Entertainment

Guess Which Two Are Still Fighting?

by Ariel Kay

Ladies, come on now. Can't we all just get along? Apparently, Dina and Caroline Manzo are not yet ready to resolve their latest feud, so the answer to that question will remain "no," at least for Season 6 of Real Housewives of New Jersey . Both women have chosen to keep the reason for their estrangement out of the tabloids, though there have certainly been numerous rumors as to the cause. Some fans speculate that fellow housewife Teresa Giudice may be at the center of the fight, while others argue that their sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita's departure from the show is at the root of the trouble.

Back on Oct. 13, when the second part of the RHONJ Season 5 reunion special aired, Caroline posted an opaque entry to her Bravo blog, declaring that she would not be returning for Season 6.

Going back to film another season of Housewives would only make me a hypocrite. For me, peace and integrity cannot be bought with money or fame. I practice what I preach, and as I said on the reunion, I'm done. I simply feel that my role has run its course and I have nothing more to give.

It was only after Caroline announced she was leaving that her sister Dina, who hadn't been a RHONJ regular castmember since Season 2, revealed she was in talks to return for Season 6. Though Dina hasn't explicitly acknowledged Caroline's absence is the reason she's returning, both Manzos have tweeted and Instagrammed vague messages that hint towards that explanation. True to Dina's "Buddhist" beliefs, she's trying to make it appear that she won't publicly engage with Caroline... while actually doing the exact opposite. I can't believe I'm saying this, but perhaps Dina should take fellow reality star Kim Kardashian's advice on this one.

This is probably the only time you should ever seek council from Kim Kardashian. Like seriously, ever.

So what caused the Manzo sisters to get on such bad terms? Well, the two have never exactly been close. They've had plenty of fights before. There are a few theories as to the start of their current argument. Some fans think that Dina's friendship with Teresa upset Caroline, because Teresa and Caroline aren't exactly best buddies. (Their relationship truly soured several years ago after Caroline took offense that Teresa had written (what she perceived to be) insults aimed at her in her cookbook Fabulicious!.)

If it is the case that Dina and Caroline aren't speaking over Dina's relationship with Teresa, these women are engaging in some straight up middle school relationship dynamics (which, considering which show were talking about, really shouldn't be that surprising). Seriously, the whole "we can't be friends if you're friends with people I don't like" argument is beyond petty.

But it's possible that Teresa isn't the reason behind the sisters' squabbling at all. Other RHONJ viewers believe that the feud was all started because Jacqueline was supposedly fired from RHONJ at Dina's request. According to In Touch, “Caroline was livid with Dina because Jacqueline needed the paycheck for her autistic son Nick’s medical bills. They haven’t spoken since."

Now the only remaining mystery is whether we'll get to see all the Manzo shenanigans play out on RHONJ, or if we'll have to continue to scour social media for hints as to how they're doing. Caroline's not appearing on this season, but that certainly doesn't mean Dina can't talk about her with the other housewives. Because if there's one thing we've learned over five and a half seasons, it's that both these women seriously know how to play up the drama.

Images: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo; Giphy (3)