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Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Ashley Iaconetti is confident that her marriage to husband Jared Haibon won’t be impacted by her role on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.
Ahead of the series’ debut later this week, the 38-year-old Bachelor alum explained why she and Jared, 37, weren’t worried about the Real Housewives curse, as she also spoke of their struggling café, revealed how RHORI is different from the Bachelor franchise, and admitted to being “guarded” amid filming on season one.
“I know that since we’ve been through the spotlight together, that neither of us are going to feel affected by it,” Ashley told Us Weekly on March 25. “We have been under the spotlight together. This isn’t going to be a new thing … I just think that’s nice that we’re not gonna have a new thing thrown at our relationship.”
Both having been a part of Bachelor Nation, Ashley noted that she and Jared, who wed in August 2019 and share two sons, Dawson, 4, and Hayden, 20 months, have already been faced with the “struggles” that come with putting a public spotlight on their relationship.
“We, honestly, know how to navigate it pretty well. It’s our foundation,” she explained. “I would say we, kind of, know how this is gonna go. We know we have our priorities in line, for sure … We’re very grateful for having previous experience when jumping into this. I cannot imagine starting to get a spotlight on me in my late 30s.”
In addition to showcasing her marriage on RHORI, Ashley said she and Jared would openly discuss the finances of their business, Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge.
“It’s our real life. Audrey’s, ever since it opened, it’s been such a work of love for Jared and so many hours get put into that place,” she shared. “It’s always a debate on whether it’s worth keeping because it’s really about his happiness.”
After Ashley admitted that appearing on the show was “too good of an opportunity” to pass up, her co-star, Jo-Ellen Tiberi, revealed that she spoke to husband Gary Tiberi before joining the cast.
“Gary and I talked a lot about our family. That’s our No. 1 focus,” she revealed.
According to Jo-Allen, her “biggest concern” was with their 11-year-old son and “if anyone was going to tease him.”
“I want to protect my kids. That was probably our biggest thing,” said Jo-Ellen, who is also mom to a four-year-old and an 18-month-old. “Gary and I have known each other since we were in high school. We know everything about each other. He knows the good, he knows the bad. I do, too. So if my husband loves me and my friends, it’s not going to change anything.”
Rosie DiMare weighed in as well, confessing that she should have spoken to husband Rich DiMare before filming began.
“We didn’t have any boundaries going into it, and I kind of wish that we had,” she stated. “We should probably talk about that if we’re going to do [another] season.”
Meanwhile, in a second interview, Ashley noted that RHORI was much more intense than The Bachelor.
“I kind of felt like I’ve been around conflict on screen before, but I truly haven’t,” Ashley told Parade on March 26. “It was so much more dramatic than Bachelor … We might have disagreements… but normally the fights are like talking. We don’t like curse out each other.”
Reflecting on one particular incident between Jo-Ellen and Rosie, Ashley recalled telling herself, “You’re not involved, so don’t get involved.”
Overall, Ashley said she went into the show with her guard up, which made her concerned that she’d been “too careful” about how she’d look on the show.
“I went in with so much… education on it that I may have even been a little guarded,” she said.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island season one premieres on Thursday, April 2, at 9/8c on Bravo, before moving to Sunday nights at the same time on April 5.
