RHONJ's Margaret Josephs Tells All About Infamous Feud With Danielle Staub: 'She's Unstable' - Exclusive
Danielle Staub is the patron saint of unhinged arguments on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." While we remember Teresa Giudice's iconic table flip or that time Jennifer Aydin made a shiv out of a smashed wine glass, the 21-times-engaged former housewife always seems to be the common denominator. Though it's unclear if she cast herself as the villain or, as her various public tirades would suggest, Bravo coaxed the bad guy out of her, Staub left the franchise the same way she entered it: with a weave-pull that echoed through the strip malls of New Jersey.
Though Staub is almost never fully innocent — she appeared to be the victim during Season 2's Weavegate — her last scuffle was a little different. During an explosive Season 10 shopping trip, Staub took aim at Margaret Josephs, who had dumped a bottle of water over her head in an ill-advised attempt to diffuse a tense argument. Staub retaliated by dumping out Josephs' purse and dragging her around the room by her ponytail. The moment was so shocking it earned a spot on Vulture's 100 most memorable "Real Housewives" moments, though Staub's reality TV career — along with the $600 Fornasetti candle she destroyed during the fight — were casualties.
Since then, Staub has insisted she quit the series despite the ongoing rumors that her castmates refused to film with her. To get the real story, Nicki Swift sat down with Margaret Josephs. She may regret dumping the water bottle, but has no problem spilling the tea.
Margaret Josephs says Danielle Staub was 'just so sick' during physical attack
Margaret Josephs has always had a rocky relationship with Danielle Staub, but the pair's feud reached new heights in Season 9 when Josephs pushed Staub's estranged husband into a pool. It was a moment of vindication with the sort of fun, low-stakes drama that launches a thousand memes."Pushing someone in a pool is something that happens at kids' birthday parties, right? It's hijinx. It's fun," Josephs tells Nicki Swift. A season later, things took a turn. "Attacking someone from behind, dragging them, it's a different thing."
The ponytail pull was shocking for a few reasons. Not only was it unusually violent for the habitually confrontational cast, but Josephs was caught completely off guard because the argument had ended. Staub had already dumped her purse into a candle, and the women were catching their breath. "I felt something pulling me, and she was just so sick," Josephs says. "I didn't even know what happened. It happened so fast, and then when I realized what was going on, I was like, 'This isn't my life. This isn't for me. I am not doing this. I don't know people like this.' I've never had a physical attack like that."
So, how did it escalate out of nowhere? A series of bad judgment calls.
The water bottle didn't help, but Teresa Giudice was the instigator
Weavegate 2.0 would've undeniably been avoided had either of the women just backed away — but they didn't. First, Josephs tells Nicki Swift that she already had an inkling Staub would get physical because she pushed her a few times, and that's why she dumped the water. "Just like, 'get her away from me,' which was probably not the best move," Josephs says. "I should have just left, but I was like, 'I'm not leaving a scene or an argument.' That's not my thing. I argue with my words to the end, but she was getting close into my face."
If it wasn't for Teresa Giudice, the water might've actually ended it — or, at the very least, Staub would've stopped at property damage. Instead, previously unaired production footage showed the formerly incarcerated housewife encouraging her friend to attack. Giudice later apologized during the Season 10 reunion, claiming she was "f***ing wasted" and made a "bad judgement call."
The rumors are true: the housewives were done with Danielle Staub
In the wake of the ponytail-pull, Danielle Staub announced that she was leaving "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" to pursue her passions — but for some fans, things weren't adding up. Rumors floated around that the rest of the cast refused to film with the star, effectively forcing her off the show. Beyond that, Staub went a long way to disparage both Andy Cohen and her castmates, who she called "the most disgusting, vile people." She even went as far as claiming she felt "happy" during her violent attack on Margaret Josephs. So, what's the truth? Josephs tells Nicki Swift that rumors are true.
"No one wants to work with someone who is so unstable," she says. "I mean, that was 1,000% true. No one. I think Bravo doesn't tolerate. There's a zero violence policy. That's just not the show it is. That was truly a violent moment. It crossed the line."
Today, it seems like Josephs has completely moved on — even though it required her to heal from a nasty bout of whiplash. "You know like when you get hit with your car and you don't realize it and then it is just like ...? It was one of those," she says. She also admits that she has "no relationship whatsoever" with Staub. "I feel sorry for her," she says. "She lives in a world that's not reality, unfortunately."
You can catch Margaret Josephs on her weekly podcast, "Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget."