Since its inception the Real Housewives franchise has become a bonafide sensation on Bravo and for those with a Peacock subscription. The property has some of the best reality shows, including the Real Housewives of New Jersey. But it turns out that fan favorite star Dolores Catania’s home was broken into recently, and the intruder came with a blow torch. Let’s break down this crazy story.
Catania is a fan favorite on RHONJ, and recently made headlines for winning The Traitors Season 3. While she’s used to dealing with treachery thanks to that beloved competition series, things got very real when her home was broken into. Luckily she wasn’t there, as she was out of town with her boyfriend Paulie Connell. While speaking to Jeff Lewis on Sirius XM, Dolores shared the wild story of someone entering her home. In her words:
My phone was going off and I saw it was his son. I always answer for the kids, even if I’m in the middle of filming. He goes, ‘Is my dad there? The house just got broken into.’
Talk about a nightmare call. While she was filming for an appearance in upcoming The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Dolores got the call from Paulie’s son about the house. One can only imagine how powerless and panicked the pair was, especially since they were out of state at the time.
While Dolores disappointed me on The Traitors, she’s still one of my favorite characters from RHONJ. Smart money says the fans are going to rally around her as this story about her home invasion gets more legs. She explained how a blowtorch was used to get into her house, revealing:
Apparently, they came in with a blowtorch. They broke the window. They heated it so it wouldn’t set off the alarm. So it shatters without setting off the alarm.
Well, that’s pretty terrifying. While this is a smart way to avoid detection while breaking in, I can’t imagine how terrifying it would have been if Dolores was actually home during this incident. Someone breaking into your home is scary enough, but seeing a stranger wielding a blowtorch would have likely been even more chilling. I’m just glad she and Paulie were out filming an appearance for the new series The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.
While fans are used to seeing the Real Housewives get into arguments on screen, it’s terrifying when their fame puts them in real danger. That includes when RHOBH‘s Dorit Kemsley was robbed at gunpoint a few years ago. Fame can really be a double edged sword, and these stories show the risk that folks take when becoming public figures.
It’s currently unclear if/when RHONJ will finally return after the drama from last season. But fans of the Housewives are eating well, as new episodes are currently airing from Miami, Salt Lake City, Potomac, and Orange County as part of the 2025 TV schedule.