Margaret Josephs on Quietly Mourning Late Husband Jan: 'There's a Lot of My Personal Life I Don't Reveal'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBC/GettyReal Housewives of New JerseystarMargaret Josephsis opening up about how she’s been coping since the unexpected death of ex-husbandJan Josephs.“We were married for 20 years. We were best friends. It was very hard,” she tells PEOPLE of Jan, with whom she shared a 26-year-old son.In August, PEOPLE confirmed that Jan died of a sudden heart attack. He was 74 at the time. Margaret, 55,shared her griefin an Instagram post. “Today would have been Jan’s 75th birthday,” wrote Margaret, alongside a black and white photo of her ex-husband. “He passed away unexpectedly last week and a piece of us died with him.“Speaking to PEOPLE atBravoCon 2022, Margaret shares of her grieving process: “I sat shiva at my home. It’s been hard. It has been hard because there’s a lot of my personal life I don’t reveal. And it’s very hard to lose the father of your children, regardless if you’re married or not.“For more on BravoCon, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.She continues, “So it’s been an emotional time for our family, and we all went away together. I took off the entire month of September, and that was very special that we could be together, and I have beautiful memories and he was one of my closest friends and that’s what I hold onto.“She also draws a contrast between her life as seen onRHONJand the one she shares with her family. “I’m protective over that very special part of my life,” she explains. “I have to keep that safe because everything else is up for attack and fodder and everything else, which I respect because I chose this platform — but my children did not and they’re grown adults, and I have to respect that for them.“Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo/NBC/GettyMargaret and Jan were married in 1994 and divorced nearly 20 years later, in 2013. Despite their decision to split, Margaret shared that they remained close friends. “He was my family,” she wrote. “Jan was an amazing father, grandfather, friend, [and] partner to his girlfriend. He loved everyone unconditionally. He loved Motown, working out and Italian food, but most of all he loved his family.“In 2021, Margaret opened up about her family — which largely came from her marriage to Jan. As she prepared to release her memoir,Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget: How to Survive in Business and Life, Margaret shared details about her children — three step children from her marriage to Jan, as well as one biological son — that weren’t previously public knowledge.“I had a 20-year marriage to my first husband, I have a natural-born son people don’t know about,” she said in a conversation onThe Wendy Williams Show. “Everybody always thought I never had children but I have my own son.“In 2018, she also opened up to PEOPLE about why shetook full custodyof Jan’s three children. “They needed someone to love them and I was completely obsessed with them,” Margaret said of the kids, who are now in their 40s. “And then we had my son and they were my entire life.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Margaret became estranged from her three step children when she divorced Jan and married Joe Benigno.

Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBC/Getty

Real Housewives of New JerseystarMargaret Josephsis opening up about how she’s been coping since the unexpected death of ex-husbandJan Josephs.“We were married for 20 years. We were best friends. It was very hard,” she tells PEOPLE of Jan, with whom she shared a 26-year-old son.In August, PEOPLE confirmed that Jan died of a sudden heart attack. He was 74 at the time. Margaret, 55,shared her griefin an Instagram post. “Today would have been Jan’s 75th birthday,” wrote Margaret, alongside a black and white photo of her ex-husband. “He passed away unexpectedly last week and a piece of us died with him.“Speaking to PEOPLE atBravoCon 2022, Margaret shares of her grieving process: “I sat shiva at my home. It’s been hard. It has been hard because there’s a lot of my personal life I don’t reveal. And it’s very hard to lose the father of your children, regardless if you’re married or not.“For more on BravoCon, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.She continues, “So it’s been an emotional time for our family, and we all went away together. I took off the entire month of September, and that was very special that we could be together, and I have beautiful memories and he was one of my closest friends and that’s what I hold onto.“She also draws a contrast between her life as seen onRHONJand the one she shares with her family. “I’m protective over that very special part of my life,” she explains. “I have to keep that safe because everything else is up for attack and fodder and everything else, which I respect because I chose this platform — but my children did not and they’re grown adults, and I have to respect that for them.“Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo/NBC/GettyMargaret and Jan were married in 1994 and divorced nearly 20 years later, in 2013. Despite their decision to split, Margaret shared that they remained close friends. “He was my family,” she wrote. “Jan was an amazing father, grandfather, friend, [and] partner to his girlfriend. He loved everyone unconditionally. He loved Motown, working out and Italian food, but most of all he loved his family.“In 2021, Margaret opened up about her family — which largely came from her marriage to Jan. As she prepared to release her memoir,Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget: How to Survive in Business and Life, Margaret shared details about her children — three step children from her marriage to Jan, as well as one biological son — that weren’t previously public knowledge.“I had a 20-year marriage to my first husband, I have a natural-born son people don’t know about,” she said in a conversation onThe Wendy Williams Show. “Everybody always thought I never had children but I have my own son.“In 2018, she also opened up to PEOPLE about why shetook full custodyof Jan’s three children. “They needed someone to love them and I was completely obsessed with them,” Margaret said of the kids, who are now in their 40s. “And then we had my son and they were my entire life.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Margaret became estranged from her three step children when she divorced Jan and married Joe Benigno.

Real Housewives of New JerseystarMargaret Josephsis opening up about how she’s been coping since the unexpected death of ex-husbandJan Josephs.

“We were married for 20 years. We were best friends. It was very hard,” she tells PEOPLE of Jan, with whom she shared a 26-year-old son.

In August, PEOPLE confirmed that Jan died of a sudden heart attack. He was 74 at the time. Margaret, 55,shared her griefin an Instagram post. “Today would have been Jan’s 75th birthday,” wrote Margaret, alongside a black and white photo of her ex-husband. “He passed away unexpectedly last week and a piece of us died with him.”

Speaking to PEOPLE atBravoCon 2022, Margaret shares of her grieving process: “I sat shiva at my home. It’s been hard. It has been hard because there’s a lot of my personal life I don’t reveal. And it’s very hard to lose the father of your children, regardless if you’re married or not.”

For more on BravoCon, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

She continues, “So it’s been an emotional time for our family, and we all went away together. I took off the entire month of September, and that was very special that we could be together, and I have beautiful memories and he was one of my closest friends and that’s what I hold onto.”

She also draws a contrast between her life as seen onRHONJand the one she shares with her family. “I’m protective over that very special part of my life,” she explains. “I have to keep that safe because everything else is up for attack and fodder and everything else, which I respect because I chose this platform — but my children did not and they’re grown adults, and I have to respect that for them.”

Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo/NBC/Getty

Margaret and Jan were married in 1994 and divorced nearly 20 years later, in 2013. Despite their decision to split, Margaret shared that they remained close friends. “He was my family,” she wrote. “Jan was an amazing father, grandfather, friend, [and] partner to his girlfriend. He loved everyone unconditionally. He loved Motown, working out and Italian food, but most of all he loved his family.”

In 2021, Margaret opened up about her family — which largely came from her marriage to Jan. As she prepared to release her memoir,Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget: How to Survive in Business and Life, Margaret shared details about her children — three step children from her marriage to Jan, as well as one biological son — that weren’t previously public knowledge.

“I had a 20-year marriage to my first husband, I have a natural-born son people don’t know about,” she said in a conversation onThe Wendy Williams Show. “Everybody always thought I never had children but I have my own son.”

In 2018, she also opened up to PEOPLE about why shetook full custodyof Jan’s three children. “They needed someone to love them and I was completely obsessed with them,” Margaret said of the kids, who are now in their 40s. “And then we had my son and they were my entire life.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Margaret became estranged from her three step children when she divorced Jan and married Joe Benigno.

source: people.com