Danielle Staub was a main cast member of Real Housewives of New Jersey for only two seasons, but she left an impact on every season after, and on reality TV as a whole.
RHONY was the fourth in a series of twelve franchises of the show, and Danielle was an original Housewife of the Garden State. When she left the show, the drama she created lingered on with the existing Housewives.
A former producer of RHONJ is now going on the record saying that had it not been for Danielle Staub, RHONJ would never have had the ability to be as huge as it ended up being.
Danielle Staub made RHONJ what it is today, producer says
In his new podcast Reality with The King, former Real Housewives of New Jersey producer Carlos King says Danielle Staub made the Bravo reality show a hit when it premiered in 2009. This week’s episode featured his list of the greatest Housewives of all time, and Danielle came in at number 10.
Carlos called her the “most underrated, iconic Housewife in history.” He was a producer during her time as a Housewife, and said she could singlehandedly change the temperature of a scene, just based on her presence. “If Danielle did not tell Teresa [Giudice] to ‘pay attention, please,’ Teresa would have never flipped that table,” Carlos said, referring to the most famous scene in RHONJ history.
He said when she walked into the Lion’s Den during that cast dinner, Carlos knew Danielle was dedicated to making good TV. “Danielle understood the assignment!” he stated. He even admitted to hiding underneath the dining table to hand Danielle the book, Cop Without a Badge, which played a huge role in the drama of Season One.
In Season 2, Carlos said no one wanted to film with Danielle, but she showed up to film everyday anyway, knowing she was hated by everyone. “[Fans were] seeing this divorcee go through this suburban world in New Jersey where she is the loner amongst a family,” he said. “You had two sisters, a sister-in-law and a family friend. Talk about the odds being against you.”
“She stood on her own,” says the self-proclaimed Reality King. “Whether or not you disagree with some of her choices, what you must agree on is she is one of the reasons why that show is a hit.”
What is Danielle up to currently?
Danielle was a friend-of in seasons eight through ten of RHONJ. During her friend status, she became close to Teresa, Margaret Josephs, and Melissa Gorga, who were all bridesmaids in her televised wedding to Marty Caffrey. Danielle and Marty eventually divorced in 2019, a year after marrying.
She was a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in January 2020, where she announced that she would never return to Real Housewives of New Jersey, but left her options open to other cities.
Danielle started her own YouTube cooking channel, where she focuses on gluten-free and dairy-free cooking. She also has a podcast, Absolutely Danielle.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.