Dolores Catania and her boyfriend, Paul "Paulie" Connell, are still going strong after four years of dating. The Real Housewives of New Jersey couple are madly in love, and Paulie just gave a new look at their ongoing relationship.
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Dolores' boyfriend took to Instagram on April 19, where he posted a slightly unexpected update in the form of an "cinematic" video of him and Dolores out on a date at Blu on the Hudson in New Jersey. In the edited video, complete with special effects, Dolores and Paulie can be seen sipping on espresso martinis, eating some delicious looking food (including sushi), and talking to one another. To make things even sweeter, Dolores blew kisses to her boyfriend behind the camera, before they snapped a full body photo of the two of them in the lobby of the restaurant.
Paulie then took to the caption of the post, where he wrote a sweet comment about their date night. "'Closed the week the right way: cocktails cold, food hot, and the energy undeniable.' Good job [Blu on the Hudson]," he wrote, along with the words "love" and "passion."
Although their relationship might not always be cinematic, it is full of love and plans for the future. Read on to get the scoop on their relationship and where they stand today.
Is Dolores Catania engaged?
No, Dolores is not engaged to Paulie. But she has, however, talked about their plans to get engaged some time in the future, and admitted that she wants to be "surprised" when that day comes.
In a November 2024 interview with The Daily Dish, Dolores revealed that she and Paulie are in no rush to get engaged now that Paulie is officially divorced from his ex-wife.
"I have pretty much everything I want, to be honest with you, and I'm [one] hundred percent honest," she said. "I have peace in my life right now. And what more could I want? We're happy and that's my goal in life. I know a lot of people who are engaged and I know a lot of people who are married, and that doesn't always make for the best of everything, you know? My goal is to be happy and to be peaceful."
The Traitors Season 3 winner is also focusing planning one wedding at a time. In February, she revealed that her son, Frank Catania Jr. is engaged to his longtime love, and she could not be more excited about this. "We'll let them have their day," Dolores said during a February episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
When did Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell start dating?
Dolores and Paulie started dating in 2021 after meeting at an Apple Store in New Jersey. Paulie recalled their meeting in the caption of a 2022 Instagram post. "We met at an Apple Store, no cameras no fans no crowds no makeup, just two people on line waiting to get their phones fixed," he wrote. "When I met this beautiful woman, I didn't know about reality TV celebrity status or any of the above, oh boy but I do now lol."
Although they had been dating for a year, Dolores and Paulie did not go Instagram official until Valentine's Day 2022, where she posted a selfie alongside the Irish businessman. "Together is better always," she wrote in the caption of the post. "Stay tuned."
Dolores has been "smitten" with Paulie ever since. "I've never been in a relationship like this before, and I can't believe how smitten and gushy I am," she said during a RHONJ Season 13 confessional.
Inside Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell's New Jersey home
Dolores and Paulie's relationship has only strengthened since she moved into the businessman's New Jersey home in 2023. The house is super stylish, yet cozy at the same time, and has officially become a place of refuge for the couple. "Now it's a home," Dolores told The Daily Dish in November. "It's not a bachelor pad anymore."
In fact, she's made the house her own, and she's not looking to move out any time soon. "I have taken up every spare bedroom as a closet," she recalled. "I have taken every closet as mine except for [his closet]."
Press play on the video above to take a tour of Dolores and Paulie's home.
Dolores Catania reveals the secret behind her "successful relationship"
Dolores spoke with Hello! on Feb. 13, where she revealed the secrets behind what makes their relationship work. "I would say compromise is the most important thing for a successful relationship," she said. "I always said it should be give and give equally and I think sometimes you have to give in and the other person does too, it shouldn't be one person."
Is Paulie Connell still married?
Paulie is now divorced from his ex-wife as of February. Although Paulie's divorce had been in the works since the early days of his and Dolores' relationship, it was not legally finalized until this year. Dolores spoke with The Daily Mail in February, where she shared her reaction to the news.
"I'm happy there's closure," she said. "It doesn't really change the dynamics of our relationship. I just feel like it's a relief that it's finally done."
She also noted that there was no pressure on them to get engaged now that he's officially out of his marriage. "I'm not rushing into anything," she told the publication. "I'm not saying, 'Oh now I want to get engaged.' I'm just happy with the way things are, I'm happy there's closure on Paul's end."
See the "gorgeous custom diamond" gift that Paulie gifted Dolores after his divorce was finalized.
