The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania is engaged to boyfriend Paulie Connell after nearly five years together.
“I’m ecstatic!” Catania, 54, gushed to People in an interview published Wednesday, November 12. “You know when you feel that happiness down in your gut? That’s where this excitement stems from for me. I feel so blessed, I almost feel guilty! Like I don’t deserve to be loved this way.”
Connell, for his part, said Catania deserves “so much more” than she thinks. “She’s an incredible woman,” he added. “And when I was proposing to her, I was able to articulate to her everything I see that she is, and everything I see that she does, and the impact she has on everybody around her. She’s one in a million.”
The 51-year-old got down on one knee on Monday, November 10, at the Apple Store in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, where their love story began.
RHONJ’s Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell’s Relationship Timeline
“I didn’t want anything over-the-top and staged because we’re a humble couple,” Connell explained. “I wanted it to feel grounded and natural and organic. Plus, I wanted the element of surprise. And believe me, I had the element of surprise.”
Catania confirmed she “had not a clue” that a proposal was coming. “In fact, I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance for him!” she teased. “He was sweating so bad, his T-shirt was soaked, his face was beet red. And you know how people say weird things when they’re having a stroke? He started saying these sweet, beautiful things to me out of nowhere, and I was like, ‘Paul, are you OK?’”
Bravo fans have long wondered when the couple would take the next step since Us Weekly broke the news of their relationship in 2021. According to Catania, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“I’ve never been so sure of something ever,” she told People. “You know, patience is a big thing for us. … As a couple, we were able to naturally progress. So this engagement means more to us than it would if it was just something we were doing just for the sake of doing it.”
The reality star was previously married to ex-husband Frank Catania, with whom she shares daughter Gabby and son Frankie. Her relationship with ex-boyfriend David Principe was well-documented on RHONJ from 2017 to 2021 before she moved on with Connell.
‘RHONJ’ Star Frank Catania Secretly Married Fiancee Brittany Mattesich
Dolores isn’t the only member of the family with wedding bells in her future. Frankie, 26, proposed to girlfriend Nicole Perricho in February.
“Can’t find the words to depict how much joy we are all feeling since yesterday,” Dolores gushed via Instagram at the time alongside photos from the romantic moment. “My little Frankie, with a heart full of love and a lifetime of memories ahead of him, proposed to his amazing girlfriend Nicole and we couldn’t be happier!! … Here’s to forever, Frankie and Nicole!”
As news of Dolores’ engagement made headlines on Wednesday, several fellow Housewives shared their well-wishes for the happy couple via Instagram.
RHONJ‘s Danielle Cabral commented “Yasssss! Our Dolo is getting married!!!!!” while Real Housewives of Orange County star Tamra Judge added, “So happy for you both! ❤️.”
