Teresa Giudice, a prominent figure from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, has recently been candid about her hopes to mend fences with Joe and Melissa Gorga. This family tension has been a key factor in the show’s prolonged break. Intriguingly, new insights suggest that Teresa initially contemplated joining forces with a former cast member, Kathy Wakile, as a strategic move to secure her place in the upcoming 15th season.

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Kathy Wakile, Teresa’s cousin, made her debut on the Bravo series during its third season back in 2011. Although she transitioned to a ‘friend of the show’ role by the sixth season and eventually exited before season eight, whispers of her potential return have been circulating, particularly since she is reportedly building a home near Joe and Melissa.

According to a source who confided in Radar Online, Teresa’s intentions regarding her return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey might be more calculated than her public statements suggest. The insider revealed, “Even as Teresa speaks openly about reconciling with Joe and Melissa Gorga, the reality is that she reached out to Kathy Wakile well before she attempted to reconnect with her brother and sister-in-law.”

The source elaborated on Teresa’s reasoning, explaining, “By aligning with Kathy, Teresa believed she could craft a compelling narrative for RHONJ. This alliance would not only bolster her position but also provide a potential ally against Joe and Melissa, should they rejoin the show.”

They explained her motivation for reaching out to Kathy by saying, “Teresa figured that if she made up with Kathy and got her on her side, this would give her an angle for RHONJ and, if Joe and Melissa came back, someone to go against them with.”

The person added, “It’s no secret Kathy has issues with Melissa, as that’s been publicly discussed, so Teresa likely saw an in.” The source then told the outlet that Kathy refused Teresa’s proposition. They said, “Kathy is a strong-willed person and stood her ground and had no interest in engaging.”

The insider went on, “Seeing as that didn’t work out for her, Teresa took [the] next step and went for the Joe and Melissa makeup angle.”

From there, the insider went on to call Teresa desperate, saying, “None of this is coming off as genuine at all and, as much as she’s purported to not be desperate, it truly reeks of someone who is.”

They continued, “It also speaks volumes to how little she truly thinks of Joe and Melissa that they were truly last on her list of people to ‘make up’ with. At the end of the day, the person Teresa cares most about is Teresa. And she will do whatever she thinks she has to do to keep her relevancy and potential spot on the show.”

Previously, Radar Online reported that the RHONJ cameras are unlikely to film a reunion between Joe and Teresa. The outlet was told, “Producers have made it known they have no interest in capturing Teresa and Joe’s attempt to reconcile. This is a storyline production has made it known they’re not interested in capturing.”

The insider added, “If Joe and Teresa do end up making up and are in a good place, it is, of course, possible production could entertain having them both back on the show, and then fans would get to watch their rekindled relationship.”

Recently, Joe confirmed that Teresa texted him, and he’s willing to meet under specific parameters. However, sources have also questioned how genuine Joe is, saying, “He’s being egotistical and wanting to call all the shots like he always does.” An insider also said that Joe wants to “make her beg for an apology so he could sit there and say, ‘let me think about it.’”

Regarding Melissa being willing to make up with Teresa, Radar Online reported they were told, “Melissa is going along with this because she’s also a bit worried about her spot on the show. She’s concerned that if Teresa was brought back and they were still on the outs, she may not have a spot there.”

Who do you want to see on RHONJ season 15?