“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Frank Catania addressed rumors that Teresa Giudice may not return to the hit Bravo series for Season 15.
“I’ve heard the same [speculation] about Teresa being asked to leave, as opposed to being fired,” he said on a recent episode of “The Lisa Alastuey Podcast.”
“But it’s a shame because, you know, I see Teresa landing someplace,” he added. “Because Teresa, across all the franchises, is probably the most recognizable ‘Housewife’ in the world.”
Giudice, 52, has been rumored to be leaving “RHONJ” for a handful of years but has continued to deny the gossip.
Whether the Bravolebrity exits the series or not, Catania declared on “The Lisa Alastuey Podcast” that he sees a rebrand coming soon.
“I suspect that they are going to be dropping off some people and bringing additional new people in as well as keeping some people on,” he theorized.
“You can’t continue the way we’re doing it now because right now it is basically two separate shows.”
“You got a reality show where half the cast can’t — won’t film together with the other half of the cast. How are you supposed to have a reality show?”
Of course, Catania was referring to the nasty feud between Giudice and her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga. The pair have filmed together minimally since the Season 13 reunion in 2023.
Catania, who was married to housewife Dolores Catania from 1994 to 1998, also said he feels Giudice has changed in recent years.
“She’s changed. In my opinion, she has changed since [her husband] Louie’s been around,” he told Alastuey. “She’s just not herself. Not the Teresa I grew up with.”
Catania and Giudice have been friends since childhood. Fans saw them become closer when the disbarred lawyer coached her for her bodybuilding competition in 2019.
“Teresa is an animal and that’s in a good way. I did not think that Teresa had it in her,” he raved to Page Six following the competition.
“I don’t think the woman ever slept. And in between all this, she’s taking care of her daughters and she’s obviously filming and handling all of her other ventures. I was pleasantly surprised by Teresa.”
However, he has since been outspoken about his disappointment with Giudice’s husband, Luis “Louie” Ruelas.
During the “RHONJ” Season 13 reunion, Frank said he had a “problem” with Ruelas after he allegedly shut down his business without telling his son, Frankie, who worked for him.
He also blamed Ruelas, who married Giudice in August 2022, for changing the dynamic of the show for the worse.
“There have been such angry, angry arguments in this show, and it has never, ever gotten to the point it has gotten to right now. And the only thing different is Luis,” he slammed.