Teresa Giudice

Anyone expecting less drama on the new Danielle Staub-less season of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' needs to think again. The Garden State goddesses are back and this year is going to be uglier than ever, due partly because of casting choices aimed at rattling the stars' cages.

"I was told by Bravo that my sister-in-law and cousin would be joining the cast," Teresa Giudice tells me. "I had no idea until Bravo told me."

Bravo went right ahead and recruited Melissa Gorga, her sister-in-law (she's married to Teresa's only sibling, brother Joe) and Kathy Wakile is Teresa's first cousin. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for ratings), Teresa doesn't get along with either.
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"Teresa and her brother were so close before he got married. They spoke everyday and now that's over," a friend of the family tells me. "In fact things are so bad that Teresa refuses to do interviews with Melissa or even be in the same room as her, even to promote the new season."

Joe and Melissa have been married seven years and have three kids. According to her Bravo bio, they live in an "ornate mansion" that she decorated herself.

"It breaks my heart," Teresa said of her family rift as she tours the country promoting her second cookbook, 'Fabulicious! Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook.' In fact things are so bad that insiders warn that things get worse in upcoming episodes and that Terese could even be considering leaving the show for good.

All this and reality cameras! Sounds like a recipe for disaster great ratings to me and Bravo wouldn't want it any other way.