Even though Danielle Cabral only joined Real Housewives of New Jersey back in Season 13, I feel like I’ve known her for a lifetime. I could be getting that deja vu feeling because I did, in fact, watch her on MTV’s True Life back in the early 2000s. But somehow, the Sayerville implant won over fans. Her emotional response to hearing her husband and family being attacked was moving and showed many viewers that there was more to the story when it came to Danielle.
Siblings fight, right?
During Season 13, I almost wrote Danielle off for immediately siding with Teresa Giudice and Jennifer Aydin. But she seemed to be harboring some real-life issues when it came to her private life. For as much as Danielle liked to be in front of the cameras, she also seemed to know how to hide a lot from the film machines. It wasn’t just about pointing and shooting. Danielle wanted to make sure her skeletons were kept deep within her family closet. She first opened up about her issues with her brother, Thomas DiPietro, while trying to bond with the OG. The mother of two revealed that she didn’t have a relationship with her brother even though they were once close. And she blamed her sister-in-law.
Danielle’s story didn’t add up as she explained that she blocked him on Instagram after he made fun of her and he returned the favor. The bougie blonde stated that he then called her a “raving maniac.” But her fellow co-stars felt like there was more to the tale. Sadly, things got worse as Danielle didn’t attend his wedding. Sound familiar? It’s like the Twilight Zone in here. At the Season 13 reunion, Danielle admitted she tried to reach out to Tommy but was ultimately shut down. She told the group, “We sent a gift for the baby. He had a daughter, and they sent the gift back to us.”
Danielle Cabral had daddy issues
To make matters worse, Danielle started Season 14 off by revealing she was also not speaking to her father, Phillip DiPietro. She shared, “I stopped talking to my dad because he handled the gift situation with my brother, not in the best way. I felt like in that moment, maybe for just one moment, my father can say, ‘He’s an idiot and I’m sorry that he’s doing this to you.’ But he never stood up for me.” Fans were surprised to hear of the rift since the father and daughter seemed so close. She added, “It might be harsh on my part to just cut ties. I just need to start protecting myself.”
By the season finale, fans saw Danielle finally reach out to her father after two years of no communication. As Nate Cabral noted, life is short. Phil replied with a heart emoji and kind words, which brought some emotions to viewers. Danielle doesn’t seem unreasonable. In fact, she seems to be bound to her family ties. Personally, I am quite interested in the Cabral/DiPietro family dynamic.
A new era for RHONJ
Now, you have to think big here. But imagine if Bravo were to get in touch with Danielle’s brother and sister-in-law. The network could invite them to participate in the series and have a full-circle moment. The Garden State franchise would be about family again. It isn’t lost on many viewers that Danielle’s story isn’t that far from the Gorga/Giudice feud. As we know, fans of the Real Housewives of New Jersey love a good family feud. There could be hope for a possible resolution and now a ten-year war as we have seen previously.
Reliving a premise that worked so well in 2009 could give the franchise a chance to live out its glory days. While the idea would be similar since it would be taking a blueprint from Joe Gorga, Melissa Gorga, and Teresa, it would also be a breath of fresh air with new faces and issues. And instead of starting from scratch entirely fans would have somewhat of a familiar face on their screen whenever filming resumes.
Real Housewives of New Jersey is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US — WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE A REVAMP OF RHONJ WITH DANIELLE CABRAL AND HER FAMILY?
