From the Garden State to the ballroom?
While rumors have been circulating that The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice is set to join the season 23 cast of Dancing With the Stars, E! News can exclusively report that Teresa is not joining the ABC reality hit. And she hasn't even been approached for the new season, which kicks off on Sept. 12, though ABC was interested in having Teresa as part of the season 22 cast after she finished serving her 15-month prison sentence, according to the Bravo reality star's attorney.
"Dancing With The Stars approached Teresa about doing the season that aired in March but unfortunately with Teresa having just come home and with Joe [Giudice] going away in March, we had to decline the offer," Teresa's attorney James Leonard Jr. told E! News in an exclusive statement. "We have not had any discussions with Dancing With The Stars since that time and as such any story linking Teresa to the upcoming season are untrue. Teresa remains a fan of the show and if the timing is right and both sides are interested, I could absolutely see her doing the show at some time down the road."
If she had joined the cast, Teresa wouldn't have been the first Real Housewives star to put on her dancing shoes: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Lisa Vanderpump competed, as well as The Real Housewives of Atlanta's NeNe Leakes, Kim Fields, and Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who stars in her own spinoff, Don't Be Tardy.
A source exclusively told us that producers were eyeing Olympic champion Simone Biles to join the cast, but the four-time gold medalist revealed to E! News that her schedule might be too busy. "I would love to do Dancing with the Stars, but so far we have a three month tour after this Olympics," the gymnast said. "I'm not sure if I'll have time." However, she was quick to add, "I would really love to do it in the spring if that's possible."
Other celebs that are currently in the running to join the season 23 roster include The Bachelorette's JoJo Fletcher and Jake T. Austin, the former star of The Fosters and Wizards of Waverly Place. ABC does not comment on casting rumors.
ABC will officially announce the cast for the new season on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Dancing With the Stars returns Monday, Sept. 12 on ABC.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)