6 Ways 'RHONJ' Has Changed Since Season 6

I don't know about you, but I am getting pretty antsy waiting for The Real Housewives of New Jersey to return. It's been way too long since there have been new episodes on my television screen, and I know that I won't be seeing them any time soon. The latest season hasn't even started filming yet, so who knows when it's actually going to air? What's the hold up? There's one pretty glaring reason: Teresa Giudice is stuck behind bars in prison. I'm just keeping it real, but Teresa Giudice is the star of RHONJ. Sure, the other ladies have some captivating stories of their own, but it's Teresa's life that really keeps the ball rolling.

Whenever the cast and crew gets back to filming, I imagine that there's going to be some changes from Season 6. While pretty much nothing has been confirmed for the next season — we don't know when it's filming or who will even be in the cast — life doesn't stop for the New Jersey ladies when the show isn't in production. They have all had plenty of things going on since the last season wrapped, so let's see what's changed since the last season of Real Housewives of New Jersey.

1. Teresa Is In Prison

I know that I don't really need to include this because we are all very much aware, but at the same time this is not a fact that I can look over. Teresa has been separated from her family for a long time and is growing and changing. Her husband, Joe, has been figuring out how to raise their daughters on his own, before he heads to his prison sentence after Teresa's release. Needless to say, the family has endured a lot and will continue to do so.

2. Amber Marchese Is Battling Breast Cancer Again

Amber Marchese revealed to People that she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in her life in May of this year, but she had an optimistic outlook: "We caught it in the early stages. It is nothing short of a miracle…There’s still a long road ahead of me. I am definitely going to have radiation for the next five weeks." After getting to know Amber during Season 6, I'm sure she's been staying strong ever since the diagnosis.

3. Melissa Gorga Started A Jewelry Line

Whether you are a Melissa fan or not, you can't say that she doesn't have a great sense of style. Melissa Gorga has her own eponymous jewelry line for HSN, and I think it's the perfect business venture for her! Plus, it gives her a chance to have more of an individual identity outside of her family life.

4. Dina Manzo Attended Lauren Manzo's Wedding

Faithful RHONJ viewers know that Dina and Lauren's mother, Caroline, have had an estranged relationship for years, so us loyal viewers were refreshing social media to see if Dina would turn up at Lauren's wedding. Dina posted a photo of Lauren on Instagram and I gave a sigh of relief thinking that things were all good in the family. But then, on Watch What Happens Live, Melissa Gorga revealed that Dina was only present at the church and not at the reception. I'm going to chalk this up to progress, but not complete reconciliation.

5. The Twins Had Dinner With Joe Giudice

Twins Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano were locked in a bitter feud with Teresa Giudice last season because they felt that she helped spread those crazy rumors about their mother hooking up with Teresa Aprea's husband, Rino Aprea. But I guess that's all water under the bridge? Joe Giudice was pictured having dinner with them all at Rino's restaurant. I wonder what brought this odd combination of people together.

6. Victoria Gotti Passed A Lie Detector Test

One of the biggest story lines of last season resulted from Victoria Gotti telling Amber Marchese and Teresa Giudice that Rino Aprea slept with his wife's mother. This was a major point of contention between Teresa and the twins. Well, Victoria has apparently passed a lie detector test in regard to these claims, so I can imagine this has caused some trouble for Rino and Teresa. In fact, a lot of the RHONJ cast suffered the fall out from the initial controversy, so I'm pretty curious to see how they all reacted to this news.

Wow. There has been so much drama in between the seasons that it makes me wonder why the show ever stops filming at all. It seems like there is always something going on with the New Jersey ladies! I can't wait for the next season to start so we can really catch up on their lives and see the fall out from these most recent updates.