Newbie Rachel Fuda the wild card on upcoming 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' season
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Being a reality TV star takes some getting used to.
Just ask Rachel Fuda, one of three new cast members of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." Season 13 debuts at 9 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, Feb. 7, on Bravo.
"Walking into a into a room and not being able to look at the five cameras there and boom mics there is definitely hard, but once you start getting into a conversation and start talking, after a while it fades away," Fuda said. "It becomes background and you get used to it a little bit."
Rachel comes to the show because her stepson Jaiden plays football with Gino Gorga, son of Melissa and Joey Gorga. Rachel of Franklin Lakes also trained for a bikini bodybuilding competition by Dolores Catania's ex, Frank Catania.
Rachel's adoption of Jaiden is a storyline on the upcoming season. You'd think that with the blended families and bodybuilding backgrounds, she and Teresa Giudice would have a strong connection.
That's apparently not the case.
"The most important thing for me when joining this group of girls was that I wanted to stay true to who I was," said Rachel, 31. "That's being a loyal friend and being honest, and if that brought me closer to Melissa and Margaret (Josephs), then so be it. I think that speaks volumes, but I'm a loyal friend. I'm truthful and I'm honest."
The wedding of Teresa and Louie Ruelas takes center stage on the new season, according to a trailer.
More:Teresa Giudice & Luis Ruelas marry in East Brunswick. Here's the 'Jersey Shore' connection
As does a brush up between Teresa and Melissa, and Joey and Louie.
Other storylines include Frank in the dumps now that ex-wife Dolores is talking marriage with her new beau; more drama for Margaret and Jennifer Aydin in their feud; and drama on the homefront for Jennifer Aydin and her husband, Bill Aydin, who may or may not be trying to soothe things out with alcohol.
More:RHONJ: Joe's bikini party in Mexico was turning point for marriage to Teresa Giudice
Other newbies are Danielle Cabral of Sayreville and Jennifer Fessler of Upper Saddle River, who has friend status. Jackie Goldschneider, who battled an eating disorder on the show — and sometimes also Teresa — is now a friend and no longer a cast member.
Rachel comes to the show with a name in Jersey. Yes, she's a Fuda of the Fuda Tile and Marble chain, which has multiple shops in Bergen and Passaic counties.
Buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride.
“Can you give me alcohol with a side of alcohol,” says Rachel in the trailer.
She met her husband, John Fuda, at 46 Lounge on Totowa, where she bartended.
"The show hasn't even aired but this is crazy," Rachel said. "I'm really excited to be a part of a new era of the Jersey franchise."
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: RHONJ: Rachel Fuda one of three new Housewives this season
