Jackie from Real Housewives of New Jersey bravely reveals 18-year-long eating disorder battle
Fans call Jackie RHONJ eating disorder reveal 'incredibly brave' and 'powerful'.
![Jackie Goldschneider is seen leaving Rebecca Minkoff presentation during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Spring Studio on September 15, 2020 in New York City](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XzcVnENufnEbdzraFNezC-320-80.jpg)
Details of Jackie from RHONJ's eating disorder offered up some much-admired candidness and courage on the March 30 episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, in the middle of a bunch of baseball shenanigans and workout gear-related nonsense.
Jackie Goldschneider has talked about her battle with an eating disorder previously during The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 12, but an appointment with her new therapist, Ilene, delved into candid, moving details of her struggle. "I am afraid of losing so much control because I've been holding onto all of these habits for, like twenty years," the Housewives star said in her therapy session.
"It takes so much work," she tearfully continued. "I see what my calendar has on it and I worry about which days are going to require me to eat stuff and which days I'm going to be required to fake it. It's all day every day. I hate it so much and my body hurts and I do it anyway."
"The amount of anorexia you're describing has to be seeping into and impacting you all the time," her therapist told her.
Goldschneider spoke of a heartbreaking encounter she had when she was young. "I think it was very traumatic for me to be so heavy as a child. I remember once I was putting on lipstick in the hallway and a boy walked by and said 'It won't help.' And I was like, 'He's right. It won't help because I'm just so freaking gross."
She also discussed how her disorder affects her family and her husband Evan, and her "irrational fears" of putting on weight and what that would do to her marriage. "I worry about people in my life not embracing the new me."
"I'm scared of my kids getting older and seeing more... I didn't know until a few weeks ago that they were noticing the things that I do," Jackie said. "When I take them out to eat, I have never gotten ice cream with them in the hundreds of times I've taken them for ice cream."
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"Since I met Jackie, we haven't been on a vacation more than four nights because she didn't want to have so many meals out of her control," Real Housewives of New Jersey husband Evan Goldschneider said of his wife during a confessional. "For many years, the only type of vegetables Jackie would eat would be steamed vegetables and we would have to call in advance to restaurants to make sure that they would steam spinach."
Her therapist encourages Jackie to have some ice cream that week as some healing homework. Though initially ambivalent, she agrees, gamely adding: "I'll even get a topping if you want!"
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Fans praise bravery of Jackie RHONJ eating disorder reveal:
Viewers applauded Goldschneider's frankness and vulnerability in talking about her disorder, with even her detractors giving her props for shedding light on a difficult, taboo issue.
Seeing Jackie break down over ice cream broke my heart. Can’t thank her enough for taking us on this journey with her, that’s true bravery #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
I’m definitely liking Jackie this season. She’s going to help a lot of people by being so open about her eating disorder. This is bravery right here. #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
Very powerful seeing more of Jackie's journey tonight. Im happy shes found great help. #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
I'm impressed with the vulnerability that @JGSchneid is showing. Weight is a struggle for most women and its heart breaking when it goes that deep. Society makes us women so freaking insecure and I'm so proud of Jackie...lol not that matters but....#RHONJMarch 30, 2022
Props to Jackie & Evan for being vulnerable & open about her eating disorder!That’s a very personal journey & health crisis. Kudos for sharing it 👏 #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
Really. Really. Really. Appreciating Jackie’s transparency this season. ❤️ #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
I know Jackie said she was dealing hard with her eating disorder, but I never would’ve known it was this deep. Wow. #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
#RHONJ I’m so proud of Jackie for getting the help she needs. Anxiety disorders are TOUGH. Eating disorders are a branch of OCD and while I don’t have anorexia , I can relate to the stress and anxiety of obsessive thinking. Wishing her the best #OCD #MentalHealthAwarenessMarch 30, 2022
Jackie's story is so heartbreaking. She's very brave. #RHONJ 💔March 30, 2022
Jackie is very brave to be so honest about her eating disorder this season. #RHONJMarch 30, 2022
I’m so proud of @JGSchneid for being so honest on tonight’s #RHONJ. She is using her platform for a great purpose. Thanks to you and your husband for being so open and honest. I’m sure it will have an impact on viewers! #Anorexia #ProgressNotPerfectionMarch 30, 2022
#RHONJ @JackieGSchneid is so incredibly brave to share everything about her battle with food and anorexia! You are not alone! You are so brave! Thank you!March 30, 2022
That’s beautiful Jackie! … grow through it with us girl!… #RHONJ … your helping many people who battle the same thoughts and pains that’s watching this right now …. 👏🏽 for being brave! WowMarch 30, 2022
Catch new episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on Bravo, and is available to stream on Peacock (US) and Hayu/Sky TV (UK).
Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.
When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.