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Ashley Iaconetti remains unfazed by the prospect of her marriage with Jared Haibon being scrutinized on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.
“Having already experienced the public eye together, neither of us will be rattled by it,” Ashley, 38, shared exclusively with Us Weekly during the inaugural interviews with the RHORI cast. “We’ve been in the public eye before. This is not unfamiliar territory for us.”
She further remarked, “It’s reassuring that our relationship won’t be challenged by something entirely new.”
Ashley highlighted that both she and Jared, who found fame through Bachelor Nation, are accustomed to the challenges that come with having their relationship broadcast on reality TV.
“Honestly, we’ve grown adept at navigating this terrain. It’s become our foundation,” Ashley elaborated. “We have a clear sense of how things will unfold and are confident in our priorities.”
Ashley and Jared, 37, wed in August 2019 after they experienced a series of ups and downs on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise. The two have since relocated to Rhode Island, where they live with sons Dawson, 4, and Hayden, 20 months.
“We’re very grateful for having previous experience when jumping into this. I cannot imagine starting to get a spotlight on me in my late 30s,” Ashley explained to Us. “We’re really super grateful we’ve had [a] background in it.”
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The RHORI trailer teased an inside look at aspects of Ashley and Jared’s marriage that Bachelor Nation fans haven’t seen before — including the financial aspect of their business Audrey’s Coffee House & Lounge.
“It’s our real life. Audrey’s, ever since it opened, it’s been such a work of love for Jared and so many hours get put into that place. He’s really grateful he did it,” she explained, noting there are always questions about renewing the lease. “It’s always a debate on whether it’s worth keeping because it’s really about his happiness.”
When it came to being so honest on the show, Ashley said she and Jared knew doing RHORI was “too good of an opportunity” to skip out on.
Newcomer Jo-Ellen Tiberi, meanwhile, had in-depth conversations with husband Gary Tiberi about signing on for RHORI.
“Gary and I talked a lot about our family. That’s our No. 1 focus,” she explained, telling Us that their “biggest concern” was with their 11-year-old son and “if anyone was going to tease him.” (The couple are also parents to a 4-year-old and 18-month-old.)
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“I want to protect my kids. That was probably our biggest thing,” she said. “Gary and I have known each other since we were in high school. We know everything about each other. He knows the good, he knows the bad. I do, too. So if my husband loves me and my friends, it’s not going to change anything.”
Rosie DiMare told Us that, looking back, she should have had more discussions with husband Rich DiMare about the show.
“We didn’t have any boundaries going into it, and I kind of wish that we had,” she said. “We should probably talk about that if we’re going to do [another] season.”
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premieres on Bravo Thursday, April 2, with a second episode premiering on Sunday, April 5. New episodes will be released on Sundays, streaming via Peacock the following day.
For more from the RHORI cast, pick up this week’s issue of Us Weekly.