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Credit: Roger Wong/INSTARimages, Eugene Gologursky/Bravo
Dolores Catania believes that Bravo might be upset with her and her Real Housewives of New Jersey co-stars, including Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, Danielle Cabral, and Rachel Fuda, after a “toxic” 14th season left them divided.
As she looked ahead to her debut in season three of The Traitors, shared her Dancing with the Stars aspirations, and offered an update on her son, Frankie Catania Jr., Dolores, 54, explained her thoughts on the potential recasting of RHONJ, which also includes “friends” Jackie Goldschneider, 48, and Jennifer Fessler, 56, and revealed who she’d like to return.
“We have heard nothing from the bosses about our show. Nothing. Nothing from production nothing from NBC, we’re not even talking about it,” Dolores told The U.S. Sun on December 30. “They’re probably just so mad at us by now, I’m not sure they know what to do.”
According to Dolores, the “fighting got out of hand” between the ladies on season 14.
“A lot of things leaked, a lot of things [came out] on social media that shouldn’t have been, a lot of fighting outside [the show]. It just got too messy,” she explained.
That said, Dolores doesn’t believe Bravo will get rid of the entire cast and opt for a new group for season 15.
“I don’t think they want to revamp the whole cast,” she shared. “We’re an ensemble cast. Like us or hate us, like one person, love the next, hate the next, we worked good together on our best of days and on our worst of days. [And] I would hate to see anybody not come back … I would like to see my whole cast come back.”
As for where her relationships with the cast stand currently, Dolores said “everything is pretty good.”
“I was out to eat with Jennifer and [Bill Aydin] last week. I was in Miami and [Joe Gorga] and Melissa were there. Margaret called me on my way here. Jenn Fessler I speak to regularly. I speak to literally everybody. Rachel Fuda has a baby shower coming up, I’ll be there,” she shared.
If RHONJ does come to an end for Dolores, she said she’ll “be okay.”
“There is an expiration date on everything in life. I set myself up every year to say, ‘I’m not coming back,’ even if I was in the middle of the picture,” she explained. “I’m a realistic pessimist. I always prepared myself for this day. Financially too.”
For now, Dolores is working on a beauty product and searching for a homeopathic way to help with symptoms of menopause as she prepares for The Traitors season three, which premiered on Peacock on January 9.
“It was like a breath of fresh air. As hard as Traitors is and as in-depth as it is, you mentally get into the game, it was a nice break,” she reasoned. “[Fans] will not be disappointed.”
Dolores is also eyeing a role on an upcoming season of DWTS.
“I watch Dancing with the Stars all the time. I’m pretty obsessed with it and I think it’s a great workout,” she shared.
During another interview this week, Dolores confirmed Frank Jr. moved out of her home in November.
“Frankie moved in with his girlfriend,” Dolores explained to The Daily Dish on December 30. “So now Gabby lives there with her six dogs and herself.”
Although Dolores didn’t name Frank Jr.’s girlfriend by name, she said she was an injector who goes by the name of the Lip Boss of New Jersey on Instagram and revealed she’s met her family.
“We met the family in Portugal. Her family’s beautiful,” she noted. “She’s the nicest girl. She gets along with Gabby so well.”
As for how Gabby is doing now that she has Dolores’ home to herself, Dolores said she’s enjoying her privacy before admitting that she doesn’t get to see Frank Jr. as much as she once did.
“I’m like, a desperate girlfriend,” Dolores explained. “I’m like, please come home.”
“Like, if he calls, I trip over the phone to get it,” she continued. “If you saw our texts, they’re so weird. But both of my kids are workaholics, so I don’t see them as much and Gabrielle [who is a practicing veterinarian] is working seven days a week. She’s getting better and better at what she’s doing because she does a lot of surgeries, she loves surgery. And she just got an award the other day for all her work with rescues.”
Regarding her own living arrangement, Dolores said she’s still living with her boyfriend, Paul “Paulie” Connell, and hoping for an upgrade.
“I’ve complained about this house a few times,” she revealed. “I’m like, the floors and the this, and the that, and there’s no parking when I wanna invite people over. He goes, ‘When I built this house, I didn’t plan on having a girlfriend, OK?’”
