Real Housewives star, 55, reveals she had a full facelift while sharing frightening post-op photos

Daily Mail​

06-05-2025

A Real Housewives star shared shocking images to social media on Monday.
The 55-year-old woman had undergone plastic surgery in Southern California and was recovering with a large ivory bandage around her face.
That lady is Real Housewives of New Jersey veteran Jacqueline Laurita.
The brunette beauty said she was recovering from having a facelift and neck lift.
'My 5 hour surgery went great with @doctor.ip here in Newport Beach! SO FAR I can't feel a thing! I feel great!' she shared in the caption of her post.
'I feel great!' she told fans post-op. The surgery took five hours to complete, she noted, adding that she felt 'fantastic' after the procedure.
The star was seen with bandages wrapped around her head and jaw.
There were also blood-filled drains coming out the sides. She also had breathing tubes in her nose.
'I'm still waiting for the other half of my face to wake up that was worked on last. Should be soon!' she said. 'That's why it's not moving yet! Lol!'
Laurita explained she was trying to keep the circulation going.
'I have Aquaphor on my face and I'm keeping my head up and straight forward,' she added.
She thanked the staffers who were helping her recover. 'This is a great crew here! Everyone has been excellent!' she gushed.
'Catheter will be removed tonight and my oxygen has already been removed. My drains will come out tomorrow and I'll get to go home bright and early!'
Laurita shared that Real Housewives of Orange County vet Lynne Curtin also underwent plastic surgery at the same California medical center.
'@lynneanncurtin just rolled in next to me but she's still a little groggy,' Laurita said. 'We will talk to her later.'
'My 5 hour surgery went great with @doctor.ip here in Newport Beach! SO FAR I can't feel a thing! I feel great!' she shared in the caption of her post. 'I feel great!' she told fans post-op. The star shared that the surgery took five hours to complete. She shared that she was feeling 'fantastic' after the surgery.
'I want everyone to see the reality of how this process goes and how we heal! Take care!' she said.
She said she wanted her fans to get the news from her. 'I want everyone to see the reality of how this process goes and how we heal,' Laurita said.
Kelly Dodd, Dolores Catania, Teresa Giudice, Taylor Armstrong and Peggy Tanous all sent her warm messages.
In 2023, the star talked her fallout with Melissa Gorga and time on The Real Housewives of New Jersey after five seasons.
While speaking about her former costar during an interview with AllAboutTRH, the TV personality, set the record straight on why she called out Gorga for allegedly lying about undergoing multiple cosmetic surgeries.
'It wasn't her four nose jobs that I was calling out at the dinner. That was already obvious to everyone,' she clarified of a diss she made on their reality show back in 2016. 'Who cares that she did procedures? Everyone on the cast does stuff.'
She continued: 'The part you missed was that I was giving an example of how she can lie with a straight face, like she did when Andy Cohen asked her the first time on WWHL if she had a nose job and she lied straight to his face and said it was 'contour.'
The mother-of-two went on to marvel at just 'how easy it is for' Gorga 'to lie with a straight face.'
Laurita then admitted to feeling 'upset and confused about the way Melissa turned her back on' her on the show despite always feeling she was a 'good and supportive friend' to her.
'It wasn't her four nose jobs that I was calling out at the dinner. That was already obvious to everyone,' she clarified of a diss she made on their reality show back in 2016. 'Who cares that she did procedures? Everyone on the cast does stuff' (pictured in 2022)
'I felt used by her. She planted seeds that I was being paranoid, when she was the one paranoid and also making me feel paranoid with the things she would tell me,' she continued.
Despite some viewers feeling that Gorga was simply trying to remain loyal to sister-in-law, Teresa Giudice, Laurita insisted that was not what motivated her rival.
'It was for how the fans would view her and to also keep a wedge between us. That's when I realized who she really is and I had no interest in ever talking to her again from that day on,' Laurita concluded.
'I believe Melissa twisted the narrative on camera into steering the viewers into believing that I was the one jealous of their relationship,' she stated. 'The truth is…I was never jealous of their relationship. I knew how they really felt about each other and I always told Melissa (and Teresa as well) to fake it until they make it work.'
'I had to accept that 'reality' wasn't really 'reality' on our show anymore,' she said, after saying she has no intention of returning to the series.
After leaving the show, she says she has come to 'love' her 'quiet, private life.'