Danielle Staub
News (Page 2)

Danielle Staub may have been a drug-addicted stripper in a former life, but, hey, who is Kelly Bensimon to judge?

In response to the controversy surrounding Staub, Bensimon is showing sympathy to her fellow Housewife.

“Everybody deserves a second chance,” Kelly told People. “If you’ve made a mistake in life, you have two choices, you can either sit in the Lazy-Boy and eat popcorn and talk about it, or you can get out and do something fun. And I think that’s what she’s doing. I like her courage.”

On this week's installment of The Real Housewives of New Jersey - and, based on numerous comments, on future episodes to come - the past of Danielle Staub was exposed.

Castmate Caroline Manzo just happened to come across a book titled "Cop Without a Badge," which was written by Staub's ex-boyfriend, a man that went into detail about her drug and sex habits, as well as her criminal record.

Now, without getting into any specifics (because, hey, she has to save those for the show's ratings!), Staub has attempted to clear up misconceptions about her in a blog for Bravo. Here are excerpts from it:

Over two and a half decades ago I was arrested. I was just a child, with no guidance or parents to speak of, in an industry that was very fast paced. I got in with the wrong crowd, and was not completely aware of the serious nature of my surroundings.

I did not kidnap anyone. I am not a prostitute. I was merely at the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time. I apologize for being vague, but this is all I can reveal at this time.

It seems everyone may be feeling I have this harshness about me, I promise you it is only because I am broken to pieces inside. To all the ladies who I respect and only desired to be a part of, I would like you to know me and see my heart.

On last night's installment of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Caroline and Dina Manzo were informed by Bravo of discovered a bombshell:

Castmate Danielle Staub was featured in the 1995 memoir, Cop Without a Badge. 

The book details Staub's arrest for extortion, while also going into her past of drugs and stripping. Danielle hasn't really denied the allegations.

So, is this just the beginning of the drama? Of course not. There are more ratings to be garnered.

“There’s more to come,” Caroline Manzo said to People this week. “Buckle up.”

Here's what else she had to say about it all:

How did you find the book?
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.

Last week, viewers of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were teased in previews about Danielle Staub's awfully shady past.

In the days that have followed, alleged mug shots of the reality star have surfaced, along with allegations that she was formerly known as "Beverly Merrill," a cocaine-addicted stripper.

This morning, in an interview with Today, Staub didn't really deny the rumors; in fact, like a well-trained Bravo pitchwoman, she encouraged fans to tune in and find out more.

"It's not that I don't want it known, I just think there's a time and place for everything and it was deemed that now was my time," said Staub, pretty much confirming that this supposed leak has been planned all along by the show.

Danielle did try to make sure she won't be judged too much on what viewers are about to find out, adding:

"This was way before I got married - way before I had children. And maybe people can watch and see how it unfolds. Because I think people are go to be shocked."

Then again, people won't even have every inquiry answered on tonight's episode. Staub is already positioning herself for next season, teasing what's to come.

"You won't have [questions] answered for - actually until maybe next season. Who knows..."

At the conclusion of this week's Real Housewives of New Jersey episode, Bravo teased its next installment of the franchise. And the preview was a doozy!

Viewers were told that Danielle Staub may have been arrested years ago. Moreover, her mug shot allegedly appears in “Cop Without a Badge,” a biography penned by former FBI and Secret Service employee Kevin Maher.

Now, according to photos dug up by The Newark Star-Ledger, it appears as though the network isn't lying.

In "Cop Without a Badge," Maher details his life as a con man that becomes an informant for the New York Police Department and the FBI. Along the way, leaves his wife and stepson for a stripper named Beverly Merrill. He writes:

"She was brunette. Long, perfectly shaped legs poked out of her leather hot pants just as provocatively as her braless breasts strained against her low-cut blouse."

After Merrill and Maher have "explosive sex," he thinks to himself: "This is a good person. She has no morals, but she's a good person."

Does this sound like Danielle Staub? More important, do the following mug shots - which are printed in the book and attributed to Beverly Merrill - look like Staub?

It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist (just someone with decent eyesight) to believe that these are mug shots of Danielle Staub.

I’m not the most gorgeous woman in the world, but I’m kinda ho. I might just be the ultimate threat. I think I’m just a really secure woman, and sometimes, people are less than enthusiastic about having me around.

With quotes such as the one above, is it any wonder why Danielle Staub is the most controversial - and, let's be honest, hated - cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey?

In just a couple episodes, Staub has...

• ... confessed to have phone sex with a stranger for two years.
• ... offered a blow job to a guy at a restaurant.
• ... and pretty much offended every other Housewife.

Now, in the latest twist, Caroline Manzo has supposedly learned that Danielle, and possibly her mug shot, are featured in “Cop Without a Badge,” a memoir written by former FBI and Secret Service Agent Kevin Maher.

More details on the book and Staub's appearance in it are expected to come to light on the next episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

For now, let us just say: WTF?!?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres tomorrow night on Bravo.

Before the series airs, we're introducing readers to its key cast members: First, we previewed life in the world of Caroline Manzo.

Now, it's time to meet Danielle Staub!

"I'm not the most gorgeous woman in the world, but I'm kinda hot," Staub proudly told E! News this week. "I might just be the ultimate threat."

Reports indicate that Staub will, indeed, cause the most controversy this season. Here's what else E! has to say about the new reality TV star:

• She's 45 years old;

• She's a single mother of two;

• She's not always the most popular woman in the room: "I think I'm just a really secure woman, and sometimes, people are less than enthusiastic about having me around."

• On an upcoming episode, Staub finally goes on an actual date with a man she's been having phone sex with... for two years!

• Other Housewives accuse Danielle of a past that includes prostitution, drug cartels and kidnapping, while co-star Teresa Giudice claims that Staub has a younger man in her life, who she orally pleasures on a daily basis.

Wait... what?!? Okay. We'll be tuning in tomorrow night!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be a family affair.

The latest edition of this Bravo franchies debuts on May 12 and a pair of sisters, who married brothers, along with their sister-in-law.

Let's meet all five of the new Housewives now...

• Jacqueline Laurita: Former cosmetologist. Has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage and a son with her husband Chris.

• Teresa Giudice: Married to Joe, who owns construction company. Has three daughters. In a shocker, she adores spa treatments, shopping and spending time at her beach house on the Jersey Shore.

• Danielle Staub: Single mother of two daughters. Brags about being one of the first female American Express Black card members in New Jersey. Jacqueline are friends.

• Dina Manzo: Founder of the nonprofit charity Project Ladybug, which assists children with cancer. Her husband Tommy works with his brother (Caroline’s husband) at their family’s catering business.

• Caroline Manzo: Mother of three. Own sa real estate firm and a line of children’s accessories. Wed to Albert Manzo, brother of Dina’s husband Tommy.

Click on the pics below for larger images of each new Housewife...