The ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ star opens up to ET about her former frenemy’s return to the hit show and how it came together.
It’s all love and light for Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub.
Danielle made her triumphant-ish return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey last month after more than seven years away from the show.
“I guess I kinda brought her back, with no regrets,” Teresa tells ET. “I really feel like she didn't get a fair chance and I just wanted her to know I had no [part in] what happened.”
Teresa is referencing Danielle’s ousting from the series following its second season, during which Danielle became public enemy No. 1 for most of the cast -- Teresa included. She was effectively fired from the show.
“Her job got taken away, 'cause people refused to film with her, and to me, that's really wrong,” Teresa says. “I wanted her to know ... I never said that, but other people did and her job got taken away, and I felt bad.”
“At the time, she was a single mom raising two daughters,” she continues. “[Then] I came home [from prison] … and [now], I'm a single mom, so I just wanted [her] to know that I did have heart for [her] back then, and she really appreciated it and, you know, it was nice.”
“I [asked], 'Why didn't you stick up for yourself?’” Teresa shares. “She said she was afraid ... I commend her for saying that to me. Like, she didn't have to admit that she was afraid.”
“She had people in her ear, and I had people in my ear, trying to keep us apart,” Teresa recalls. “So this season … I'm starting to get to know Danielle. Like, I never got the chance to get to know her, so we'll see how it plays out.”
So far, Teresa is having fun with Danielle, even if she stirs up some drama.
“Listen, they didn’t cast her for the first season and the second season for no reason!” she notes.
Teresa says fans can expect “shades” of season one Danielle to come through during season eight -- and of “old Teresa,” too. Never forget the iconic table flip!
“I'm Italian and I'm spicy,” she says. “If you piss me off, you'll get a taste of me.”
The season trailer teased an upcoming blowup between Teresa and her lifelong pal, Dolores Catania, and another between Teresa and Posche boutique owner Kim DePaola -- and Teresa teases there’s at least one more fight involving her on top of that.
“I really think this is one of the best seasons ever,” she admits. “This season, you have five powerful women that I feel like, you know, we're empowering each other, which I feel like that's the way life should be. Like, we start off it's, like, Sex and the City. And of course, you get five women together and drama does happen. But, you know, it's a pretty amazing show. Like, now, I can put a smile on my face and say I'm proud to be a part of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I didn't like the darkness [of past seasons].”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. For more from our chat with Teresa, check out the video below.