‘RHORI’ Stars Break Down Trailer’s Affair Drama, Feuds & More

Bravo fans, get ready for your new Real Housewives obsession. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premieres on Thursday, April 2, and the trailer is already filled with so many juicy tidbits, including rumors of an affair, cast feuds, and more.

We caught up with three of the show’s stars, Jo-Ellen Tiberi, Kelsey Swanson, and Rosie DiMare, to break it all down. One of the first bombshells in the trailer is when Kelsey tells Jo-Ellen, “I think you had sex with my ex on a boat,” and Jo-Ellen replies, “I think we had sex on land.”

So, what happened there? “I met Kelsey’s ex probably when I was 19, 20,” Jo-Ellen tells TV Insider. “He’s a really, really great guy, super nice, kind, caring. He’s fun. He’s so much fun. I ended up dating his brother, actually, after. Kelsey’s ex is awesome. We never overlapped. Kelsey was probably in middle school when this happened. She’s a lot younger than me. He’s a good guy.”

The moment that took the trailer by storm, though, were the accusations that Rulla Nehme Pontarelli’s husband was having an affair. “I want you to know that it’s happening currently,” Jo-Ellen warns Rulla in the preview. In another scene, Rulla complains, “This petty f**king s**t is trying everything to put stuff out there as if my husband’s involved or still involved, and that’s not the case.” Liz McGraw tells her, “But it is…”

Jo-Ellen admits that it’s an “uncomfortable situation” between her and Rulla. “A lot of times when somebody’s coming at you with something you don’t want to believe or get very defensive over, I think she more or less would take it out on me,” she explains. “Don’t shoot the messenger when there’s case numbers online where you can look this up for receipts.”

Before filming even began, Jo-Ellen told Rulla what she knew about her husband’s alleged affair, which she says she found out about because the “mistress” posted with Rulla’s husband on Instagram. “Prior to filming, Rulla knew about the affair,” she confirms. “During filming, I think it was important that she knew what was happening in her marriage. It’s a very difficult thing for her and I completely understand that and have a ton of sympathy and empathy for that, but it’s hard when you’re living in denial and putting it more on other people instead of going back to your husband and talking to him about it.”

 

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Meanwhile, Rosie, who says she got close with Rulla during filming, teases that “things happen where I do actually step up for Rulla [against the other women].”

Kelsey’s relationship status also comes up in the trailer, as she mentions “the two people in my life,” prompting Rosie to wonder, “Now you’re saying that you DO have two boyfriends. Like, what?” Kelsey insists that she is not a polygamist, telling TV Insider, “I feel like that’s such a dramatic term for my relationship. I’m not a polygamist. I think there were times where [my boyfriend and I] had a don’t ask, don’t tell, relationship. I let him do what he wanted and he pretended he didn’t know what I was doing. It was a weird dynamic. Polyamorous? Maybe that. We accepted a certain relationship, but not polygamous. We weren’t even married.”

Rosie points out that Kelsey was “very open about” her relationship with an older man. “She’s calling herself a lady of leisure and saying she has an unorthodox relationship. It wasn’t something that was a secret in Rhode Island, so hearing it and knowing she talks about it, asking clarifying questions shouldn’t be an issue,” the former news reporter explains. “I’m just curious about the dynamic, we’re hearing whispers about other people in her life. How does this work?”

One of the more emotional moments was a conversation between Jo-Ellen and her mother, as they rehashed old wounds from the former’s childhood.

“I think my mom and I definitely got to a better place. It’s not there yet,” Jo-Ellen tells us. “I think it takes time to repair some of the damage that’s been done throughout my adolescent years. It’s something I can’t hold back. It’s part of me and shapes who I am. The reason I call people out is because I’m used to calling her out on her lies in my childhood, and some of the reason there might be other issues is because I’m looking for acceptance. I didn’t think I had that with my mom growing up. A lot of the trauma I had as a teenager and a kid came out in the show. I think it explained a little nicer why I am the way I am and why I feel the need for acceptance and why I need the truth.”

Finally, the trailer concludes with an explosive scene between Kelsey and Rosie. “What have I done to you? You’re literally f**king no one!” Rosie screams in Kelsey’s face, before kicking her out of her home.

“[Our issues] started before filming,” Kelsey confirms. “I’m a very good judge of character. I’m very intuitive. Even before I met her, I was like, yeah, this girl’s not my cup of tea. We all kind of felt that way. Then you meet her and it’s even worse. We don’t jive together at all. I think for whatever reason there’s an intimidation factor going on. I’m the youngest in the cast and she’s definitely the most immature in the cast and very childish. The two of us just don’t get along for a lot of reasons. She’s not my kind of girl and she probably feels the same and I could care less. You’ll see how it plays out. It’s for good reasons.”

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'Real Housewives of Rhode Island' Cast: Ages, Jobs, Relationship Status, More

For her part, Rosie says the tension was building up throughout the season and adds, “I can’t really tell you much, but I can’t wait for you guys to see it. It doesn’t get better from there. In my opinion, it was a well-deserved blowup. Everyone’s going to have their own opinion and that’s fine, but it’s more of the same. How much longer can you expect me to try?”

The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Series Premiere, Thursday, April 2, 9/8c, Bravo