Rulla Pontarelli is revisiting a storyline that already played out on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.” After the accusation that she and her husband, Brian Pontarelli, tried to get Jo-Ellen Tiberi fired was addressed on the show, Rulla is now offering more context in a new interview — and appearing to walk back how the situation has been portrayed.
Rulla Pontarelli Tries to Walk Back Job Allegations
Speaking to Us Weekly, Rulla denied that she or Brian ever attempted to have Jo-Ellen fired.
“Neither my husband nor I tried getting Jo-Ellen fired from her job. Allow me to set the record straight once and for all,” she said.
Rulla explained that Brian’s connection to Jo-Ellen’s former boss led to a conversation that later became part of the storyline.
“My husband has known Jo-Ellen’s now-former boss. He had known him for over 20 years. They were friendly. We have the product that she represents, the laser, in [our] med spa,” she said.
She said the discussion came up casually while filming.
“Long story short, [her boss] was on the phone one day, and they knew that we were [filming RHORI] together, and [the boss] said, ‘Oh, how’s that going? How’s it going with her and her husband?’” Rulla explained. “And my husband Brian had to say, ‘You know what, now that you ask…’”
Rulla noted she only overheard part of the exchange.
“I only heard my husband’s side, and faintly, but it was something along the lines of, ‘You know, she’s done some things that weren’t very kosher, that weren’t professional. She’s kind of persisting and won’t let up on a certain situation. It’s personal, it’s private,’” she said. “So he didn’t like her conduct.”
She emphasized that the conversation did not escalate into an attempt to have Jo-Ellen fired.
“And so in speaking with the manager, [the manager] suggested that my husband … put in a little inquiry, or a little – I don’t want to call it complaint – commentary about her overall conduct,” she added. “That was it. Not [that] she should be let go. He wasn’t hammering away. I think Brian could have said and done a lot more, and I certainly could have. I had no part in the conversation.”
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Jo-Ellen Tiberi Responds as RHORI Drama Continues
The tension between the two cast members began earlier in the season when Rulla accused Jo-Ellen of sharing photos of Brian with another woman and discussing it publicly. Rulla said that situation happened before the conversation with Jo-Ellen’s boss.
Jo-Ellen addressed the situation separately in an interview with Us Weekly, sharing her perspective.
“What happened to Rulla is really unfortunate. It’s not a secret, I’m not a fan of Rulla’s husband. I don’t think he’s a great person, and I think she is,” Jo-Ellen said. “I think she’s a really smart, brilliant, beautiful woman who doesn’t deserve some of the things that he put her through.”
Rulla questioned Jo-Ellen’s credibility in response.
“I know that if you ask anyone in Rhode Island, those people who actually know maybe Jo-Ellen in her past and her practices and her character, I think they would agree that she’s not the most credible, not the most authentic source,” she said. “When she just continued to kind of push harder and bring more to the group and bring more to the state and the city that she lives in, I just thought to myself, ‘What is her objective here?’”
Rulla also said she did not expect her relationship with Brian to become a major storyline on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.” How she thought that, we’ll never know.
New episodes of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” drop Sundays on Bravo.
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