Jennifer Aydin was just as taken aback as “Real Housewives of New Jersey” viewers were when previously unseen footage showed Teresa Giudice urging Danielle Staub to yank Margaret Josephs’ ponytail during their explosive boutique brawl.
Jennifer revealed on “Watch What Happens Live” she hadn’t seen the footage until it aired during Wednesday’s new episode, telling Andy Cohen she “felt bad for Teresa, honestly. I did. I did because I know why she said what she said, and I know why she did it.”
“And she thought… We spoke about it at reunion, so I don’t really wanna give anything away, but she didn’t even think it was gonna be that brutal,” Jen continued. “Which, at the end of the day, I guess you could think, ‘How could someone pull[ing] someone’s hair not be brutal?’ But she really did drag her across the room, and nobody was expecting that. You even saw, by the time we turned around, Margaret was halfway across the room, and it was brutal.”
Bravo played back the scene in question after Staub told Melissa Gorga that it was the boutique owner, Steven, who told her to pull Margaret’s ponytail and that Teresa actually encouraged it. When a caller asked Aydin what she thought of Teresa and Melissa’s seemingly close relationship these days, she said they’re “not best friends, to be honest.”
“I think they definitely get along a lot better than they once did, and at the end of the day, Teresa appreciates the fact that this is her brother’s wife, and she’s not going anywhere, so they make do,” Jen explained.
One could argue Jennifer’s opinion of their relationship is a bit tainted given her own issues with Melissa. After all, she did throw plates and utensils “toward” Gorga during a heated conversation about spending habits.
Another caller asked Jennifer where she gets “the balls” to stand up to Melissa, Margaret and Jackie Goldschneider.
“I just feel that, especially after my brother’s story, it’s very important to me to just be myself and not worry if people are gonna like me or not,” Aydin explained. “Because I did that last year, and I still didn’t get people to like me, so what I’ve realized is you’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. So just be yourself, and if they like you, great, and if not, go f–kin’ scratch, okay? Jersey style!”
Jen’s brother, Steve, was actually bartending last night. His rocky relationship with their mother was a topic of conversation this season because she had a difficult time accepting that he was gay. But according to Jennifer, “their relationship has evolved and has gotten so much better. And now we’re at a place where, if Steven wanted to come with a boyfriend, my mother would be okay with it.”
Steven agreed, praising both the show and his sister for sparking the conversation. “Before the show, it didn’t seem like it was even an option,” he explained. “And now Jennifer’s opened the conversation, so it feels great.”
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
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