Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania is well aware of the way she’s portrayed, especially as it relates to her friend and co-star Teresa Giudice.
Longtime RHONJ fans know Dolores is notorious for having Teresa’s back, even when viewers and co-stars don’t agree with her actions. This may be due to the fact that Dolores and Teresa have been friends for around three decades. They’ve spent so much time together that Dolores is bound to understand Teresa in a way that their other co-stars seemingly don’t.
Throughout Season 12, Teresa has butted heads with castmate Margaret Josephs. From the very beginning of the season, Teresa and Margaret have been on different pages when it comes to her now-fiance Louis “Louie” Ruelas.
During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Dolores admitted that she knows she regularly has to explain Teresa’s actions and also dished on whether or not she believes their RHONJ co-star Margaret Josephs is toxic.
RHONJ star Dolores Catania admits to explaining Teresa Giudice’s actions, hesitates to call them ‘excuses’
While appearing on WWHL alongside Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney, the two Housewives reacted to various questions as viewers voted with their own opinions.
One particular question asked viewers, “Does Dolores make excuses for Teresa?”
“Defend yourself Dolores,” Andy prompted her.
“I do, kind of,” Dolores laughed.
“No. It’s an explanation,” Dolores added. “It’s an explanation, not an excuse. There is a difference.”
According to the viewer poll, 81% felt as though Dolores does make excuses for her friend.
When Andy followed up and asked Dolores if it bothered her that people felt this way, she quickly confirmed that it has no real impact on her.
“Not at all,” she said. “No.”
As for whether or not Dolores finds Margaret to be toxic? Well, that was an easy answer that require no elaboration.
“No,” Dolores shared.
Leah mirrored the sentiment and simply echoed, “No.”
Dolores says she understands Teresa when others feel ‘offended’ by her
Dolores further elaborated on her ability to de-code Teresa during a recent episode of the Real Housewives of New Jersey After Show.
As previously reported by Monsters & Critics, while talking about her ability to understand Teresa, Dolores also explained that although she has “evolved” away from acting out the way Teresa does, she is able to understand her thought process because she once acted that way too.
“Teresa, I feel like, will come into that but hasn’t yet. So, I understand when she does something which she’s thinking,” Dolores shared.
Although Dolores admittedly understands Teresa, she also clarified that just because she has Teresa’s back doesn’t mean she necessarily agrees with her friend, she is simply able to understand where she’s coming from.
“I don’t like that but I can understand where someone is coming from also when they do say that,” Dolores shared.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.