The long-rumored Real Housewives of Rhode Island is officially a go — and who better to usher in a new era of drama than a wife who’s already got ample reality TV credentials?
That’s right: Bachelor Nation’s Ashley Iaconetti is among the cast for the latest Bravo show, which is set to premiere in 2026 (coinciding with the franchise’s 20th anniversary). As Bravo puts it, “They may live in the smallest state in the country, but their drama? Extra large.”
Ashley is joined by Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Liz McGraw, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, Kelsey Swanson, and Jo-Ellen Tiberi — with Dolores Catania appearing on the show as a friend.
The first trailer for The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, or RHORI, was released during BravoCon on Nov. 16. “People here… they don’t look down on other states, but they are weirded out that other states exist,” Ashley says.
As stated in the trailer, she’s speaking from an outside perspective. Rhode Island is the home state of her husband, Jared Haibon, and the pair moved there in 2021, six years after meeting on the beach of Bachelor in Paradise Season 2.
Of course, theirs wasn’t the smoothest of romances. In fact, during her time in Paradise, Ashley spent a lot of time crying: a trait that’s referenced in the RHORI trailer, where a castmate remarks, “She’s gonna cry again.”
While fans will have to wait to see what has Ashley crying on RHORI, her ups and downs in Bachelor Nation did ultimately lead to a happy place. She and Jared share young sons Dawson and Hayden, and run Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge in the town of South Kingstown.
Bravo Meets Bachelor Nation
Ashley’s casting marks the first time a Bachelor Nation alum has led Real Housewives — but the Bachelor and Bravo worlds have collided before. For example, Salley Carson had a brief stint on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise before being cast on Southern Charm Season 10.
Of course, Peacock’s hit competition series The Traitors continues to put the franchises in each other’s orbit. Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Peter Weber both went far on their respective seasons of the show’s American iteration. In Season 3, Gabby Windey was among the four winners in a triumphant Faithful sweep, and in Season 4, Colton Underwood will vie for the chance to take home the Traitors prize pot.
