Jackie Goldschneider’s struggle with anorexia was a topic of conversation on the Real Housewives of New Jersey in the past and she will share more insight during Season 12.
Jackie recently explained why she wanted to shed light on her eating disorder and her road to recovery by having it featured on the show.
Her latest decision to get help wasn’t the first time Jackie had sought aid for her issues, which started almost two decades ago.
However, while Jackie improved in 2013, she was “still struggling,” and viewers will get to see her recovery process this season.
Jackie Goldschneider says she wasn’t honest about her eating disorder
Jackie recently admitted that she hasn’t been honest with her Real Housewives of New Jersey castmates or the viewers about her eating disorder.
However, she confessed to not being honest with herself either after telling everyone that she had things under control.
“I had learned how to eat in public in a way that would make people go, ‘Oh, OK, she’s actually eating. So there really isn’t a problem,'” explained Jackie during a chat with Entertainment Tonight.
“And then the times that I didn’t think that people were watching… that’s when people would go, ‘But is she really OK?’ So, I was never recovered, and there was never a relapse because I was never recovered,” revealed the Jersey Housewife, whose road to recovery will be featured this season.
Jackie Goldschneider’s recovery process will be featured this season
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star explained that her deception wasn’t intentional and that she “wanted so badly to believe that I was a little bit recovered.”
Jackie continued, “I had formed this whole identity around being very thin, and it was a part of me and I wasn’t ready to let go of that.”
She also noted that there are “mental issues” associated with eating disorders.
“It’s not just food — and so, that’s the story I told myself, and the story I told other people,” said Jackie.
The 45-year-old admitted that all the Season 11 drama coupled with the pandemic and other stressful events pushed her to a breaking point until she decided to get help.
“I decided that I was going to do it so openly and just really give it everything,” said Jackie. “And rely on my producers and my editors, to really put it together in a way that didn’t give people any ideas or tips or anything like that, but do it really responsibly and just show the recovery process.”
“I didn’t know how it would end. I didn’t know how whether I’d freeze up and get scared, but … I’m so happy that Bravo gave me the opportunity to do it,” she added.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.