Caroline Manzo, 57, may have left Bravo’s Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2013, after appearing on it since its start in 2009, but now that she’s in a different place with her career, she’s not taking the chance off the table of rejoining the series in the future. The reality star is gearing up for her participation in Lifetime’s The Balancing Act, which will air in May, and she EXCLUSIVELY spoke with HollywoodLife about the new project as well as how likely it is that she’ll return to RHONJ if the opportunity arises.
“I had a very nice conversation with Andy [Cohen],” Caroline told us when asked if she would ever return to RHONJ. “I love him to death. At this point, I’m hoping for good things for The Balancing Act and I’m hoping to have fun with this little cooking show with my brother. Fame doesn’t make me tick. Fame never made me tick. Never say never, but at the same time, it’s not on my radar at this time and I’m sure it’s not on Bravo’s radar at this time because that’s not the role that they wanted me to play for whatever their reasons were. I think it’s a financial thing, nothing more.”
Caroline, who also starred in her own reality series, Manzo’d with Children from 2014-2016, made her conclusion about where she currently stands with RHONJ after she was recently approached by someone affiliated with the show. “I was sitting in dinner one night with my kids and we ran into somebody who was affiliated with the show and I don’t know what happened,” she explained. “I think a fan came up — I don’t remember. And they said, ‘Would you ever go back?’ and I said, ‘Sure, I’d go back for X’ and I threw a number out. Next thing I know, a week or two later I’m getting a call and they’re like, ‘We heard this and is it true?’ and I said, ‘It depends!’ and they hit me back with, ‘Well, you’ve been off of TV for quite awhile and we don’t know that you — In other words, still have your chops to do it. Let’s see how you blend and see how you are with the cameras on,’ and I was very insulted by that.”
She continued to reiterate her feelings about feeling insulted and went on to explain that no amount of money could make her do something if she’s not being appreciated. “You could give me $50 million…It’s insulting,” she said. “Again, I hate to rehash, but I was one of the ladies that built the show and I think to suggest, ‘Do you still have it?’ When I was 45 and I had a camera in front of my face for the very first time in my life I had it, didn’t I? I’m not an actress. I’m just me. If anything, me has gotten better because life has gotten fuller with my granddaughter if anything else and that was an insult and I shut it down right then. I’m either back with the way I was or I don’t come back at all because quite frankly, I don’t need to be there and I don’t need to be around that in my world. Life is good without it and there’s no negativity and no nonsense so for me to invite that back in, no, I don’t do part-time. You either get all of me or none of me. That’s the way I take it.”