Alexa Fraser, who recently told Collider about how she was heavily pursued to join The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, recounted more of the career-changing conversation she had with Manzo. Fraser told Collider that after speaking with Manzo, she made a firm decision to say no to joining the cast and recently revealed more about the serious warning Manzo left her with about why anyone should reconsider Housewives.
"She just really just gave it to me straight," Fraser said on The Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast. The show, "Would have broken us. And a lot of relationships and families get broken on those shows. And we were even talking about Teresa. Teresa Giudice and Joe and how he got sent back to Italy. She got put in jail. Those things are just not worth it. And people are already doing that to the alleged cast." In 2014, Teresa and Joe Giudice pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud and both served time in prison. After completing his sentence, Joe was deported to Italy, having never obtained U.S. citizenship.
Caroline Manzo told Alexa Fraser "Do Not Do" 'RHORI'
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Manzo shared how producers can edit reactions and moments designed for drama. "She said, there were times where producers cut my face and put it to a reaction that I didn't really have," Fraser reflected on the podcast. "They snippet my husband's voice. They tried to make it seem like I was cheating on my husband. My husband was cheating on me. They tried to make it look like I had a problem with my cousin in this family, and they didn't talk to me. And she just really just gave it straight. Luckily, she said, her and her husband are very, very strong. They've built a solid foundation, her family's strong."
Several Housewives cast members have since divorced after being on one of the shows, which was not lost on Manzo either. Manzo believes that if her family weren't as strong as they were, they too could have been broken.
The Dolores Catania Connection Doesn't Make Sense on 'RHORI' to Alexa Fraser
Fraser, who is married to psychic medium Matt Fraser, ultimately turned down RHORI. Fraser has been in the public eye for a while and starred in E!'s Meet the Frasers, so RHORI may have been looking for a bigger name to help helm the series. That's why Dolores Catania's name may currently be in the mix. Rumors that Catania, a longtime RHONJ cast member, is joining RHORI have been circulating since the show was announced, but Fraser doesn't see how she could seamlessly fit into the cast.
She said on the podcast that she'd never heard of Catania coming to Rhode Island. "I just saw, there was a couple of articles kind of rumored. Again, everything's alleged," Fraser said. "Who knows what's real or what's not. So they did say because she's New Jersey, they're kind of doing that overlap and we'll take over New Jersey or whatever happens in the franchise."
Fraser, who recently gave birth to her second son, said she and husband Matt live "in a bubble" and are busy with their children. But, "I have never personally seen her around. Nobody that we know has been like, 'Oh, she was at this hair salon or getting her nails done here.' So [it] could be made up, could be just to elevate Rhode Island a little bit, give it the boost that maybe they think it needs. I'm not sure."
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premiere date is still to be announced.
