The Real Housewives of New Jersey recently returned for its 14th season. With the new episodes come quite a few shifts in relationship dynamics, with the ending of Rachel Fuda and Jenn Fessler‘s friendship being one of the most jarring. Now, Rachel is opening up about how it feels for them to no longer have a bond. Plus, she details the dynamic between the ladies and what’s to come.
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Rachel Fuda at City of Hope's 2023 Spirit of Life Awards in June 2023.
PHOTO: ROB KIM/GETTY
Fans will recall that both Rachel and Jenn were new Housewives in the previous season of the show. Now, in their second season together, Teresa Giudice has come between them as Jenn now considers her a friend. This is despite Teresa going after Rachel’s husband, John Fuda, with rumors about his past and very specific sexual interests.
Rachel recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the whole situation and how it makes her feel. According to Rachel, “I definitely feel betrayed. We don’t have a friendship anymore.”
She goes on to say that Jenn previously wanted nothing to do with Teresa or her husband, Luis Ruelas. However, something changed, and now she’s friends with them both.
Credit: Bryan Steffy/Bravo
Rachel continues, “Her words and actions are not the same. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you don’t want to be around these people, then don’t be around them. But if you truly, genuinely like her and you want to be around her? That is fine with me, and … [if] that is what she was saying to me, but it wasn’t.”
She then shares that she’s a private person, but she allowed Jenn into her life.
Rachel says, “I don’t really let people in. I am a very– I am not cold, but I am very particular about who I let into my life, and I really let Jenn in. She was at my house on holidays. She spent time around my kids. We were very, very close, like, on the phone four times a day. I was talking to Jenn more than I was talking to my own family.”
Additionally, Rachel finds herself with conflicting feelings about the situation with Jenn.
“A part of me is sad about it, and the other part of me is good like I’m good. My No. 1 priority is my family, my husband, and my kids, and as long as I have that, I have everything. I don’t need anyone or anything. That is all that I need in my life, and I’m trucking on.”
Rachel also defends her husband from fans who feel his interaction with Teresa was too over the top. She feels that he was defending himself in that situation from episode one of this season.
She says, “He was put in a position where he was on the receiving end of something, and he is not going to back down. He’s gonna defend himself, and maybe Bravo should write him a paycheck.”
Rachel then discusses Teresa and Jennifer Ayden allegedly working with bloggers to “push a narrative” online about the show — something Teresa has denied.
She says, “Teresa can deny, deny, deny, until she dies, but at some point you have to put down the magnifying glass and pick up the mirror and that time has come: You are the problem, my dear. She’s so big on ‘the proof, the proof, the proof.’ Well, it’s all over. I don’t know… it’s your name, it’s your phone number, it’s your text messages and Jen, too. I mean Jen, like, Jen crawled in a hole. What happened to her?”
Rachel continues, “It’s disheartening and it’s disappointing. It’s so heinous and toxic.”
She then goes on to discuss the feud between Teresa and Margaret Josephs. She says, “Why does she think that Margaret is the antichrist? I don’t understand. I don’t understand. We all have faults. No one’s perfect, but, like, what did this woman do? I don’t understand. ”
She then says that it seems Teresa wants to blame Margaret for everything.
“It’s like, global warming? Margaret’s fault! What else can we blame on this woman? I don’t understand. I actually don’t get it. Like, what crazy piece of information are we going to receive in the Housewives puzzle that is going to change everything? And if it does, it does. I happen to believe that she is incorrect, but we’ll see.”
She then says Teresa is delusional for thinking she comes out on top this season after all she witnessed.
Rachel also wonders what a smart woman like Jackie Goldschneider has to discuss with Teresa since they have become friends.
She says, “Jackie is one of the smartest people in this group of women. She’s a smart girl. Please, tell me what her and Teresa are talking about in conversation. Could you, please? What do we have in common here? What is happening? It is so apparent what this is, that … having to explain it’s, like, a joke.”
Rachel also hopes the show can move in a more positive direction, and she believes Bravo probably feels the same way.
According to her, “I hope that we can move away from this level of toxicity, because I would not subject anyone to this. It’s very trying, and I think that Bravo sees it all and, hopefully, there will be a shakeup [for season 15]. I mean, we need it.”
Fans can watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Sunday nights on Bravo and stream it the next day on Peacock.
