Who Is Dolores Catania? New Details About The Latest 'Real Housewife Of New Jersey'
Meet the classiest RHONJ.
Instagram Even fans of the Real Housewife franchises will agree: it can be pretty darn hard keeping up with everything going on in the Bravo TV universe! As we know, what actually happens on the shows themselves is only the tip of the iceberg. The real good stuff when it comes to these stars can be found on their social media accounts or in the outrageous quotes they often give to reporters who come to them knowing they're in for the next hot take. Dolores Catania of the Real Housewives of New Jersey may not be the most dramatic wife on a Bravo show, but that doesn't mean she isn't fascinating in her own right! If you don't know Dolores as anything other than a sidekick with zero tolerance for bullshit, I'm pleased to report that she is so much more than that. Let's break it down, who is Dolores Catania and why should we love her?
1. Dolores The Animal Lover
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania was in the news last week and not for the typical housewife-style reason. She didn't flip a table or trash talk someone she didn't know. She didn't even wind up going to jail or launching a line of novelty toaster ovens! Instead, Dolores made headlines for stopping on her way to visit her plastic surgeon to get help for an injured baby bat. Yes, those are words I am writing for my professional job, y'all.
If you know anything about Dolores at all, you'll know that this isn't surprising. Dolores has always been open about her passionate love for animals, and unlike other Housewives who use their social media fame to promote their selfies or their shoe collection, Dolores often uses it to promote pet adoption and rescue. Running late to for her latest nip and tuck because a bat needed saving? That's classic Dolores.
2. "Paterson Dolores"
All of the various cast members on The Real Housewives franchises have pretty interesting back stories, but I would argue that almost none are more interesting than Dolores'. (We are not counting Danielle Staub because who can compete with that hot mess, I'm sorry, but it's true.) Dolores may be a total class act and a truly stunning broad to boot, but she's also not above taking out her earrings and getting into it. While many people know that Dolores has been close friends with housewife Teresa Giudice since their high school days, what some folks might miss about Dolores is that before she hit the big time she worked as a correctional officer at a women's prison! She's got zero qualms about getting tough when she has to, and when this happens, she calls it going "Paterson Dolores" AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
3. Dolores and Frank
Another thing about Dolores that is often a topic for discussion for fans of the show, and for her owns friends, honestly, is her intense relationship with her ex-husband Frank Catania. Not only are she and her ex Frank, who she divorced for cheating, still very close, but they actually live together as roommates! What's more, Dolores and Frank have started working together flipping houses. Frank has expressed his concern that he may be holding Dolores back, but Frank living at home hasn't actually kept her from getting serious with her boyfriend, David Principe. Though she's been relatively private about their relationship, they were photographed on the red carpet just four days ago. Things are clearly going well for these two.
4. Dolores and Fitness
When she isn't flipping houses or helping injured animals in need, Dolores has another passion that she's also turned into a profit-earning venture: physical fitness. Dolores has opened a gym with a partner and loves the idea of taking something like working out and making it something she can also do professionally. Dolores does not exactly consider herself very athletic, but the truth couldn't be further from that. She holds her place in the family fitness ranking as being "low", but that's only when compared to her husband, Frank, who competed for Mr. Universe, and for their son, Frank Jr., who played high school football and is now following in his father's footsteps.
5. Dolores' Latest Feud
You practically can't be featured on The Real Housewives unless you are engaged in some sort of epic drama with another Bravo-celebrity, ideally another Housewife. While Dolores has certainly brawled in the past with the likes of Danielle Staub, nowadays her biggest Bravo feud is actually with a housewife from an entirely different franchise! Ramona Singer of The Real Housewives of New York. “She’s [a] disgusting human being,” Dolores said in response to an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen where Ramona dissed and dismissed Dolores' ex, Frank. “I don’t want to know her. I never want to be in her company. She is not for me, disgusting human being… She’s a horrible human.”
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.