‘The Real Housewives Of New Jersey’ Star Jacqueline Laurita Enjoyed Her Time Away From The Show

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita was reportedly fired after five seasons on the show. However, mid-way through the series’ sixth season, amid dwindling ratings, producers brought her back.

Although most housewives would be devastated after being let go, Laurita said she took the news just fine. Then, when producers wanted her back, she felt confident in appearing on the reality show in a limited role.

“It’s just very stressful,” Laurita told People Magazine on November 12 of her time on the show. “So I agreed to do it part-time. It’s been positive being away from the craziness of the show.”

During Lauita’s time away from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, she put her focus into her son, Nicholas, who was diagnosed with autism last year.

“He is doing so good,” Laurita, 44, said of the boy. “He is making progress. It’s definitely a long process, but when I look back to where he was last year or the year before, he has come such a long way.”

Even now, following her return to The Real Housewives of New Jersey in a recurring role, Laurita has more time to get involved in helping spread awareness about autism. Recently, she joined forces with ROXO, which is donating 11 percent of its Christmas box set sales to Generation Rescue, a nonprofit organization helping those affected by autism.

“When we first suspected that Nicholas had autism, there was a three-month waiting period to get in to see our developmental pediatrician,” Laurita explained. “We met with Generation Rescue and Jenny McCarthy, and they were so hands-on. They have always guided us and given us the support and so much information.”

As season seven of The Real Housewives of New Jersey approaches, rumors continue to swirl in regard to which housewives will be back. And while there has been no official announcement from Bravo, Laurita confirmed her return last month on Twitter. As the Inquisitr reported, Laurita told a fan she would return for Season 7 to hash out her issues with Dina Manzo.

Around the time Laurita confirmed her return, it was reported, via the Inquisitr, that her role would be upgraded to full-time.

“Production has made it very clear that they want Jacqueline back, and they don’t want her back just for cameos, either. Production is planning to offer Jacqueline as a contract for a full-time housewife,” a source revealed to Radar Online last month. “It was very clear with an examination of the ratings that Jacqueline’s appearance had a huge impact on the show. Bravo is certain that with her back on the show, the ratings would continue to be strong.”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey wrapped its sixth season on Bravo on Tuesday night.

[Photo via Instagram]