Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub haven’t shared a screen in years, but The Real Housewives of New Jersey fans still remember their iconic season 1 interactions. Those interactions and the table flip heard around the world seemingly ensured the series would continue. Teresa Giudice recently chatted about her long-ago nemesis, and her feelings for her have softened a lot. Giudice even conceded that Staub was “TV gold.”

Teresa Giudice thinks Danielle Staub was made for reality TV

Teresa Giudice still doesn’t know where she stands with Bravo. With the Real Housewives of New Jersey on an indefinite pause, the elder Giudice might be out of one job. That doesn’t wipe away all her years of reality TV experience, though. Giudice, for better or worse, knows a lot about the industry now. She certainly knows what makes a good reality TV star, and she thinks Danielle Staub had it.  

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Teresa Giudice appeared on Gia Giudice’s podcast, Casual Chaos, this month to talk about life, Bravo, and her early years on reality TV. During the chat, Gia mentioned her mother’s infamous table-flipping incident. The elder Guidice recalled the flip, insisting it came about because Staub had been making increasingly irritating comments, especially about Giudice’s then-husband, Joe Giudice. She remembered just “exploding.”

Now, years later, Giudice insists she can see the value Staub brought to the series. She said she thinks the thrice-divorced Staub was “made” for the series, noting that she was “TV gold.” She went on to admit she had softened to the former TV personality.

Why did Danielle Staub leave ‘RHONJ’?

Danielle Staub was one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Dina Cantin once revealed that Staub was never on Bravo’s radar, but Jacqueline Laurita was friendly with Staub and brought her to the network’s attention. Cantin took an instant dislike to Staub, and there was a lot of tension between the two. Teresa Giudice, who remains close to Cantin, got in on the action.

Despite rising tension, Staub remained on the series through season 2. She claimed to have left the series of her own accord after season 2, but rumors have swirled that Bravo opted to send her packing for being “too toxic.” If the rumors are true, the sentiment didn’t last too long. Danielle Staub returned to the series in season 8 as a “friend.” She returned for seasons 8 and 9 as a friend as well, but was never elevated to a full cast member again. In 2020, Staub announced that she was leaving the franchise for good, claiming it no longer aligned with the direction of her life.