Dolores Catania has a new love, and they are now Instagram official.
Viewers have watched the ups and downs of her love life on Real Housewives of New Jersey, including her strong bond with ex-husband Frank.
It has been speculated for months that Dolores ended her relationship with Dr. David Principe, and possibly moved onto a new beau. Friends confirmed in December that she was in a relationship and was very happy. On Valentine’s Day, she happily posted that she had found “real love”.
Who is Dolores’ new love and will viewers see him on RHONJ?
After ending a four year relationship with Dr. David, the Jersey girl has moved on with Paul “Paulie” Connell. In December, Dolores’ close friend told PageSix, “They’re very happy together. He’s a really nice guy. It’s pretty new, but you can tell that they make a great match.” He added, “I couldn’t be happier for her. She deserves the best.”
Dolores met Paulie through a mutual friend, and they have been inseparable since. They vacationed together in St. Martin, and she gave her followers the first glimpse of her new love in an Instagram story, where she called him her favorite lifeguard.
On February 1, Teresa Giudice confirmed Dolores’ relationship on What Would Happen Live, saying that she and Louis were planning a double date with the new couple.
Cut to Valentine’s Day, Dolores surprises the fans with a sweet pic of her and Paulie, with the caption “Oh [it] looks like he found ‘ real love ‘ together is better always” and told her followers to “stay tuned.” Dolores also teased her fans by tagging the location as a “secret venue.”
The next day, Dolores posted a second photo of the couple to her Instagram Story, showing the two holding shotguns. Paulie shared a video of the couple practicing their shots on his own Instagram.
What happened between Dolores and David?
On this weeks’ episode, Dolores revealed that she and David had ended their four year relationship, to the shock of her castmates.
Dolores has spent her time on RHONJ with David, and each season showed the strain that David’s job as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist had on the couple. He was dedicated to his job, which was caring for high-risk pregnancies, and that left little time for love.
Dolores’ decision to have multiple plastic surgeries also led to tension between them, as she did not share with David that she was even undergoing the procedures. After years of waiting for a formal commitment from David, Dolores decided it was time to move on.
Dolores still remains best friends with Frank Catania, and they share two adult children, Gabby and Frankie.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.