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Credit: Instagram, Bravo

On the heels of Andy Cohen proclaiming on Watch What Happens Live that filming on the 15th season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey was getting “close,” new details about what the cast lineup may look like are being shared.

As Teresa Giudice, 53, and Melissa Gorga, 46, remain estranged, just as they were throughout the “dark” 14th season, a source has suggested that the new episodes will be based around Joe Gorga, 50, and feature only a portion of the women from last year.

“The world of RHONJ is, of course, ever evolving, but there’s seeming to be a strong focus right now on Joe Gorga and building the show around the lighthearted comedy he brings,” the production insider told OK! Magazine on August 5.

In addition to Melissa being “back as a Housewife,” the source said Dolores Catania, 54, would be part of the new season, as well.

“Bravo is also focused on Dolores Catania, as is evidenced by their putting her on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” they noted.

According to the report, Melissa is valuable to production due to her willingness to do whatever it takes to create a successful show, even if it means filming with her sister-in-law, which she did not want to do during season 14.

“Melissa, for her part, has made it known she’s willing to film and interact with [her sister-in-law] Teresa Giudice at this point in time,” the source revealed. “Yes, they’ve had issues with one another for years, but at the end of the day… this is a job. And Melissa’s not immune to the fact that them not interacting on camera at all created more problems than it solved.”

Since Bravo has had enough of the behind-the-scenes drama, “Melissa is willing to throw in the towel and do what she has to do to save her job and the show,” the insider explained.

The network reportedly also has a “vested interest” in Margaret Josephs, 58.

“[Margaret is] also expected to be returning to the franchise when it finally comes back,” the source stated. “Aside from Dolores, Teresa[,] and Melissa Gorga, Margaret is the only other RHONJ star invited to [BravoCon]. It’s likely they are planning to keep her on the franchise, as she has real drama and the viewers tend to like her. She’s funny, quick-witted and has truly ‘brought it’ to the show since she came on. If Bravo was planning to can her, she 100 percent would NOT be at BravoCon.”

In addition to Melissa, Dolores, Teresa, and Margaret, the insider said Bravo “will also add some new women to the mix.”

“They’re not stupid,” the insider noted. “Although they won’t publicly admit it, they know they screwed up with firing everyone from The Real Housewives of New York City and the ratings speak for themselves. They’re not going to do the same thing with RHONJ. And, while there were some rumblings the show may not return — and of course it’s possible it still could not — fans are clamoring for more RHONJ and have been vocal about that.”

“Bravo does pay attention to social media and they’re not naive to the fact of how badly fans want the show back,” the source added. “There would be strong ratings, so it’s likely it will return and that these women will be on it.”

While some of the insider’s claims may be true, there’s at least one aspect of the report that was not. And after Bravo Housewives gave a nod to the OK! Magazine report on its Instagram page, Melissa set the record straight about potentially filming with Teresa.

“Fake news,” she declared in a comment.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey has been on pause since August 2024.