Why is Jackie not on Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13?

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Fans are wondering where is Jackie on RHONJ.

Jackie Goldschneider attends 'Legends Ball 2022 BravoCon' at Manhattan Center on October 14, 2022 in New York City
Jackie Goldschneider (Image credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty)

All of the usual suspects were well-accounted for in the first two episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13 — well, almost all. 

Fans were quick to note not only the returns of regulars Teresa Guidice, Margaret Josephs, Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin and Melissa and Joe Gorga (yes, the Real Housewives of New Jersey husband is basically a main cast member at this point) in the season 13 premiere, but also that Jackie Goldschneider was practically MIA, seen only in a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo during Melissa's roller-rink party. 

Cast newcomers Danielle Cabral and Rachel Fuda got heaps more airtime than Goldschneider, who has been a Housewives star since season 8. So what's the deal? Where's Jackie?

Well, like Jacqueline Laurita, Danielle Staub and Kathy Wakile before her, Goldschneider has been demoted from a full-time Housewife to a "Friend Of," a regular supporting player who appears frequently throughout a season but is not considered main cast. 

Jackie's demotion was due to the reality star wanting to put her full attention on her eating disorder recovery, a struggle she candidly discussed in RHONJ season 12 as well as her upcoming memoir, The Weight of Beautiful. 

"When Bravo approached me about casting for season 13, I obviously was very excited to be a part of the show again because I love the show," Goldschneider told People magazine. "But my recovery was not in the place that I expected it to be. It was moving very slowly. I was still being triggered by stress and I still needed a lot of intense therapy."

"And even though that was a really tough pill to swallow and it was hard for me to step back a little bit after having been such a big part of the show for so many years, I really knew that that was probably the best solution," she continued. 

So viewers will still be seeing Jackie G. on RHONJ this season, just in a reduced capacity. 

Why is Jackie not on RHONJ? Fans are talking

While some RHONJ fans are supportive of Goldschneider taking time away from the show for her health, others seem simply happy to have new faces and fresh storylines this season. Here's what fans are saying on social media:

New episodes of Real Housewives of New Jersey season 13 air on Tuesdays on Bravo and then available to stream the next day on Peacock.

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Christina Izzo
Christina Izzo

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.