The Real Housewives franchise has become synonymous with glamour, luxury, and six-figure paychecks. But in the early days, the Housewives reportedly had to pay for many things out of their own pockets. On the “Namaste B$tches” podcast, Teresa Giudice, one of the original cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, revealed that she spent her entire $25,000 paycheck from the show’s first season on a single party.
Giudice said, “When we started, we had to pay for everything. Sometimes you could get things here or there. But nothing’s for free.” The reality star claimed that cast members were forced to pay for almost everything in those early days. And while her friend and costar Dolores Catania didn’t reveal her exact earnings from the first season, she hinted that the pay was low.
Fast forward to today, and Housewives earn six-figure paychecks, with more established cast members earning over a million per season. Giudice herself now makes a whopping $1.1 million every season, according to reports, while her sister-in-law and costar Melissa Gorga takes in $750,000.
It’s safe to say that the early days of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were a lot less glamorous than they are now. But Teresa Giudice’s party must have been epic. The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesday nights at 9 pm EST on Bravo.