The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 15 cast will be joined by the self-described “Social Mayor of Alpine, NJ,” as Vanessa Barrera jumps into the laughs, tears, and drama as a new friend to the ‘Wives.
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The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on Bravo soon. Episodes will stream next day on Peacock.
Veterans Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga and Dolores Catania will also be in the mix, as well as newcomers Malvina Blloshmi, Xio Cammarota, Juliette Collazo, Deeba Patel and Natia Rufolo.
While you wait for RHONJ Season 15’s December premiere, learn more about Vanessa.
Who is Vanessa Barrera?
Vanessa is a busy wife, mom, and friend. “Between her family, friendships and commitment to her community as PTA President, she’s never afraid to take charge and make her voice heard when it matters,” reads her Bravo bio.
Where does Vanessa Barrera live in New Jersey?
Vanessa lives in Alpine, New Jersey with her family.
Who is Vanessa Barrera married to?
Vanessa is married to her husband, Leo, and they celebrated their 16th anniversary in August. She called him her “rock” during an interview with Bravo Insider during a marketing photoshoot for RHONJ Season 15.
“He’s always my rock. He’s just like, ‘You’re good with it and you’re comfortable, I got you. I’m always there. So whatever you need, you want to do it, let’s do it,’” she shared.
Does Vanessa Barrera have kids?
Yes. Vanessa and Leo share daughters Valerie and Sofia, as well as daughter Valentina, who passed away as a young child from a congenital heart condition.
“It’s extremely rare,” Vanessa told Bravo Insider about the heart condition. “We did everything we could to try to fix it, to help her, but, you know, God had other plans.”
Vanessa wrote a children’s book in her daughter’s honor called The Adventures of Valiant Valentina. “Writing the book was good mourning for me,” she said. “And there’s so many other parents going through that…and hopefully that lifts them up a little bit, to talk about it, and to know that, you know what, you still have them with you no matter what.”
She shared the book is also her way of keeping Valentina’s memory alive. “For me, when I was writing, it was like the one place where all three [of my daughters] could be together. It’s the only place. So you know, it’s very, very meaningful,” she said.
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What does Vanessa Barrera do for a living?
Although Vanessa called herself “a wife and mom first” she referred to herself as “a creative at heart.”
“I’ve done marketing for a good chunk of my life. I mean, that’s what I studied, and that’s kind of what I went into. So there’s that part about me,” she said during an interview with Bravo Insider. “Definitely a creative —I sing. I paint. I write. I love fashion. I do all of it.”
She teased that she’s currently jumping more into writing children’s books and is also working to develop a children’s skincare line.
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How is Vanessa Barrera connected to the RHONJ Season 15 cast?
One of Vanessa’s closest connections to the RHONJ Season 15 cast also happens to be her neighbor: Deeba.
“Before we were neighbors, we were actually friends for about 4 or 5 years now, because our girls used to go to dance class together. And that’s kind of how I met Deeba,” she explained to Bravo Insider.
Vanessa shared she also knew Melissa ahead of filming due to mutual friends.
As she got to know the rest of the group, she noted she “clicked” immediately with sisters Xio and Juliette.
While you count down to the RHONJ Season 15 premiere in December, check out this first look at the new season.
