The Real Housewives of Rhode Island might be heading to Bravo sooner than Us expected.
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania‘s boyfriend, Paulie Connell, shared an update via Instagram on Monday, September 15, alongside several snaps from the pair’s summer in Rhode Island, hinting that filming on the anticipated series has wrapped.
“And that’s a wrap 🎬 Rhode Island…..” he wrote in the caption. “Oh did we have a blast, so so impressed tbh, you have earned a special place in our hearts 💞 great people along with great food and so much Fun, RI you are in for a treat, Jersey Style ! Stay tuned 🙂↔️😜.”
Dolores, 54, added to the excitement in the comments section. “Best summer everrr so sad to leave 😢😢❤️,” she wrote. “❤️❤️❤️stay tuned.”
Bravo officially announced the Rhode Island franchise in May.
“Set against the shores of the Ocean State, The Real Housewives franchise expands into the world of a tight-knit circle of Rhode Islanders who have deep community roots and families that go back generations,” a synopsis reads. “With aspirational lives, thriving businesses and tangled family dynamics, these decade-long friendships prove that in a state this small, there’s no escaping your past … or each other.”
While specifics about the cast and premiere date have not been announced, Andy Cohen teased that fans can expect to see a similar energy to early seasons of RHONJ, which has been on hiatus since season 14 ended last year.
“[The Rhode Island cast] are very Italian,” he told Page Six in May. “Rhode Island is such a small state, and they all kind of know each other and overlap, and it’s an incredible group of women who have really interesting connections. I think it’s going to really surprise people.”
As questions continue to swirl about the future of RHONJ — Luxury Handbag Shopping exclusively revealed this month that “potential new cast members” have “test-filmed” with Dolores, among other longtime stars — Dolores was rumored to be joining the RHORI world.
She previously broke down her connection to the new series in an exclusive interview with Us, revealing she first visited Rhode Island when she was 18.
“It was my first time experiencing anything [outside] of New Jersey. It was insane,” she told Us in July, remembering the “really strong Italian community” she experienced in the Ocean State. “They paint the streets with the Italian flag there.”
The “Italian presence” surprised Dolores, who had different ideas in her head of what Rhode Island was like. “When I first went there, I thought it was like Martha’s Vineyard,” she said. “Everybody was very blonde and everybody was [in] their sweaters and everything was very preppy to me.”
For those hoping to see more of Dolores and her fellow Jersey girls, Cohen shared a promising update on Watch What Happens Live last month. “We’re close,” he teased.
