In anticipation of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island series premiere on Thursday, April 2, each ‘Wife exclusively revealed what fans should know about them and their lives.
Hear from cast members Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Ashley Iaconetti, Liz McGraw, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, Kelsey Swanson, and Jo-Ellen Tiberi, along with friend Dolores Catania, below.
Rulla Nehme Pontarelli
Job: Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Manager
Relationship status and family details: Married to husband Brian with two kids, Luca and Laila
What should fans know about you? “I would just say that most people recognize me as Superwoman. I’m the boss mom, the boss babe, the wife, the friend. I somehow just seem to juggle everything — and I don’t pat myself on the back for it — but it seems like the more I have on my plate, the more I accomplish and the more I want to add to my plate. I don’t know why I do that to myself, but it is what it is. And I’m a perfectionist, which is also a blessing and a curse. So I’ve tried to let go on that trait a little bit.”
Who are you closest to in the group? Alicia. “We both have children — she has one, I have two — and they’re a similar age. And she’s very genuine, like I am. We connect on a lot of different levels. We sort of are sympathetic, but we also tell it like it is. We just connected back when we first met, and it’s just easy being around her.”
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? Alicia or Dolores
Did you get advice from any Bravolebs? Dolores. “I love, love, love Dolores. I looked up to her as a mentor, both in Real Housewives and just from her life experience. [Her advice was], ‘Keep your head up. Everything’s gonna be okay. You’re beautiful, you’re successful, you’ve got everything going for you. No matter what happens, keep your head up.'”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “I love glam, so I always like to be in style. I’m very fashion-forward — sometimes a little bit outside the box. I love frill, I love fur, I love diamonds, I love bling, anything premier designer or that will create a reaction, I enjoy wearing.”
Fun fact: Rulla speaks three languages.
Liz McGraw
Job: Owner of The Slater Center, the largest cannabis dispensary in Rhode Island
Relationship status and family details: Married to husband Gerry with three step-kids: Miranda, Briana, and Skyla
Who are you closest to in the group? Dolores and Kelsey. “With Kelsey, it’s funny because the age disparity between she and I is the greatest — I’m the oldest, and she’s the youngest. But she’s super level-headed and reserved, so we kind of balance each other out. She’s got an emotional intelligence, and especially for her age, that’s rare. It’s been nice to have her, and I trust her. We also relate to each other in funny ways — we have a lot of the same quirks, it’s almost uncanny.”
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? Kelsey. “And depending on what I wanted done with that gossip and how far I wanted it to reach, Jo-Ellen would be a close second, because she’d spin it and send it off.”
RELATED: RHORI Season 1 Photos: Get a First Look at the Friendships, Events & Drama to Come (EXCLUSIVE)
Did you get advice from any Bravolebs? Dolores. “It was a dream to have her by my side. I couldn’t imagine anything cooler than to have her here on my home turf with me. Dolores is just an amazing friend. She understands me and I understand her. I trust her with my life.”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “It’s eclectic. It’s an amalgam of all different styles. Sometimes it’s a hit, and sometimes it’s a miss, but I’m always kind of looking to be outside of the box. I think all the girls bring a different aesthetic. I can go anywhere from, like, hippie to Alexander McQueen. I just love fashion. I would love to make my own clothes and have my own clothing line one day.”
Fun fact: Liz met Dolores at a cannabis convention.
Jo-Ellen Tiberi
Job: Aesthetic practice development manager
Relationship status and family details: Married to husband Gary with three kids: 1-year-old Gia, 4-year-old Jolie, and 11-year-old Gian
Who are you closest to in the group? Kelsey, Liz, or Alicia, “depending on the day.”
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? Liz
Who’s the funniest of the group? “Either me or Alicia.”
Did you get advice from any Bravolebs? Dolores. “Having Dolores with me was so helpful. She was so kind, so smart. You could just tell she knew exactly what she was doing. And she would help all the girls.”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “I like very fitted clothes, lots of cleavage, and cutouts. I’m revealing.”
What can you tease about RHORI Season 1? “This season, there’s a lot of people just getting caught in lies and lots of drama, but there’s touching moments, too. There’s definitely some sensitive moments and tears shed. A lot of the cast is really opening up about their lives and opening their hearts to the world. So, you’re in for a treat.”
Kelsey Swanson
Job: Makeup artist
Relationship status: Dating a long-term boyfriend
Who are you closest to in the group? Liz and Jo-Ellen
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? “If I wanted to share gossip or if I wanted to tell somebody gossip, yeah, that’s one thing, but if I wanted to share gossip, that’s another. So I would tell gossip, first to Liz. But if I want it to get out, I’m telling Jo-Ellen first. Jo-Ellen is like TMZ in human form.”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “I would say I’m classy but chic. I dress sexy, but not slutty. Like if I want to have one thing showing, it’s only one. Like if I want a little cleavage, then the rest of my body is kind of covered.”
What can you tease about RHORI Season 1? “My dynamic with Rosie goes only down for pretty much the entire season. We’ve not really gotten along that well. Jo-Ellen and Rulla kind of go at it a little bit, and Liz kind of goes at it with a few people. I feel like we all kind of get on each other’s nerves in a way, but we snap back relatively quickly and get over things pretty quick.”
Fun fact: Kelsey was crowned Miss Rhode Island in 2017. “It’s iconic. It gives me credibility in Rhode Island, but it’s more of a title that I really wear proudly still. It was one of my greatest accomplishments in life.”
Ashley Iaconetti
Job: Social media influencer, podcast host, TV personality, and co-owner of Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge
Relationship status: Married to husband Jared with two kids: 4-year-old Dawson and 1-year-old Hayden
Who are you closest to in the group? Rosie. “We hit it off immediately. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can blabber on with this girl for hours.'”
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? Rosie
Who’s the funniest of the group? “I think in confessionals, I might be giving some good funnies. Overall, there’s a tie between Alicia, who’s unintentionally hilarious — like, she is going to be the one that gets the most laughs from people on TV — and me. I will be the girl that people will enjoy the interviews for, I think. And then Rosie will probably be the most sassy-funny in interviews, and I think people will find humor in her, too. I really think there’s humor in everyone, to be honest.”
Did you get advice from any Bravolebs? Dolores. “It was nice to have Dolores as somebody who has been through it for so long. She was very grounding and she gave a lot of advice.”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “I am a pretty normal style girl. I love hair and makeup, but I can really only do my own makeup, not my own hair. And normally, I’m home in oversized sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, but when I have to get dressed up, I love to dress up. It’s either all or nothing.”
Fun fact: Ashley has starred on three different iterations of The Bachelor, one of which is where she met her husband. “On The Bachelor, I think you’re just nervous about different things. On RHORI, you’re nervous about ruffling anybody’s feathers, whereas on a dating show, you’re nervous about embarrassing yourself in front of your crush.”
Rosie DiMare
Job: TV host and DJ
Relationship status: Married to husband Rich
Who are you closest to in the group? Alicia and Ashley
What can you tease about RHORI Season 1? “Rhode Island is one of the most beautiful places — especially in the summer — but the people here are crazy. I mean, I grew up like ten minutes from the border, and I even lived in Providence as a little kid, but I spent most of my time in Massachusetts growing up, and you would think that I’m from another planet. Like, ‘Welcome to Rhode Island, bitch’ will be something you hear on the show, as if I just moved here when I’ve been here for 10 years and I grew up 10 minutes from the border.”
Fun fact: Rosie spent over a decade working in local news. “I worked all over the country. So I was in Idaho. I was in Indiana. I’ve been in North Carolina. I’ve dabbled just about everywhere, because that’s how you move your way up in local news. But when I got the opportunity to work in Rhode Island, I jumped on it. Then, after Covid, I transitioned into more lifestyle entertainment. I switched, and I was one of the main four faces on the number one station in Rhode Island.”
Alicia Carmody
Job: Owner of Pizza Mamma
Relationship status: Engaged to fiancé Billy and mom to daughter Celina
What should fans know about you? “I am very Rhode Island. We love to be close to our family. I have the same group of friends since I was in preschool. I’ll go to the same Starbucks every day. I know everybody in the neighborhood. And I’m never leaving.”
Who are you closest to in the group? Rosie, Jo-Ellen, and Rulla
Who would you reach out to first with new gossip? Rosie or Jo-Ellen
RELATED: Where to Watch the RHORI: All the Details on Bravo’s Electrifying New Real Housewives Series
Who’s the funniest of the group? “Probably Jo-Ellen.”
Did you get advice from any Bravolebs? Dolores. “She [gave advice] about my relationship and the show. I feel like anything I would say, she would give advice. She’s very in tune.”
How would you describe your fashion sense? “I think my sense of style is more city, I’m definitely not coastal.”
Fun fact: Alicia has been engaged for over eight years. “I’m still not married, but he’s the best guy in the world.”
Dolores Catania
Job: Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Chief of Confidence at Renuvion
Relationship status and family details: Engaged to fiancé Paul “Paulie” Connell and mom to two adult children she shares with ex-husband Frank Catania
Who are you closest to in the group? Liz. “Me and Liz became friends a few years ago. And we got very close, very fast. But because we have a lot of similarities, there is a certain loyalty I see in Liz that I really appreciate.”
What advice did you give the RHORI cast? “You’re putting your life out there. You don’t know what to expect. You don’t know what’s coming. There’s a lot of self-doubt. You have to be thick-skinned. Don’t look at social media. Don’t respond to negativity. Don’t give it light. And try as hard as you can not to get into the habit of reading every bad thing.”
What can you tease about RHORI Season 1? “Everyone should know that Rhode Island is, if I could say anything, very relatable. The cast is relatable, and I think that was a love that people also had for Jersey.”
Get even more details on the RHORI cast’s careers here.
