The Truth About RHONJ's Traci Johnson
"The Real Housewives" franchises each stand out in their own way, with their own OG cast members who gave fans iconic moments that remain in constant meme-circulation. Ever since the infamous Teresa Giudice table-flip, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" secured its spot as a fan favorite franchise.
"RHONJ" was one of the first few franchises to come out when it started airing in 2009. It offered a completely different take to those that came before, with a heavy emphasis on family-life and deep rooted drama that dated back to years before the show even began.
As with every "Real Housewives" show, you have your solid OG housewives and then each season brings with it a few new additions — additions that either stick around and come to be considered new OGs, or additions that the fandom refer to as "one season wonders." In the case of "RHONJ," newbies aren't often met with a warm welcome. In fact, Giudice couldn't even accept her very own sister-in-law Melissa Gorga as a new housewife.
So, whenever a new woman is rumored to be joining the cast, fans await with bated breath to see if she's a new favorite they'll love to hate or if she's a terrible fit. Intensive vetting is needed to help make that prediction. Here's what we know so far about alleged new addition to "RHONJ" — Traci Johnson.
Traci Johnson seems to already have connections in the show
Of course, not just anyone can join a "Real Housewives" show. You have to either be a member of their prestigious community, have your own claim to fame prior to the show, or be a friend of an already-existing housewife. Well, newcomer Traci Johnson ticks every one of those boxes.
During a podcast appearance on "Raw with Rori," existing housewife Dolores Catania's ex-husband Frank Catania revealed that Johnson would be joining the cast for next season. Johnson is married to Tiki Barber, former New York Giants NFL player, and together the pair are very active members of New Jersey's elite society. The Sun have also confirmed that Johnson has already been filming, saying, "Traci is being tested out to see how she fits in with the other women."
Johnson was previously a professional supermodel, according to Screen Rant, and even worked as an intern sports commentator on NBC's "Today Show" where she met her husband. Barber and Johnson have a total of six children, two from their current marriage and four from Barber's previous marriage. As with any newcomer, there's no telling how she'll be received. However, Johnson seems to already have connections to the cast with Joey Gorga already following her, and Melissa Gorga commenting on an Instagram post of hers. Johnson was even featured in a Instagram post shared by Dolores Catania of a group shot with the "RHONJ" ladies.