Since the premiere of Real Housewives of Rhode Island, it’s been clear that Ashley Iaconetti is an outsider. The Bachelor alum isn’t from Rhode Island, but moved there with her husband Jared Haibon, who opened a coffee shop in his home state. Ashley herself admitted the cast was skeptical of her from the start. That’s somewhat expected, considering she only knew Rosie DiMare before the show, while the rest of the cast is so deeply connected.
But it seems that skepticism never wavered. Because recently, Ashley’s fellow Real Housewives of Rhode Island started calling her out. What are her co-stars gripes with Ashley, and how might this affect her future on RHORI?
Dolores Catania and Liz McGraw shaded Ashley Iaconetti
At a Page Six Virtual Reali-Tea event, Liz McGraw and Dolores Catania both threw some shade at Ashley. Liz called Ashley a “confessional warrior” who needs to “bring it in both places.” She elaborated that Ashley “does really well in her confessionals, and that’s something that didn’t show up in the scenes. Just saying.” Dolores gushed that Ashley was “sweet” and “nice,” but also remarked that she was “very quiet” during filming.
When asked about comments that Ashley doesn’t hang out with the other Rhode Island Housewives, Liz added that she “never personally tried to make plans with” Ashley. That’s not entirely surprising, since the two haven’t meshed well on the show. Liz noticed Ashley avoided eye contact with her at the premiere party, while Ashley admitted she finds Liz intimidating.
However, Liz also admitted Ashley is “a new soul,” adding, “There’s nothing wrong with that. She can’t necessarily relate to us who have real deep-seated sh*t.”
Kelsey Swanson called out Ashley for ignoring the RHORI cast off camera
Liz and Dolores’ shade came after Kelsey Swanson called out Ashley in an interview with Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast. The former Miss Rhode Island accused Ashley of never making the effort to hang out with her castmates off camera. She remarked that Ashley seems to think of RHORI as just a job, whereas the rest of the ladies hang out all the time.
Kelsey also said that she’s reached out over Instagram and responded to Ashley’s IG stories, to no response. As we know from her feud with Rosie, Kelsey takes Instagram interactions very seriously!
Kelsey also shaded Ashley as a yes man for Rosie. The divide between Rosie, Ashley and the rest of the cast is more and more apparent with every episode. But Kelsey didn’t seem too confident that Ashley hangs out with Rosie much off camera either. Ultimately, Kelsey advised Ashley to “spread her wings a little bit” and reach out to more of the cast.
Is Ashley’s outsider status a good or bad thing for RHORI?
As Liz referenced, most of the RHORI cast members have deep roots with one another. Some have known each other since childhood. While Rosie has only been friends with the group for a few years, she’s still very involved in the drama, and there are multiple rumors about her throughout the state.
But Ashley doesn’t just stick out because she’s new to the Ocean State. She’s also the straight man. Which might seem odd since she’s famous for crying on TV, and her relationship with Jared was a years-long saga spanning multiple Bachelor spin-offs. But while the other Housewives have bombastic storylines like cheating scandals and arrests, Ashley’s is that Jared works at his struggling coffee shop too much. It’s jarring to see the others bare their souls while Ashley cried about … not having a sob story.
However, it can be argued that Ashley plays an essential role on RHORI. To start, her Bachelor fame and millions of followers surely boosted ratings. She’s also an audience proxy and gateway to the eccentric world of RHORI and its cast’s deep history. A relatable audience surrogate is crucial to introduce viewers to new Real Housewives franchises.
But one of the reasons RHORI is a breath of fresh air for Housewives fans is that it feels like a real group of friends, rather than a cast cobbled together. So, for future seasons, Ashley might want to make an effort with her co-stars- and maybe have a more dramatic storyline.
Real Housewives of Rhode Island airs Sundays on Bravo. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF RHODE ISLAND CAST’S COMMENTS ABOUT ASHLEY? DO YOU THINK ASHLEY IS A GOOD FIT FOR RHORI?
