"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dolores Catania recently opened up about her relationships with her cast members and the future of the New Jersey franchise.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, at the launch party for her BELLA Around Town Magazine cover at Avenue in Long Branch, New Jersey, Catania admitted "it's not easy behind the scenes," when it comes to balancing the shifting relationship dynamics among cast members, specifically between Teresa Giudice and her brother Joe Gorga.
"I was there when she loved her brother, and they loved each other as a brother and a sister, and they were inseparable. And that's the way I'll always remember them," Catania told Fox News Digital. "On the other side of that, nobody tells me who to be friends with either. I don't take sides with family or friends."
The reality star explained that while it isn't easy, her long history with the family has given her "diplomatic immunity," allowing her to remain friends with everyone involved.
'RHONJ' STARS MELISSA, JOE GORGA DISCUSS SKIPPING TERESA GIUDICE-LUIS RUELAS WEDDING
While things have been bad between the siblings in the past, the situation reached a boiling point at the end of season 13 when Melissa Gorga accused Giudice of setting things up behind the scenes to ensure rumors of Melissa cheating on Joe are talked about on camera. This resulted in a blowout fight, during which decades worth of pent-up frustration was unleashed, leading Melissa and Joe to skip Giudice's wedding.
When it comes to dealing with the stress behind the scenes, Catania says she reminds herself "you have to stand true" and "you have to stay strong."
"A lot of people say things when they're mad, and you have to let it roll off your back," Catania explained. "If a friend of mine, who I love, is mad at me, I have to see where it's coming from, and if they're no good, then I'll know that too. But people you care about, you have to let vent on you sometimes."
She also credits her upbringing for shaping the woman she is today. Catania shared growing up in Paterson, New Jersey with a father who is a Marine ("once a Marine, always a Marine", Catania says), and serving as the police chief, "humbles you."
"I feel like, had I not grown up with my dad being so tough, and in the area that I did, and the things I had to do coming up, I don't know that I could have made it through some things. Little things don't bother you," Catania said. "I work with a lot of domestic violence shelters, I work with a lot of kids in the inner city, and you realize what's so important, and it's not a lot of the things that we fight about."
While Catania told Fox News Digital "Real Housewives of New Jersey" is "allegedly" returning, she doesn't know when filming is set to begin, saying this was the first summer in six years she hasn't been busy with filming the show.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
The show has been on a filming hiatus since wrapping its 13th season in August 2022, with the last episode focusing on Giudice's wedding to Luis Ruelas, and the filming of the reunion taking place in April 2023. She revealed, not only does she not know when filming starts, she also doesn't know which cast members will come back, saying they haven't even gotten to the point of discussing contracts.
"Nothing's for sure yet," Catania said. "I don't take one day of this for granted, and until I'm in front of that camera, I don't know if I'm back, and none of us do."
Aside from the cast, one person who is ready to get back to filming is Catania's father, who she says "loves to film," and wants her to let production know his "schedule is free."
The time off from filming, has given Catania the opportunity to pursue projects outside the reality TV world, including posing as the cover girl for BELLA Around Town Magazine.
"Bella has asked me in the past to be a part of it, but I just didn't have the time because of filming. This is the first summer I'm not filming in six years, and I was able to do it. I'm so excited," she said. "I love the magazine, I love what it stands for, it's just really nice. Bella fits. They're beautiful on the inside and out. They really are. All the girls that I've met, wonderful."
