‘Real Housewives’ Star Claims She Had Sex With James Gandolfini ‘More Than Once’

One of the Real Housewives of New Jersey had quite the steamy reveal to share on Tuesday’s episode. As Entertainment Tonight noted, RHONJ newbie Jennifer Fessler claimed that she had sex with James Gandolfini years ago. Fessler even alleged that during their relationship, Gandolfini once took her to an S&M bar. 

The conversation regarding Fessler’s romantic past began when the RHONJ cast set off on their trip to Dublin, Ireland. After mentioning that she was previously a talent agent, one of the other Housewives asked if she had ever been with anyone famous. In turn, Fessler recounted her romance with The Sopranos star. She claimed, “He actually took me to an S&M bar. It was crazy, we hung out, we drank, we went back to his apartment and we f—ed.”

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Fessler didn’t share exactly when her relationship with Gandolfini took place. But, she did stress that it was before he rose to fame as Tony Soprano. She also said that she was “obsessed” with his “sex appeal.” In a confessional, Fessler joked that Gandolfini was “the one that got away, but it was also the one that was never really there.” She continued to say that their romance wasn’t just a one-night thing, adding with a laugh, “He absolutely was inside me. That is a fact. More than once.” 

Fessler may have previously dated Tony Soprano himself, but she recently celebrated 24 years of marriage with her husband, Jeff Fessler. The new RHONJ personality acknowledged her wedding anniversary on Instagram by posting a throwback photo from their nuptials, which she captioned with, “Happy anniversary Superman! For 24 years you’ve been a glutton for punishment and I’m praying you never snap out of it. I love you [Jeff]” ET noted that Gandolfini also got married in 1999, tying the knot with his first wife, Marcy Wudarski. Gandolfini and Wodarski divorced in 2002, and the actor later wed Deborah Lin in 2008. The Sopranos star died in 2013 at the age of 51. 

Fessler is one of three new RHONJ cast members this season (although, she is in a “friend of” role). Two others, Danielle Cabral and Rachel Fuda, joined as full-time Housewives for Season 13. They joined established cast members Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin and Jackie Goldschneider. RHONJ airs on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.