Being a “friend of” on a Housewives franchise can go either way—and for Dolores Catania, it sounds like her experience on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” leaned more toward the sidelines.
During a recent episode of the podcast “Two Ts in a Pod,” Dolores shared that she wasn’t invited to key moments during season 1, including the reunion and a major cast trip to Newport.
Dolores Catania Says RHORI Kept Her ‘On the Bench’
Dolores explained that she didn’t expect the show to become such a success, partly because of how little she was included during filming.
“I was bitter because when I got there, they didn’t let me film and be involved as much,” Dolores said. “They kept me on the bench.”
She pointed to the Newport cast trip—featured in episode 6—as a major example. Despite having a real-life connection to Liz McGraw, whose trip it was, Dolores said she wasn’t included.
According to Dolores, the situation didn’t make sense to either of them.
“I called production, and I said, ‘I have a wedding in Ireland—should I go or not?’ And they’re like, ‘Go, because you’re not invited on the trip,’” she recalled.
Dolores then revealed she also wasn’t asked to participate in the reunion.
“And I’m not invited to the reunion,” she added.
She said she never received a clear explanation for her limited involvement during the season.
The RHONJ Star Is Still ‘Proud’ of RHORI Cast
Despite the experience, Dolores said she doesn’t have any hard feelings about how things played out.
She suggested that production decisions may have been tied to other plans, including her return to “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” which is finally coming back after a long pause.
Still, Dolores made it clear she supports the show and its cast.
“They really put it all out there, and that’s just the way it is,” she said, adding that she’s “proud” of the Housewives.
And while missing the reunion was unexpected, she found a silver lining.
Skipping it, she joked, meant one less outfit to worry about.
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” airs Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.
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