RHONJ Alum Ashlee Malleo Has New Bravo Show Idea (& We're So Into It)
In the "Real Housewives," the only real breath of fresh air we get from the constant conflict between the women in the cast is whatever happens to be going on with their families. Most of the women who join the cast are mothers – though that's not true of everyone. The kids usually provide some comic relief or are at least a grounding force in their mothers' otherwise chaotic lives — including arguments with castmates and dramatic divorces.
Sometimes, the kids whose moms land on the franchise become breakout stars. You've probably seen the meme of Gia Giudice singing "Waking Up in the Morning" on "RHONJ." Then, of course, there's also Bella and Gigi Hadid, whose first brush with stardom was when Yolonda Hadid appeared on "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" with her now ex-husband David Foster. Lisa Renna's daughters followed a similar trajectory. Not all kids end up stars, though. Only the most hardcore fans will remember Ashlee Malleo, Jacqueline Laurita's daughter, who briefly appeared in the New Jersey series of the franchise.
These days Malleo is all grown up with a family of her own. She's never forgotten her mother's time on Bravo, and she has some very exciting ideas about how to get her fam (immediate and extended!) back on TV.
Ashlee Malleo wants to cut a deal with Bravo
In a world full of "Real Housewives" series, Ashlee Malleo is ready for one more. During an interview with Page Six, Malleo insisted that a new series based around the now adult kids of the original group of "New Jersey" housewives would be a huge hit. "I think that'd be fun!" she said. Malleo even has a name cooked up: "RHONJ: Next Gen."
The series Malleo envisions feels more natural and chill than the original "Real Housewives of New Jersey" — sort of just focusing on everyone hanging out and letting any conflict naturally arise. She thinks she and her cousins, "RHONJ" alum Caroline Manzo's kids, would be a great fit for the cast. "I'm definitely closest with Al, but [I'm close with] all of them, for sure," she said of the Manzo kids. Malleo also has a close relationship with Dolores Catania's daughter, Gabby Catania. "She is just a rock star. I love her," she said. "She has such a big heart."
While Malleo might be keen to find herself and her family back on the silver screen, her mom, Jacqueline Laurita, definitely is not. Since leaving the series after Season 8, Laurito has moved to Nevada and, in the past, has publicly stated that she has no interest in appearing on Bravo again. However, she recently had a "five-hour" lunch date with her arch-nemesis Teresa Giudice at Cipriani Las Vegas – so stranger things have happened.