The Real Housewives of New Jersey is facing a crossroads as producers find themselves in disagreement over the direction of the upcoming 15th season.

Credit: Bravo

Following an announcement by Jennifer Aydin, 48, which hinted at her possible departure from the series, an insider revealed that producers are reconsidering their approach. This comes after Melissa Gorga, 46, reportedly participated in trial filming alongside Margaret Josephs, 58, Dolores Catania, 54, and some new potential cast members, leading to a reconsideration of the season’s direction.

“The feedback from the test footage was less than enthusiastic,” a source disclosed to Radar Online on October 30. “Producers are essentially back to the drawing board, uncertain on how to proceed. Even if they opt to retain the current cast, unresolved drama looms large unless Teresa Giudice and Joe and Melissa Gorga can genuinely reconcile.”

Despite Teresa, 53, extending an olive branch to Joe, 51, in hopes of mending family ties, which could theoretically increase Melissa’s screen time, the source acknowledged that this alone wouldn’t fully address the challenges producers are facing.

While Teresa, 53, has reached out to Joe, 51, in an effort to make peace within their family, which would theoretically open up more possibilities for scenes with Melissa, the insider went on to note that it wouldn’t solve all the problems that producers are facing.

“You still have Danielle Cabral, who hates Teresa, Margaret, and Teresa, who don’t get along, Rachel Fuda, who doesn’t get along with Teresa, and Dolores in the middle. It’s a complicated situation, and that’s why Bravo’s still not sure how to move forward,” the source explained.

“The only definite is that Jennifer Aydin won’t be returning,” they added.

As for where things stand as of now, the insider said that when it comes to production, no filming start date has been scheduled quite yet.

“Things remain in limbo,” they noted. “It’s a sad state of affairs both for the cast and for the fans of the show, all of whom are clamoring for its return.”

On Thursday, in a lengthy post shared to her Instagram account, Jennifer confirmed she had not been asked to return for the new season.

“Hey guys, just wanted to hop on here and update you guys on a few things. A lot of you have been asking me if I’m still on the [show] or not. I can honestly say that nobody has told me anything. And they still haven’t told me anything. But I haven’t checked either. Life’s been pretty busy. And I would only think about it when people asked, which is why I would’ve liked to have known, so I can let you guys know. You know me, I like to keep it real,” Jennifer wrote.

“And all I’ve heard is what you’ve heard. You probably know more than me, actually. I’ve heard they are test-filming. And I wasn’t invited to BravoCon. So by the looks of it, I think it’s safe to say, probably not. And that’s OK. I’m good,” she added.