It’s all love between exes Dolores Catania and Frank Catania, so much so that she wants a wedding invitation.
“We’ll go — definitely,” the Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly at BravoCon on Friday, November 3.
Frank, 58, announced late last month that he proposed to girlfriend Brittany Mattessich nearly one year after they took their on-off romance public.
“I’m so excited. Frank’s a part of the family and it’s like you’re happy for someone who’s a part of your family to find the right person,” Dolores told Us while attending the three-day convention with boyfriend Paulie Connell. “And he’s happy, she’s excited and I just wish them the best.”
Paulie, 48, also noted that he is expecting more than just a ceremony invite. “I [want] to be his best man,” he quipped on the Sin City red carpet.
Dolores and Frank were married from 1994 to 1998 and share children Gabby, 28, and Frankie, 25. They’ve since maintained an amicable coparenting relationship, even living together post-divorce. (Their friendly dynamic even caused friction with Paulie, who was caught off guard, before the men eventually found common ground.)
“It’s nice to have. It’s nice for the kids and it’s all about this stage in your life, having peace in your life,” Dolores gushed to Us. “Everything should be easy. There’s no reason to fight. There’s a lot bigger things in this world.”
Us broke the news in December 2021 that Dolores had found love with Paulie, two months before they made their social media debut as a couple.
“I don’t wanna put him on [the show]. Absolutely not. But I know what I signed up for and [him] being such a part of my life — he wasn’t somebody who I go out to dinner with once in a while. You know, he’s not just a friend. He’s a part of my life now,” she previously told Us in February. “I’m nervous for him because this is a big deal to people.”
Dolores continued at the time: “You know, Paul’s a very successful electrical contractor in the city … and he’s done so well, and he came to this country alone [from Ireland] in his 20s. And he just, like, took over so much and then I’m like, ‘You may have done that, you have may have left your whole family behind in another country and came here and become this huge success in one of the greatest places in the world, but I’m going to tell you, I don’t know that you’re prepared for this.’”
Paulie made his RHONJ debut on season 13, which aired earlier this year. Since then, the pair’s romance has continued to heat up.
“We’re doing really good — not just good, [but] really good,” Paulie gushed on Friday, teasing that a potential engagement is still a topic of conversation.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
