Even though Lauren Manzo hasn’t been on the small screen in over seven years, fans of the Real Housewives of New Jersey still have kept up with her life. Shortly after leaving the franchise, she married Vito Scalia, and the two had a daughter. This week, news broke that the two have filed for divorce after eight years of marriage. Lauren and Vito started dating in 2009 and shared the wedding on Manzo’d with Children in 2015. So what ultimately led to the end of Lauren Manzo’s marriage?
Theory One – Lauren Lost Weight
In the paperwork, Vito claimed that it is “apparent that the marriage should be dissolved [because] there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.” This explanation for the divorce could mean literally anything. Lauren’s extreme weight loss is one major change in the couple’s life. For years, followers watched as she struggled with her weight. And even though her family supported her, Lauren recently revealed she used Mounjaro to jump-start her weight loss.
Vito always liked Lauren for who she was, and it is possible the subject of weight became an obsession for Lauren. The former TV star also decided to go wheat and dairy-free, which could have been a huge red flag for the restauranteur and food lover, Vito. Lauren noted that since she was 20, she had been struggling with her image and shared that it even caused her mental health to suffer. This all could have been too much for Vito.
Theory Two – The Manzos Are Overbearing
There is no arguing that Caroline Manzo is a mother hen to her three children. During her time on the Real Housewives of New Jersey, her loving, tender moments were endearing, but as the children grew older, questions were raised about whether or not Caroline should back off. Social media has shown Caroline very involved in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives, with many of the posts centering around her first granddaughter.
Vito, who was first a close friend of Albie Manzo, should have been well aware of the Manzo family dynamic. However, as Lauren and Vito became husband and wife and parents, the constant interference could have all been too much. It is possible that Vito just became fed up with having to answer to his monster-in-laws and wanted to be in charge of his own life. Lauren Manzo’s marriage could have suffered directly as a result of her mother’s meddling.
Theory Three – Lauren and Vito Have Been Separated for a While
Lauren has not been posting much of Vito for over six years on her social media. The mother of one also took Scalia out of her Instagram profile and hasn’t been seen wearing her wedding ring. In an earlier episode during Season 5 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Caroline commented that her daughter hadn’t dated anyone and no one asked her to her junior prom. The proud mother revealed that Albie ended up taking his sister to prom—a total ego blow. Lauren gave the impression that she wanted to snag the first guy who showed interest.
Even though Vito seems like a very private man, it didn’t go unnoticed by eagle-eyed fans that on July 18, 2016, Lauren posted a Hello Fresh ad instead of a second-anniversary post and a Fab Fit Fun ad on March 20 instead of a husband birthday post. While it could really be as simple as she was earning a check, maybe these were minor, subtle signs that all was not well in paradise.
Lauren Speaks Out
While in Italy for her brother Albie’s wedding, Lauren quickly addressed the news of the divorce. She started by saying, “By now, you guys have seen the news that has broken. I just wanted to let you guys know we’re all good. This has been done for a very long time. The last part of the process was filing. We were on the same page. This is something that we did together.”
Lauren ended her Instagram video sharing that she and Vito want to move forward in a positive way, sharing, “All that matters to us is that our daughter is happy and healthy. Her privacy is important to us.”
TELL US – WHY DO YOU BELIEVE LAUREN MANZO’S MARRIAGE ENDED?
