The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Caroline Manzo is speaking out on the revelations of Danielle Staub’s past. Last night’s episode showed Caroline and Dina Manzo dropping a bombshell: Their family discovered a book, Cop Without a Badge, that alleges that Danielle was arrested for extortion and involved with a kidnapping plot, drugs and stripping.
Caroline discusses her role in the revelation, and her thoughts on the allegations in her new interview. Below are some excepts –
Let’s talk about this book. You mentioned your niece found it. What’s the backstory?
This is something that literally fell into our laps. We had no reason to believe that Danielle was somebody other than [who] she represented herself to be. And my niece did tell us about it. When something this explosive falls into your lap, for anyone to just dismiss it would be foolish. It’s beyond catty gossip. There are a lot of facets to this story that can affect us in a negative way.
What do you mean by that? Were you concerned with your reputation if you associated with her?
I don’t care about reputation. What happened in the past is her business. I certainly don’t judge anybody. It was a safety concern. Nothing more.
You mean you don’t trust Danielle around young children?
Who would? Come on, let’s think about it: Would you put your child in a situation like that? Until we know the truth, you have to just act reasonably.
Did you tell Jacqueline flat-out to end her friendship with Danielle?
It seems to be the image that we don’t allow her to [know] outsiders and other friends. That’s so not true. However, Jacqueline looks at the world through rose-colored glasses. Something like this, you have to look at the situation and say, “I understand you want to give this person the benefit of the doubt, and I commend you for that. However, please, please look at this with your eyes wide open.” And that’s just what we did.
As a mother, what are your thoughts about Danielle putting herself on a reality show knowing that her daughters will have to face this?
That’s Danielle’s issue. I’m not going to tell anybody else how to parent. We certainly have vast differences in our parenting decisions. I just hope that [her] children can get past this because they’re the ones who suffer.
I can personally understand why Caroline and Dina might have felt the need to “investigate” Danielle’s past, but I do not agree with them feeling the need to alert the whole town about the book – if they did indeed do that as alleged by Danielle.
Tell Us – What Are Your Thoughts Regarding Last Night’s Episode?
