team Teresa. Between the constant social media shoutouts, including a birthday post where the OG commented, “Love you,” it all feels like a bit much. Honestly, I feel like I am in the twilight zone.
But why Team Teresa, and why now? Jackie had years to figure out her place with Teresa and chose to usually double down on her words. She has insinuated that Teresa isn’t the brightest crayon in the box and mocked her malapropisms and first marriage. It just seems odd that Teresa, who is aware of this all, thought, “Hey, this gal looks like a good quality friend.”
Did Jackie have an agenda?
I would argue that any Bravo star has a bit of an agenda. They get a taste of fame and don’t want to let go. Also, I’m sure the paycheck doesn’t hurt. At times, it almost feels like Jackie rode the coattails of Marge and Mel to get ahead. Could it be that Jackie just found a bigger fish to hook?
During the most recent BravoCon, Jackie gave an update, noting, “But this is no fake friendship for the sake of the show.” The author also noted her relationship with Teresa and Jennifer Aydin was “new, growing, and mutually respectful … unexpected.” According to Jackie her new soul sister relationship is “Really organic. It was like we were just talking at a party and then we were talking more, and then we started calling each other, and then we hung out and started hugging. We like each other. Yeah, it really grew organically.”
Listen, as a major Real Housewives of New Jersey fan, I can say this. It feels like Jackie made a deal with the devil for an extra 15 minutes of fame. Even though Jackie is just back as a friend for the new season, being a friend of Teresa comes with some exclusive perks. Could it be Jackie is just biding time for when another full-time spot opens up?
