In ET's exclusive first look at part three of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' season 13 reunion, talk turns to Louie Ruelas' work.
Dolores Catania wants to leave kids out of The Real Housewives of New Jersey conversation.
In ET's exclusive first look at part three of the season 13 reunion, Housewives executive producer/host Andy Cohen brings up a fan question about how, at season 11's reunion, Dolores gushed over her son, Frank Catania, Jr. (aka Frankie), landing a job at a real estate company, owned by Teresa Giudice's now-husband, Louie Ruelas.
"Frankie's no longer with Louie," Dolores' ex-husband (and father of Frankie), Frank Catania, announces to the group from across the stage, as Teresa's brother, Joe Gorga, follows up to ask, "What happened?"
"Um..." Frank starts to answer, before Dolores cuts him off to say, "He got another job and that was it."
Louie stares blankly ahead, while Teresa side-eyes her brother. "That's not what I heard," Joe fires back.
The episode then cuts to previously unaired footage of Joe and Frank discussing Frankie's work with Louie. In the scene, Frank recalled Frankie being blindsided by Louie's company closing down without notice. According to Frank, Louie wouldn't return Frankie's phone calls.
"What happened, Louie?" Joe asks back on stage.
"Why don't you tell us?" Louie replies. "I'd love to hear your narrative."
Joe's wife, Melissa Gorga, turns back to face him, telling him to let Frank tell it. Dolores doesn't want anyone speaking, though.
"Louie gave my son a job, he was very happy working with him," Dolores tells Andy. "And I'm very thankful for Louie."
"I'm not saying anything first," Frank mutters as Dolores speaks. "I won't say anything first; they gotta bring it up."
"I don't know what this rumor is, and I don't want to talk about Frankie at all in this cesspit of anything," Dolores continues.
Watch it play out here:
The room falls quiet, with Joe breaking the awkward silence to declare, "I've known Frankie all his life, and, you know, he told me some things."
"Joe Gorga," Dolores chastises. "Melissa."
"Tell him to stop," Jennifer whispers to Dolores.
"You're lying through your teeth," Teresa tells her brother. "I don't know what happened to you, 'cause I never said that to you."
It's unclear why Teresa thinks anything is being attributed to her in this moment, as an activated Dolores takes back control of the conversation.
"Joe Gorga, this ends right here, about Louie and Frankie's relationship, 'cause they're very good," she announces. "So that ends right here."
"She doesn't want this story talked about," Melissa tells Frank.
"You and I have never had a problem, I don't want one," Dolores goes on to say to Joe. "I'm very happy and I'm very thankful for Louie and Frankie."
"Thank you for when you hired my son," Dolores says to Louie. "And that's it."
"So, why are you upset?" Andy asks her after she wraps up her thoughts.
"I'm upset because I don't want to talk about anything about my son," Dolores replies, as Frank nods and mumbles, "All right..."
"Frankie has a good job and that's all that happened, that's it," Dolores adds. "I have no problem with that."
"OK," Joe responds. "Is that what happened, Louie?"
Louie doesn't answer; he makes a face as Joe laughs, Dolores staring daggers back at Joe. She flings herself around to look at her boyfriend, Paul "Paulie" Connell, who pleads with her to keep her cool. "Just chill, just ignore it," he asks.
"Next!" Joe announces. Fans will have to tune in to see what exactly unfolds next, as The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion wraps up on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. The next day, Peacock will debut an extended and uncensored version of the episode.
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