“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” now four episodes into its run, proves that even America’s smallest state can generate enormous drama. The series premiered on April 2 on Bravo, marking the franchise’s twelfth installment and its first venture into New England.
Beyond the gossip and conflict, however, this Bravo franchise stands out for uniquely elevating Rhode Island’s coastline, parks, and restaurants, making them central to the show’s narrative.
Meet the Wives
The cast features seven Housewives, each deeply woven into Rhode Island’s tight-knit social fabric, along with one familiar face from the Jersey Shore.
Alicia Carmody lives in Providence and is pushing her way into her fiancé Billy Kitsilis’ popular restaurant, Pizza Mamma, in Cranston. A self-described “flip-flopper” who might curse you one minute and hug you the next, Alicia has been engaged to Billy since 2017. They share a 9-year-old daughter, Celina.
Liz McGraw, the eldest of the group, lives in a waterfront home in Cranston with her husband, Gerry. Together, they own the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center on Corliss Street in Providence, the state’s largest cannabis dispensary. Liz is the self-described queen of the group (and, as she declares, Queen of Weed).
Rosie DiMare, a former WJAR Channel 10 news anchor originally from Massachusetts, lives in North Kingstown with her husband, Rich. She now hosts an online lifestyle show called “Rhode Trippin’” and serves as one half of the show’s most entertaining rivalry.
Ashley Iaconetti is the Housewife newest to Rhode Island. The former “Bachelor in Paradise” star moved to the state with her husband, Jared Haibon, a Warwick native, in 2021. The couple co-owns Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge in South Kingstown.
Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, a certified financial planner and wealth manager, originally from Providence, lives in Lincoln with her husband and two children. Proud of her Lebanese roots, Rulla is also one of the only female boat captains in Rhode Island.
Kelsey Swanson, a former Miss Rhode Island and URI alumna, is a makeup artist and owner of Miss Makeup RI. She has been in a 10-year relationship with an unnamed older man from one of the state’s most prominent families, an arrangement that has raised red flags throughout the group.
Jo-Ellen Tiberi, the self-proclaimed town gossip, lives in Cranston with her high school sweetheart and husband, Gary, and their three children, Gian, Jolie, and Gia. She works as an aesthetic practice development manager.
Rounding out the group is Dolores Catania, whom Bravo fans will recognize from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “The Traitors” Season 3. Dolores appears in a “friend of” role, spending the summer in Rhode Island with close friend Liz. Her fiancé, Paulie Connell, joins her in the Ocean State for the season.
The Story So Far
The 90-minute pilot dropped on a Thursday and wasted no time setting the vibe. The show opened at Alicia’s Providence home, where her six aunts arrived from Cranston and, as expected, complained about the 15-minute drive. All was well once they settled in for meatballs and gravy with some crusty Italian bread.
The show’s narratives then began to stretch out across the state. Liz traveled by dinghy from her Cranston waterfront residence to meet Kelsey at East Greenwich’s Water Street Kitchen and Bar. There, Kelsey confided about her complex relationship: her unnamed boyfriend lives in Miami for half the year with another woman, a situation that, at 31, is beginning to cause Kelsey considerable distress.
At Matunuck Oyster Bar, Jo-Ellen and Gary shared extra dirty martinis and oysters, trading tales, including the one about Jo-Ellen chasing Gary in high school despite her sister’s crush.
The pilot’s centerpiece was Rosie’s beach picnic at Goddard Memorial State Park. Ashley showed up with a bucket of Munchkins from Dunkin’ because, as she put it, nothing warms a Rhode Island crowd quite like Dunkin’.
A game of ‘Never Have I Ever’ quickly spiraled when Kelsey’s love life took center stage, and Rosie and Jo-Ellen clashed hard enough to draw battle lines that may endure for the rest of the season. The episode wrapped at Jo-Ellen’s Fourth of July party at a Portsmouth rental, where Dolores made her first appearance as Liz’s guest.
In the second episode, viewers met Rulla, the seventh wife, when she joined Liz and Kelsey for lunch at Fleur in the Omni Providence Hotel. Wasting no time, she questioned the others’ loyalty to Jo-Ellen and expressed her anger over photos of her husband, Brian, circulating on social media with another woman. Jo-Ellen was the first to see the images and shared them with Liz, who then told Rulla. As a result, Rulla blamed Jo-Ellen for generating divorce rumors.
The group (minus Rulla) then boarded a party bus to Newport Vineyards in Middletown, where Kelsey proposed a game designed to get rumors out into the open, and it worked. Liz was confronted directly by Alicia about the persistent rumors concerning her and Dino, a longtime friend. The question landed like a grenade, and the fallout would carry into the next week.
By the third episode, simmering tensions bubbled to the surface. Ashley and Rosie rehashed the gossip at Rosie’s under-construction North Kingstown home. Liz and Gerry went for a bike ride at Roger Williams Park to discuss their Dino issue. At their first anniversary dinner, Rich brought up having children, but Rosie completely rejected the idea.
Ashley and Jared finally had a much-needed — and very rare — date night at Trattoria Romana South. Unsurprisingly, the conversation quickly turned to their café, which was located just a few feet from their outdoor table. Jared’s mounting stress was evident as he listed numerous broken pieces of equipment and rising expenses. Ashley called the place “a money pit.” In one of the show’s most authentic moments to date, Ashley shared with the camera her sadness over seeing Jared pour his all into the business yet remain unfulfilled.
Kelsey grabbed coffee at Bom Cafe in Providence with Bill L’Europa, “Kelsey’s Other Man.” The two have known each other since seventh grade, and Bill is beloved by her family. Her older boyfriend offers a life of luxury, but refuses to have more children. Bill presents a more traditional option, yet his financial situation cannot sustain the lifestyle to which Kelsey has grown accustomed. At this point, she does not see herself with Bill.
The conflict between Jo-Ellen and Rulla heightened dramatically during Gerry’s Studio 54-themed birthday party. Initially, the couples tried to smooth things over. The true drama, however, erupted after Kelsey brought up Liz’s “ongoing” involvement with Dino. This comment prompted an intoxicated Liz to hop up, run inside the house, and lock herself inside a bedroom.
In the fourth episode, Liz and Dolores burned sage at the table where Jo-Ellen and Rulla had their confrontation, and Liz admitted she came across as a “drunken witch” the night of Gerry’s party. She and Kelsey later reconciled while preparing Gerry’s fishing boat, the Gypsea, for sale.
On the lighter side, Ashley invited the women to her favorite beach — North Kingstown Town Beach — where Alicia showed up with pizza chips and spinach pies. Rosie then hosted the group at Rhode Island Rail Explorers in Portsmouth, where the women pedaled rail bikes along the coast of Aquidneck Island.
Rulla brought a makeshift bar in her bag, pouring and shaking cocktails while her cohorts pedaled. Alicia shared that she hated peddling and preferred instead to work out to “Janes Fonda.”
The harmony quickly dissipated when Rosie repeated Liz’s comments about Ashley, leading to a confrontation between the two. The pair chatted and quickly settled their disagreement.
South County Spotlight
South Kingstown’s Matunuck Oyster Bar, a beloved establishment among locals and tourists, earned significant airtime in the pilot episode. The restaurant, currently operating outdoors across from its original location, is still recovering from a fire in May 2025.
The Wakefield location of Chef Luciano Canova’s acclaimed Italian restaurant group, Trattoria Romana, served as the setting for a sincere and emotionally candid scene in the third episode.
Audrey’s Coffee House and Lounge, named after Ashley’s mother, at South County Commons, has become a recurring set piece. The shop opened in December of 2021 at 60 South County Commons Way, the former home of Brewed Awakenings.
Jared, a Warwick native and a graduate of Rhode Island College, hoped to evoke the atmosphere of TV shows like “Friends” and “Cheers.” Audrey’s serves as a dual-purpose destination where patrons can enjoy lattes in the morning and espresso martinis at night.
Audrey’s has cultivated a dedicated customer base, appealing to both locals — especially URI students — and “Bachelor” fans. On the show, Ashley mentioned that Audrey’s was recognized as the second-most popular celebrity-owned restaurant nationwide, trailing only Jon Bon Jovi’s JBJ Soul Kitchen.
According to the South County Commons website, Audrey’s will be featured throughout the season, and viewers may have already spotted a new signature drink inspired by its on-screen moment: a bold espresso layered with caramel, hazelnut, and chocolate, finished with a creamy caramel cold foam.
North Kingstown Town Beach also made a cameo in the fourth episode, but Ashley’s pick did not impress the others.
What’s Next
Later this season, the wives will retreat to Seaview Terrace, one of Newport’s most historic and privately owned mansions, for a weekend that Bravo promises will rival the Gilded Age.
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Episodes stream the following day on Peacock.