The Real Housewives of Rhode Island: Meet the Ocean State's New Power Players

Bravo finally did the thing: The Real Housewives of Rhode Island is official. Yes, that Rhode Island. Smallest state, big personalities, and apparently an even bigger appetite for summer drama along the New England shoreline.

"They may live in the smallest state in the country, but their drama? Extra large."

Andy Cohen rolled out the news at BravoCon back in November 2025, teasing a first season built around a tight social circle that knows everyone, dates everyone, and definitely gossips about everyone. It also lands right as the Housewives franchise hits the big 2-0 in 2026, which is a very Bravo way to celebrate: add another city and raise the stakes.

So who are we watching?

Season 1 is largely fresh faces, with just one familiar name popping in as a friend-of. Here is the lineup and what you need to know going in:

• Alicia Carmody — Born and raised in Rhode Island and not shy about it. She has been engaged to Billy Kitsilis for eight years and still is in no rush to set a wedding date, even with their daughter, Celina, in the mix. When she is not dodging save-the-dates, she helps Billy run his restaurant, Pizza Mamma, which seems like the perfect place for a blowup and a breadstick.
• Rosie DiMare — Former local TV news anchor who now hosts her own lifestyle show and DJs on the side. She just hit her first wedding anniversary with husband Rich DiMare, a Sinatra-style crooner who feels tailor-made for a swanky dockside party scene.
• Ashley Iaconetti — You know her from Bachelor in Paradise. Now she and husband Jared Haibon are parenting two sons, Dawson and Hayden. Jared runs their coffee shop, while Ashley has built out a legit social media business and is settling into life in his home state. Translation: on-camera caffeine and content galore.
• Liz McGraw — Locals call her Rhode Island royalty; Bravo is leaning into 'Cannabis Queen.' With her husband, Gerry, she owns The Slater Center, which is billed as the largest and most successful cannabis dispensary in the state. She is also a stepmom to Miranda, Briana, and Skyla, and she brings big entrepreneur energy with equally big style choices.
• Rulla Nehme Pontarelli — A Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Manager to some of the East Coast's most notable families. She is married to prominent Rhode Island podiatrist Brian Pontarelli, and they are wrangling two young kids, Luca and Laila. Expect numbers talk, legacy clients, and perfectly scheduled chaos.
• Kelsey Swanson — Former Miss Rhode Island turned in-demand makeup artist. She has been in a 10-year relationship with one of the state's most recognizable figures (Bravo is keeping the name under wraps for now), and she is living the high-gloss, high-society lifestyle that comes with it.
• Jo-Ellen Tiberi — Proudly calls herself the town gossip, which, in Cranston, apparently means she knows everything worth knowing. Professionally, she is one of the country's top aesthetic practice development managers. At home, she and her high school sweetheart, husband Gary, are busy with their three kids: Gian, Jolie, and Gia.
• Also appearing: Dolores Catania (friend of) — A familiar face from The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She has history with Rhode Island, a close friendship with Liz McGraw, and a joint business project brewing there. In other words, she has every reason to spend a sun-soaked summer by the beach stirring a pot or two.

What Bravo is selling here

On paper, the show is a mix of lifers and transplants who all collide in a small, very connected scene: restaurants, dispensaries, media gigs, old-money clients, pageant polish, and a lot of family entanglements. The network is pitching oceanside luxury with a local, tight-knit edge — which usually means receipts are close at hand and so are the people you have to explain them to.