danielle_staub

How RHONJ’s Danielle Staub Forgave Teresa Giudice for Calling Her a ‘Prostitution Whore’

Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub are two of the fiercest rivals in Real Housewives of New Jersey history, their feud giving the hit Bravo series its most iconic moment involving Giudice flipping a table at Staub and calling her a “prostitution whore” in the season 1 finale.

But when the show returns for its eighth season Wednesday — Staub’s first time back on the show since leaving in season 2 — fans will see the two New Jersey Housewives “thick as thieves” … and friends.

“Teresa and I are on a new path,” Staub, 55, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue. “We’ve both apologized and owned up to things we’ve done in the past.

Giudice agreed. “Danielle and I are friends now,” the 45-year-old author wrote in her new book Standing Strong. “We have a lot more in common than I thought. That’s what I’m saying about how things evolve. You never know who will come in and out of your life at different stages or for different reasons. I forgave her, she forgave me. … All is good with Danielle and me, which is how it should be. I’m truly thrilled she’s on the show.”

Even though they’re pals — and practicing yoga together now and then — their reunion may feel out of left field to some, especially since Giudice practically chased Staub off the stage during the season 2 reunion. But a lot has changed for both women in their years apart. And in recent seasons, it seemed as though Giudice was sending Staub messages that she was ready for a resolution.

“I want her to come back,” Giudice boldly said on the season 7 reunion, explaining later on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, “I feel like she never tried to hurt me in any way maliciously, so I just wanted her to know that.’

Giudice’s comments really helped Staub move forward.

“When I saw her say that on the reunion, I was so moved,” Staub confesses. “We talked, and she apologized and said, ‘I want us to be back,’ and it meant a lot to me that she was so strong about me being by her side again. That was beginning of me feeling comfortable enough to step back into the show.”

“With me, if you genuinely come to me with an, ‘I’m sorry,’ I will open my arms and I’ll embrace you,” Staub adds. “That’s all it takes. I will go from there. And I believe her. I so believe her.”

RELATED VIDEO: RHONJ’s Teresa Giudice Talks Reuniting With Danielle Staub, Drama With Kim D. & Losing Her Mom

That doesn’t mean that there weren’t some things the two had to work out.

“We’ve spent some time going through our blow by blows,” Staub says. “Neither of us are making excuses — but she tells me what was going through her mind then, where she’s at now and to please forgive her, and I do the same. We’re helping each other understand one another and start over.”

“Most of it is our misconceptions,” Staub continues. “I will own up to anything that I’ve done, but I often remind her, ‘Did I really say that, or is that something somebody else said that I said?’ ”

Those misconceptions had a damaging effect on Staub. After being dragged through the mud by Giudice and their castmates during the first two seasons of the show, Staub left and spent the past seven years trying to fix her bad reputation .

“It was horrible,” Staub recalls. “I didn’t have an ally on the show defending me, and I felt like I was constantly being attacked. So I lashed out in response and said things and did things I shouldn’t have, which only made things worse. It was wrong of me.”

“Once that perception is there and it’s publicly displayed and announced and it’s repeated over and over again, it’s very hard and it’s very lonely,” she continued. “And it would have been lonely had they just let me be when I left the show, but they all kept talking about me still. I wasn’t even filming the show to try to defend myself or get people to see a different side of me. I got stuck in that place of people judging me poorly according to what they said.”

REAL HOUSEWIVES REWIND: Teresa Giudice Attacks Danielle Staub at RHONJ Reunion

It took years for Staub to beat down the negative perceptions people had of her, and she recognizes that some viewers may hold on to them. And now returning as a “Friend of the Housewives,” Staub is able to laugh off some of her past drama — like her 19 previous engagements (she’s currently engaged for the 20th time).

“It’s about time people laugh at some of the s— I’ve gone through in my life,” she says. “Some of this s— is kind of funny. Painful, yet funny. The part that was ugly made me actually a survivor. And if I can laugh at it, I think everyone else should be able to. Stop taking life so seriously!”

RELATED VIDEO: Andy Cohen’s Pick For The Most Absurd Real Housewives’ Business Ever

As for this season of RHONJ, Staub said fans can expect a “united front” among the cast — which includes Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Siggy Flicker, and newcomer Margaret Josephs.

“We fight, so there’s drama, but the big difference is none of us get too detrimental to each other, and at the end of the day, we get to laugh about the drama,” she says. “We were all know what we’re doing. We’re not going to make it so unbearable that one of us would not want to come back.”

Those disagreements include ones between Staub and Giudice, too. They just doesn’t turn into World World III this time.

“When Teresa and I speak to each other about what we might not agree on, we’re very respectful of each other,” Staub says. “Whereas that wasn’t always the case. There’s no back-talking.”

“I can’t wait for you guys to see us together,” Staub teases.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesday (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.

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Teresa Giudice, Danielle Staub Revisit Real Housewives of New Jersey Table Flip: Is Everything Really Forgiven?

by Chris Harnick | Wed., Nov. 29, 2017 1:00 PM

"You were stripping! Prostitution whore! You were f—king engaged 19 times?! You f—king stupid bitch!" With those words (and a table) that Teresa Giudice hurled at Danielle Staub, reality TV and The Real Housewives of New Jersey history was made.

The pair, who reunited over yoga and are now friends on RHONJ, revisit that moment in the Wednesday, Nov. 29 episode of the Bravo reality series.

"Calling me a ‘prostitution whore' in front of them," a teary Danielle says to Teresa about her kids and that infamous moment in the exclusive clip above, "rocked my world."

The two are participating in Siggy Flicker's retreat where they are asked to revisit a moment they felt wrong by another of the RHONJ ladies.

"My kids got bullied for that too," Danielle says about "prostitution whore." Christine was 13 at the time, Jillian was 11. In the clip, you can see their reactions to Teresa's outburst.

Danielle just needs to hear Teresa say she didn't intend to hurt her kids back in 2009 when she flipped the table.

"I didn't mean to call you those names, that just came out of anger…If I had to take it back, I would take it back," Teresa says.

But will Teresa make amends with Danielle's daughters?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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Here's Why Danielle Staub "Immediately Said Yes" to Meeting with Teresa Giudice

Find out what the #RHONJ alum has been up to since the show.

It was the Instagram post that shook the world on Wednesday. Or at least the world of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Teresa Giudice posted a photo of herself getting her yoga on with her onetime adversary Danielle Staub, and we're still picking our jaws up off the floor.

A photo posted by Teresa Giudice (@teresagiudice) on Oct 19, 2016 at 10:38am PDT

But truthfully, there was nothing but love (and yoga) between the Garden State ladies when they got together. "Teresa reached out to me a few weeks ago wanting to reconnect with me and I immediately said yes. We were talking about yoga mostly and our kids via text message and then, seeing as she has this love for yoga — I don't think she understood that I've been a yogi for eight years and I'm well advanced in my yoga practice — she asked if she could come and take a class with me. I took her to my favorite yogi master and instructor and she joined the class," Danielle described during a recent interview with Mic. "When she walked in, it was like we just saw each other yesterday; we gave each other a big hug. It was quite beautiful because people were walking up to us asking, 'Did we just witness something iconic?'"

Though these two have quite a history together, Danielle said that they have moved on from their tumultuous past. "I know we can. We went and had Jamba Juice and discussed everything that had happened. A little bit of tears because I definitely feel like she was heartfelt with the way she wants to acknowledge how she treated me and my children," the RHONJ alum explained. "It takes a really big person to own up to your mistakes. I forgive. You don't ever forget, but when someone apologizes I have always been able to move on from it as long as I believe it's genuine. She's really grown as a person."

In addition to "maybe" spilling some tea about the other Housewives, Teresa told The Daily Dish on Thursday that she and Danielle had a lengthy chat during their yoga sesh. "We talked about a lot. Not too much, because I had to go, but it was good," Teresa shared (clip above). "We aired some stuff out."

However, it sounds like Danielle has not made the same amends with Jacqueline Laurita, who started out as her friend when RHONJ first premiered, but then their relationship fell apart as the series went on. "She's stuck in high school," Danielle told Mic. "She wants everyone to be her friend but she's not willing to be a friend to anyone."

Since RHONJ, Danielle said she has kept busy raising her daughters, who are now 18 and 22 years old. She is also "in a very serious relationship with the man I believe I will spend the rest of my life with."

A photo posted by Danielle Staub (@danielle_staub) on Sep 29, 2016 at 8:09pm PDT

This isn't the first time Danielle has caused much conversation among Bravolebs. See what Caroline Manzo had to say about the RHONJ alum on Watch What Happens Live in September, below.

Where Does Danielle Staub's Triumphant Real Housewives of New Jersey Return Rank Among All the Rest?

by Billy Nilles | Thu., Oct. 5, 2017 12:02 PM

"That's right, bitches. I'm back!"

After six long seasons, Danielle Staub finally made her triumphant return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey in the season eight premiere. And boy were the circumstances that facilitated her return different from those that sent her packing after season two.

Long gone was the intense animosity between her and Teresa Giudice that once sent a table flying amid screams of "prostitution whore." Instead, there was a new Zen-like approach to their relationship, with the two having bonded over yoga and the loss of their mothers. Danielle arrived late in the episode, joining the ladies on their trip to Boca Raton, FL. And while she didn't find herself in the center of any drama just yet—the episode's main focus would be Siggy Flicker's (over-)reaction to Teresa hurling Melissa Gorga's birthday cake across a restaurant patio (as a joke, not an explosion of anger)—but the season's supertease is all the proof you need that she'll be in the thick of it soon enough.

Danielle's hardly the first former Housewife to make a grand return to the franchise that gave them their start, however. She's not even the first RHONJ alum to do it. So, where does her return rank among all the rest? Check out our official ranking below!

15. WORST: Kelly Bensimon (Real Housewives of New York seasons 2-4, guest in season 6-7)

Kelly and her jellybeans gave us Scary Island during the third (and quite possibly best?) season of RHONY, but she was part of the big shakeup following season four and left the show with Jill Zarin, Cindy Barshop and Alex McCord. She reappeared at a fashion show with Aviva Drescher, Luann de Lesseps and some of the other ladies in season six. She wore a mask, but nothing special really happened. She popped back up in season seven during Luann's Ladies' Night Out, coming face-to-face with Bethenny Frankel, but fans hoping for a redux of Scary Island were sadly disappointed when Bethenny immediately left, blaming Lu for not mentioning Kelly would be there.

14. Taylor Armstrong (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-3, recurring)

Taylor showed up in season four, but in season five she was there alongside Adrienne Maloof and Camille Grammer at Kyle Richards' White Party for an OG RHOBH reunion. Unlike her fellow RHOBH returnees, Taylor didn't really add much to the scenes/season.

13. Kathy Wakile (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 3-5, "friend" in seasons 6-7)

Kathy joined the show in season three as part of the post-Danielle Staub era. Her family drama with Teresa Giudice fueled much of the show, but she left the series after season five only to return to show viewers Kevin Jonas was building her new house (huh?, react to Teresa's legal problems, and get told by her cousin that she wants nothing to do with her anymore. Ouch.

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12. Adrienne Maloof (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-3, recurring)

Adrienne had her fair share of drama over her three seasons, including a particularly ugly fight with Brandi Glanville. She returned for Kyle Richards' White Party in season 5 and had a sitdown with Brandi to clear the air and put all the nastiness between them to bed. She later showed up to listen to Kim Richards' problems and host a magic show/product lunch/. Her tense sitdown with Brandi and "magic show" worked in her favor.

11. Lydia McLaughlin (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 8 and 12)

After a one-and-done season where her pop-smoking mother made more of an impact than her and a four-year absence, the sparkles and rainbows-obsessed Lydia has returned full-time for the current season of RHOC. She's attempted to play peacemaker between the endlessly feuding Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, and she's proven to have more of a backbone than the first time around, standing up to Shannon Beador's steamrolling tendencies, but the jury's still out on whether this return was warranted after all.

10. Jacqueline Laurita (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-5, 7, "friend" in season 6)

Jacqueline returned to the fray not even a season after she left and filmed with Teresa Giudice's cousin and former cast member Kathy Wakile. Viewers got to see how her son Nicholas was doing and how Jacqueline reacted to Teresa's legal woes and prison sentence. She added an even more emotional backbone to a crazy (and at times boring) season. She then returned full-time the following season, went to war with Teresa and Melissa Gorga in an especially nasty way and lost quite a bit of fan goodwill. She did not return for season eight.

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9. Jill Zarin (Real Housewives of New York City seasons 1-4, guest in season 9)

After four seasons that saw the audience completely turn on her following her nasty friendship break-up with Bethenny Frankel and four seasons away, Jill popped up as a guest, hosting Luann de Lesseps and Dorinda Medley at a "bullying lunch" (whatever that is) in season nine as the former Countess was preparing to marry her now ex-husband Tom D'Agostino. The whole thing was mostly a non-event, though Jill did utter one epic line that pretty much summed her whole appearance up: "I miss it. I'm not going to lie. I kind of miss the gossip." We know you do, Jill. We know.

8. Lauri Waring Peterson (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 1-4, "friend" in season 8)

Lauri didn't get an orange when she returned in season eight, but boy did she make a splash. One of the original Real Housewives, Lauri returned with rumors about Vicki. They involved a threesome, because of course. The former friends clashed, naturally and her rumors were the fuel to a lot of the drama fire.

7. Jeana Keough (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 1-5, a "friend" in season 6, a guest in seasons 7, 10, 11 and 12)

Jeana is no stranger to viewers, but the most memorable return appearance she had was in season six when she was on the receiving end of Tamra Judge's wine. That's why she's ranked so high. Everybody loves Jeana, with or without wine all over herself.

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6. Dina Manzo (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-2, 6, guest in season 4)

Dina had a big exit where she told Danielle Staub she was done. Then her real-life family feuds took hold of the headlines and she wasn't seen again until season four at an event for Teresa Giudice (she said she didn't think cameras would still be there). Once her sister Caroline Manzo exited the show for her own spinoff, Dina returned as a Housewife fulltime for season six where she tried to keep the peace amongst the ladies, date while still living with her husband and support Teresa.

5. Camille Grammer (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-2, recurring after)

Camille did not have a good first year. No sir. However, year two was better, but she called it quits with the show as a fulltime Housewife after that. But thanks to her real-life friendships with many of the women on the show, Camille has graced audiences with presence on multiple occasions. This year she did Yolanda's scavenger hunt with the women, listened to Kyle Richards' problems and attended Adrienne Maloof's magic show (or whatever that was supposed to be). Whenever Camille returns good things (sometimes dramatic) happen.

4. Danielle Staub (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-2, "friend" in season 8)

We never expected Danielle Staub to receive an invitation to return to RHONJ, especially as an ally to Teresa Giudice, who once threw a table at her and then chased her off the stage at a reunion taping. But here we are, with the former full-time Housewife back on the scene as a "Friend of the Housewives" in season eight. Having only seen one episode as of press time, we're all still a little in the dark on what to expect from Danielle this time around, but if the season's supertease is any indication, she won't be lacking in the fireworks department.

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3. NeNe Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta seasons 1-7,10, guest season 8)

Oh, the shade! NeNe starred in seven seasons of the Bravo hit before turning in her peach. She returned as a guest in season eight, but was entirely absent from season nine. She reclaimed her peach in season 10 and wasted no time stirring the drama pot. Welcome back NeNe!

2. RUNNER-UP: Luann de Lesseps (Real Housewives of New York seasons 1-5, 7-9, "friend" in season 6)

Countess Luann wasn't a fulltime member of the show in season six, but she sure was around a lot and it turned into her best season yet! She was relatable, funny and most important: real. She got her apple back for season seven and already had a signature line: "Be cool. Don't be all…uncool." This new Countess Luann was totes cool, but didn't last very long as seasons eight and nine saw her fall in love with, marry and then ultimately divorce Tom D'Agostino, all while her fellow co-stars warned her with bad news that was always about Tom. Here's hoping for a return to Cool Countess in season 10!

1. BEST: Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of New York seasons 1-3, season 7-9)

Her talk show and marriage both failed, so Bethenny returned to what she knows best: The Real Housewives. In her three seasons back, we've seen a tougher Bethenny, a more closed-off Bethenny, as she struggled with her health, her crushing and ugly divorce, and any co-star who dared step to her. (We're looking at you, Ramona Singer!) But her trademark humor has also been on display. And watching her fall in friend love with fan-fave Carole Radziwill has been nothing sort of a delight. Bethenny is back with a vengeance, y'all!

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What did you think about Danielle's big return? Sound off in the comments below!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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Real Housewives of New Jersey Alum Danielle Staub Engaged: “I Am Finally Happy”

Love her or hate her, Danielle Staub is getting married! The former Real Housewives of New Jersey star is engaged to her boyfriend, Joe Masalta. The controversial reality star recently changed her Facebook status from “single” to “engaged.”

"I am overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for the outpouring of well wishes and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," Staub tells Us Weekly exclusively. "Joseph has helped me recognize the important things in life. As I embark on this new journey in the spirit of love and forgiveness, I'd like to apologize for mistakes I've made in the past. I feel like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I am finally happy."

According to multiple reports, Masalta is a Navy SEAL Special Warfare and intelligence expert.

Staub, who is mom to two daughters from a previous relationship, caused quite the drama during her two seasons on the Bravo reality show prior to her August 2010 exit. As fans are well aware, Staub, 53, was on the receiving end of Teresa Giudice’s infamous table flip after the two got into a heated altercation about Staub’s alleged past as a prostitute.

After leaving the show — but not before getting her extensions pulled out by Jacqueline Laurita’s daughter Ashley during an unforgettable TV moment — Staub told Us at the time that she didn't "see any interest for [her] to be attacked like that."

"Life is fantastic!" she concluded of life after RHONJ. 

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Danielle Staub

Danielle Staub, born Beverly Ann Merrill, was born on July 29, 1962 in Wayne, N.J., and is best known as a former star of the Bravo reality series the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

The former model, divorcee and single mother to daughters Christine and Jillian, Staub is known for her upfront and honest comments. In May 2010, she released a book, The Naked Truth, where she comes clean about her muddy past.

Staub claimed “domestic violence” at the hands of her ex-husband, Kevin Maher, whom she wed in 1988. Maher sued his ex-wife in October 2009 for $5 million over the accusations she made against him.

In 2010, a sex tape of Staub was leaked. Staub’s costar, Jacqueline Laurita, accused her of releasing the sex tape on her own, but Staub had no comment on the scandal.

Staub released her first single, “Real Close,” in June 2010.

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Danielle staub

As we reported, we EXCLUSIVELY told you Danielle Staub is being sued for bailing on ex-fiancé Joe Masalta's charity event and pocketing the advance.

Reportedly, Miz Staub has been off…

EXCLUSIVE! RHONJ Star Danielle Staub Sued For Allegedly Ditching Charity Event & Pocketing The Money!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star's ex-fiancé Joe Masalta is suing the reality TV personality for allegedly bailing on a charity event and pocketing her advance.

Even though Masalta paid her $25K, he i…

Uncovered 'Racist Rant' Has RHONJ Cast Wanting Danielle Staub OFF The Show For Good! Whoa!

Not a good look.

Danielle Staub may be back on Real Housewives of New Jersey for season eight — the cast just wrapped filming recently — but there's a new issue after some of the cast just found out about audio footage of Staub yelling racist things at an ex-boyfriend back in 2015!!

Danielle Staub Is 'Back, Bitches' In New Chair-Flipping RHONJ Season 8 Trailer!

Bravo finally unveiled the season eight trailer on Tuesday, and shit goes down!

Not only does the momma-of-two come under attack, but there's Teresa Giudice, her former enemy, flipping over a table chair.

RHONJ Star Danielle Staub Engaged To Longtime Boyfriend!

We're hearing wedding bells!

Danielle Staub will be returning to Real Housewives of New Jersey with an engagement ring on her finger! Sources tell E! News the reality TV starlet and her longtime boyfriend Marty Cafferty are engaged!

NeNe Leakes AND Kim Zolciak Might Return To RHOA For Its 10th Season! Dreams DO Come True!

On Thursday, it was reported that NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann may potentially return to RHOA for its 10th season. So exciting!

YASSSS! Sources Confirm Danielle Staub's Grand Return To RHONJ!

Well, since prostitution whore former rival Danielle Staub is said to returning to the Bravo hit, anything is possible. Back in January, Us Weekly spoke with Andy Cohen who confirmed there were "dis…

Where Does Danielle Staub's Triumphant Real Housewives of New Jersey Return Rank Among All the Rest?

by Billy Nilles | Thu., Oct. 5, 2017 12:02 PM

"That's right, bitches. I'm back!"

After six long seasons, Danielle Staub finally made her triumphant return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey in the season eight premiere. And boy were the circumstances that facilitated her return different from those that sent her packing after season two.

Long gone was the intense animosity between her and Teresa Giudice that once sent a table flying amid screams of "prostitution whore." Instead, there was a new Zen-like approach to their relationship, with the two having bonded over yoga and the loss of their mothers. Danielle arrived late in the episode, joining the ladies on their trip to Boca Raton, FL. And while she didn't find herself in the center of any drama just yet—the episode's main focus would be Siggy Flicker's (over-)reaction to Teresa hurling Melissa Gorga's birthday cake across a restaurant patio (as a joke, not an explosion of anger)—but the season's supertease is all the proof you need that she'll be in the thick of it soon enough.

Danielle's hardly the first former Housewife to make a grand return to the franchise that gave them their start, however. She's not even the first RHONJ alum to do it. So, where does her return rank among all the rest? Check out our official ranking below!

15. WORST: Kelly Bensimon (Real Housewives of New York seasons 2-4, guest in season 6-7)

Kelly and her jellybeans gave us Scary Island during the third (and quite possibly best?) season of RHONY, but she was part of the big shakeup following season four and left the show with Jill Zarin, Cindy Barshop and Alex McCord. She reappeared at a fashion show with Aviva Drescher, Luann de Lesseps and some of the other ladies in season six. She wore a mask, but nothing special really happened. She popped back up in season seven during Luann's Ladies' Night Out, coming face-to-face with Bethenny Frankel, but fans hoping for a redux of Scary Island were sadly disappointed when Bethenny immediately left, blaming Lu for not mentioning Kelly would be there.

14. Taylor Armstrong (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-3, recurring)

Taylor showed up in season four, but in season five she was there alongside Adrienne Maloof and Camille Grammer at Kyle Richards' White Party for an OG RHOBH reunion. Unlike her fellow RHOBH returnees, Taylor didn't really add much to the scenes/season.

13. Kathy Wakile (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 3-5, "friend" in seasons 6-7)

Kathy joined the show in season three as part of the post-Danielle Staub era. Her family drama with Teresa Giudice fueled much of the show, but she left the series after season five only to return to show viewers Kevin Jonas was building her new house (huh?, react to Teresa's legal problems, and get told by her cousin that she wants nothing to do with her anymore. Ouch.

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12. Adrienne Maloof (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-3, recurring)

Adrienne had her fair share of drama over her three seasons, including a particularly ugly fight with Brandi Glanville. She returned for Kyle Richards' White Party in season 5 and had a sitdown with Brandi to clear the air and put all the nastiness between them to bed. She later showed up to listen to Kim Richards' problems and host a magic show/product lunch/. Her tense sitdown with Brandi and "magic show" worked in her favor.

11. Lydia McLaughlin (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 8 and 12)

After a one-and-done season where her pop-smoking mother made more of an impact than her and a four-year absence, the sparkles and rainbows-obsessed Lydia has returned full-time for the current season of RHOC. She's attempted to play peacemaker between the endlessly feuding Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, and she's proven to have more of a backbone than the first time around, standing up to Shannon Beador's steamrolling tendencies, but the jury's still out on whether this return was warranted after all.

10. Jacqueline Laurita (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-5, 7, "friend" in season 6)

Jacqueline returned to the fray not even a season after she left and filmed with Teresa Giudice's cousin and former cast member Kathy Wakile. Viewers got to see how her son Nicholas was doing and how Jacqueline reacted to Teresa's legal woes and prison sentence. She added an even more emotional backbone to a crazy (and at times boring) season. She then returned full-time the following season, went to war with Teresa and Melissa Gorga in an especially nasty way and lost quite a bit of fan goodwill. She did not return for season eight.

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9. Jill Zarin (Real Housewives of New York City seasons 1-4, guest in season 9)

After four seasons that saw the audience completely turn on her following her nasty friendship break-up with Bethenny Frankel and four seasons away, Jill popped up as a guest, hosting Luann de Lesseps and Dorinda Medley at a "bullying lunch" (whatever that is) in season nine as the former Countess was preparing to marry her now ex-husband Tom D'Agostino. The whole thing was mostly a non-event, though Jill did utter one epic line that pretty much summed her whole appearance up: "I miss it. I'm not going to lie. I kind of miss the gossip." We know you do, Jill. We know.

8. Lauri Waring Peterson (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 1-4, "friend" in season 8)

Lauri didn't get an orange when she returned in season eight, but boy did she make a splash. One of the original Real Housewives, Lauri returned with rumors about Vicki. They involved a threesome, because of course. The former friends clashed, naturally and her rumors were the fuel to a lot of the drama fire.

7. Jeana Keough (Real Housewives of Orange County seasons 1-5, a "friend" in season 6, a guest in seasons 7, 10, 11 and 12)

Jeana is no stranger to viewers, but the most memorable return appearance she had was in season six when she was on the receiving end of Tamra Judge's wine. That's why she's ranked so high. Everybody loves Jeana, with or without wine all over herself.

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6. Dina Manzo (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-2, 6, guest in season 4)

Dina had a big exit where she told Danielle Staub she was done. Then her real-life family feuds took hold of the headlines and she wasn't seen again until season four at an event for Teresa Giudice (she said she didn't think cameras would still be there). Once her sister Caroline Manzo exited the show for her own spinoff, Dina returned as a Housewife fulltime for season six where she tried to keep the peace amongst the ladies, date while still living with her husband and support Teresa.

5. Camille Grammer (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seasons 1-2, recurring after)

Camille did not have a good first year. No sir. However, year two was better, but she called it quits with the show as a fulltime Housewife after that. But thanks to her real-life friendships with many of the women on the show, Camille has graced audiences with presence on multiple occasions. This year she did Yolanda's scavenger hunt with the women, listened to Kyle Richards' problems and attended Adrienne Maloof's magic show (or whatever that was supposed to be). Whenever Camille returns good things (sometimes dramatic) happen.

4. Danielle Staub (Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons 1-2, "friend" in season 8)

We never expected Danielle Staub to receive an invitation to return to RHONJ, especially as an ally to Teresa Giudice, who once threw a table at her and then chased her off the stage at a reunion taping. But here we are, with the former full-time Housewife back on the scene as a "Friend of the Housewives" in season eight. Having only seen one episode as of press time, we're all still a little in the dark on what to expect from Danielle this time around, but if the season's supertease is any indication, she won't be lacking in the fireworks department.

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3. NeNe Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta seasons 1-7,10, guest season 8)

Oh, the shade! NeNe starred in seven seasons of the Bravo hit before turning in her peach. She returned as a guest in season eight, but was entirely absent from season nine. She reclaimed her peach in season 10 and wasted no time stirring the drama pot. Welcome back NeNe!

2. RUNNER-UP: Luann de Lesseps (Real Housewives of New York seasons 1-5, 7-9, "friend" in season 6)

Countess Luann wasn't a fulltime member of the show in season six, but she sure was around a lot and it turned into her best season yet! She was relatable, funny and most important: real. She got her apple back for season seven and already had a signature line: "Be cool. Don't be all…uncool." This new Countess Luann was totes cool, but didn't last very long as seasons eight and nine saw her fall in love with, marry and then ultimately divorce Tom D'Agostino, all while her fellow co-stars warned her with bad news that was always about Tom. Here's hoping for a return to Cool Countess in season 10!

1. BEST: Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of New York seasons 1-3, season 7-9)

Her talk show and marriage both failed, so Bethenny returned to what she knows best: The Real Housewives. In her three seasons back, we've seen a tougher Bethenny, a more closed-off Bethenny, as she struggled with her health, her crushing and ugly divorce, and any co-star who dared step to her. (We're looking at you, Ramona Singer!) But her trademark humor has also been on display. And watching her fall in friend love with fan-fave Carole Radziwill has been nothing sort of a delight. Bethenny is back with a vengeance, y'all!

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What did you think about Danielle's big return? Sound off in the comments below!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

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RHONJ's Danielle Staub Chops 12 Inches Off Her Hair: 'I Can't Stop Looking at Myself!'

Oops … he did it again!

The 55-year-old reality star dropped 12 inches of her long brown hair thanks to Michael, who owns Julius Michael Salon in Scarsdale, New York, and fellow stylist Arturo Ortiz — debuting the cut exclusively to PEOPLE before showing it off to the world on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“This is a huge transformation. I’m obsessed,” Staub tells PEOPLE. “I can’t stop looking at myself! I think this is the best thing I’ve done all year.”

It comes at a special time for Staub too, who is filming the season 8 reunion — her first since leaving the show in season 2 — on Thursday. “Now I feel more empowered than ever,” she says about going into the taping. “I’m ready to stand up to those ladies!”

Staub may have taken the plunge, but getting her there wasn’t exactly easy.

“I’ve been talking to Danielle for a few months now about doing her hair, the one condition I threw out there was ‘I have to change your hair,’ ” Michael tells PEOPLE. “At first she was on the fence, then immediately said ‘Okay honey, I completely trust you so do your thing, whatever you guys want to do go for it.’ ”

For inspiration, Michael says he channeled another reality star: Kim Kardashian West.

“I love long hair, but after a while, it’s not appropriate for everyone. In Danielle’s case, I feel like it started to drag her down. There’s a line some of us cross between long and sexy and long and boring,” he says. “That doesn’t mean it needed to go super short though. Since Danielle likes it long, I channeled Kim K. and thought, ‘I do lots of lobs and bobs — let me do the Kim K. longer version of a bob and keep it edgy while still being sexy and keeping Danielle age appropriate while being in the game with the 30-something year olds.’ ”

He then used his Shark Fin Shears for the initial chop, and followed it up with a razor “to add edginess and jaggedness to the cut.”

For styling, Michel went with Bellami hair extensions to add volume; L’ANZA Healing Haircare volume mousse to add some body and lift her roots; BabylissPRO blow dryer and Olivia Garden International‘s “insanely amazing” brand new extra long brushes to get it straight and smooth; BeachWaver Co. pro rotating tools for a slight curl; and Artis Brush (“my secret for flyways”) and L’ANZA Healing Haircare hairspray for a quick smooth over to ensure her hair stays in place.

Celebrity makeup artist Priscilla DiStasio gave her a fresh new look using Era Beauty USA primer and foundation in Y5 and Y7; Too Faced Cosmetics born this way concealers; Wunder2 Cosmetics Wunder Brow in brunette; Laura Mercier translucent powder; Guerlain bronzers; and Rincón Cosmetics liquid lipstick in Baby Joon and Glow Bomb highlighter.

RELATED VIDEO: RHONJ Star Danielle Staub on Fighting in Front of The Camera’s: ‘I Play The Broken Record’

The results had Staub wishing she cut if off earlier.

“I think I should have done it sooner, but it would have been a mistake because it wouldn’t have been with Julius,” she said. “There are times I’ve been tempted and I’ve played with it, but I never had the right person to do it. When he suggested this, I had no idea it was seriously going to happen. I feel like he gave me a facelift! ”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.

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