By Page Six | Created at 2026-10-08 17:20:39 | Updated at 2026-10-08 21:50:10
5 hours ago
Rulla Nehme Pontarelli and her husband, Brian Pontarelli, are in it for the long haul.
The “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” stars opened up about their “difficult” first season on Bravo in light of Brian’s cheating scandal while chatting with Page Six at the 2026 “Virtual Reali-Tea” Awards, sponsored by Tri-State Cadillac, CoverGirl, Philo and Kahlúa.
“It’s difficult to go back and watch it, but I’ve grown as a person, we’ve grown together, and the most important thing is that our family is very strong,” Brian told us.
Rulla — who shares two children with Brian — described the period of time as the “most difficult chapter of [her] life,” sharing that having to “live it publicly was extremely difficult,” but they’ve since “moved past it.”
“I think the one thing I’d want the audience to know is that I was very authentic through and through,” she said. “There was no fabricating, there were no lies. It took a lot just to pick up the pieces and put myself out there again, but it feels good to be back.”
Brian, a Rhode Island-based podiatrist, fessed up to an affair that took place one year before filming for the debut season of “RHORI” commenced.
Want to watch from home? Philo is the exclusive streaming partner for the 2026 VRT Awards, and the only place you’ll find the full show this year. The best part? It’s free to watch on Philo’s ad-supported platform starting Oct. 9. Plus, you can catch up on last year’s awards now on Philo.com/VRTs.
While he insisted it was in the past, most of the women in the cast — especially Jo-Ellen Tiberi, who came locked and loaded with receipts, proof, timelines and screenshots — strongly believed he was still seeing his “mistress,” later identified as Beth Walker, a Cranston-based medical aesthetician.
However, both Rulla and Brian — who tied the knot in 2016 — brushed off Tiberi’s evidence as fake.
The season ended with the news of Brian’s arrest after he allegedly placed a tracking device in Rulla’s car, which is considered a misdemeanor domestic violence offense in Rhode Island. Brian ultimately pleaded not guilty, and Rulla had the charges dropped in December 2025.
Filming for “RHORI” Season 2 recently wrapped, and, according to Brian, a redemption arc might be on the horizon for him.
“[The women have] gone easier on me, and easier on [Rulla],” he told us on the carpet. “Honestly, I can’t wait for Season 2 to come out. It’s gonna be great.”
Rulla — who later joined her cast on stage to accept the VRT Award for “Best Cast” — echoed her husband’s sentiments, describing Season 2 as “iconic.”
“I feel like I was almost the mother of the group, and I think the audience will really be excited to see what comes out,” she said.
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Season 1 is currently available to stream on Peacock.
Welcome to the Page Six Community!
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space.
In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience.
Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will/might be rejected if it contains:
- Spam
- Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind
- Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice:
- Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
- Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments
- Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
So, how can you be a power user?
- Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across.
- 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions!
- Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!
