Rachel Fuda is Convinced RHONJ Co-Stars Contacted John’s Ex, Accuses Teresa of Going After Family for a “Paycheck,” and Shades Jen Aydin, Plus Main Issue With Jenn Fessler & Live Viewing Thread

Before accusing Teresa Giudice, 51, of coming for John, 37, and their family for “relevance” and a “paycheck” and admitting that her falling out with Jennifer Fessler, 53, was “disappointing,” Rachel, 33, shaded Jennifer Aydin, 47, and reflected on the latest drama of season 14.

“I think that either my castmates or people that affiliate or associate with my castmates had their hands in that,” Rachel said of the controversy surrounding John and Brittany in a May 16 interview with Us Weekly.

After John accused Teresa and her husband, Luis Ruelas, 50, of reaching out to Brittany, who was in prison at the time, at the season 13 reunion, which they denied, Teresa called John “the biggest drug dealer in Bergen County” on the premiere episode of RHONJ, telling him that she heard it from “your ex.”

“Wait a minute, you listen to an inmate who’s in prison?” John clapped back.

Of Teresa seemingly contradicting herself, Rachel admitted, “I have so many questions.”

As fans may know, John, who shares daughters Giannella, 4, and Giuliana, 2, with Rachel, shares 17-year-old son Jaiden with Brittany. However, last season, Rachel was seen adopting the boy, who she says is “mature and understands” what’s going on with Brittany.

“We have very open conversations, and we were just honest with him. We had a very honest conversation about what John’s been through and all that,” Rachel explained. “Then, it was unfortunately about all the things about his birth mother that we had to talk about. So, he has his own feelings about it. He’s formed his own opinion based on what he has unfortunately seen on social media.”

“At the end of the day, he is going to decide who he wants in his life. He’s almost an adult and that’s it,” she added.

Also speaking to Us Weekly, Rachel said she’s “not scared” of Teresa when asked why she thinks she and her family were targeted by the OG.

“I think that she has been on this show for so long and it just solidifies her relevancy and her paycheck — you’re welcome,” Rachel replied. “Who else does she have, right? [Melissa Gorga]‘s off. [Margaret Josephs]‘s off. She’s not going to fight with [Dolores Catania]. Jen‘s so far up her butt, she can’t even see her eyeballs. And then who else do we have? I mean, Jen Fessler is not going to. … I was the last resort.”

While the premiere episode’s events were intense, Rachel admitted she wasn’t surprised by Teresa’s accusations of John.

“Literally the day before Jen Fessler’s surprise party, there were all of these things leaking all over the other side’s social media accounts. We know the game,” Rachel shared. “So going into it, I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, here we go. So that was really my heads-up.’”

“They couldn’t find anything on me. So they went after him,” she continued.

While John was charged with pot possession when he was a teen, Rachel pointed out that everyone makes mistakes when they’re kids.

“If I were to pull anything from anyone’s past — we’ve all done things that someone would say are bad or try to weaponize,” she reasoned. “John is not ashamed of anything that he has done or has been through. It’s just unfortunate that the opportunity for him to tell and share his own story was completely taken from him and manipulated into something that it’s not and weaponized against him.”

Although Teresa has since downplayed her claims against John, stating that she believes John is a good father, Rachel doesn’t seem to have forgiven her.

“He is an amazing father. He is an amazing husband. He is a successful businessman. He is all of those things,” Rachel shared. “But this is manipulation and gaslighting at its peak. This is what she does is we manipulate our fans, our stories.”

Regarding her current estrangement from Jenn Fessler, Rachel said she “was closest with her tenfold.”

“I mean, 14 times a day we were on the phone,” she recalled of their former friendship, noting that their relationship “changes” during the season.

“I don’t have a relationship with her right now. We haven’t spoken in probably over five months,” Rachel revealed. “And right now, there’s no bad blood between us. But I can just say that my relationship with her is so disappointing. What has transpired, what’s taken place — it’s really sad to see someone that was brought into this group of women by Margaret to not back up their friends when they’re asked, ‘Do you believe that Louis called Margaret’s son?’ And you say, ‘She swore on her four kids.’ She’s a pathological liar. What are you talking about? You think Margaret is faking that? She was in hysteria that day. She called me.”

“So in saying that, my real issue is — and this is not even just for Jen Fessler — it’s across the board. We can be friends, you can be friends with anybody, but don’t sit here and tell me what you think I want to hear and then go be friends with somebody. That’s not how this works,” she stated. “If you like her, tell me, grow a pair and tell me, ‘I like her. I want to be friends with her,’ and then we’re good. But if you’re not going to do that and you’re going to sit here and be like, ‘I don’t want to be in the same room as them. I don’t want to associate, I don’t want to be part of this group of women if that’s going to happen.’ … It is not connecting.”

Live Viewing Thread – This is also the live viewing thread for all new episode of the RHONJ season 14! So please feel free to chat and comment below as the episode airs on Bravo at 8/7c.