Not all ‘Real Housewives’ are paid equal.

Margaret Josephs has been a part of The Real Housewives of New Jersey since Season 8. Dolores Catania has been on the reality series since Season 7. Despite Catania having a season on Josephs, it doesn’t mean that Josephs believes Catania contributes enough personal storyline to earn a higher salary than her. David Yontef talked about the pay riff on The Real Housewives of New Jersey on his Behind the Velvet Rope Podcast and explained why the show, specifically his former friend Josephs’ thoughts on pay discrepancies.

He began by speaking on the ongoing division between sister-in-laws Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga, and how it can impact the show moving forward. According to the Bravo-crazed podcaster, if the ratings dip, The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be in the “surviving” category of Bravo shows and he says it’s due to how expensive the series has become due to cast salaries.

“New Jersey is really expensive at this point. You have Teresa probably at 2 (million) or 2.5. You have Melissa at1.5 close to 2. I’m not done. Margaret Josephs has been there a long time, she’s probably at like 800,000. When I was friends with Margaret, Margaret used to tell me it disgusted her that Dolores made more than her.”

Josephs reportedly doesn’t believe Catania deserves a higher salary because her storyline isn’t too juicy. “‘[Margaret would say] Look at me, look at me on camera. I contribute so much more than Dolores. How does she make more than me?’ Well, it’s favorite nations, girl. So as much as Margaret makes, Dolores girl, you ain’t riding so easy either. What are you contributing for your salary?” he said. “Dolores is so in the middle, literally in the middle of the picture, and will not take a side in a way, she’s what they want.”

How ‘RHONJ’s’ Future of the Show Is Impacted

Andy Cohen admitted that he was nervous going into the season with the two main stars, whose drama has carried the show for 11 seasons, refused to speak to each other. With Giudice and Gorga vowing to never make amends, he initially didn’t think the show could be sustainable. Ironically, he said he was proven wrong, at least for this upcoming season.

“[I] want to clear something up or want to add to a comment that I made that has made some news this week,” Andy began on the April 11 episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “I don’t know when I said it, but apparently, I said it to Brice from Entertainment Tonight, and I don’t know when. I haven’t seen him since 2023’s BravoCon, I don’t think. It isn’t a sustainable universe to have kind of two camps on the show and I think you see that with [The Real Housewives of Potomac] this season and why a lot of viewers, including me, were frustrated with it, but I will say this: It somehow worked this season. We got through the season and it worked and it’s interesting and as I think you see from the trailer, the season is not about Melissa versus Teresa and I think that’s great.”