Dolores Catania is ringing in the new year with a bang.
Yes, we're all eager to leave 2020 behind, but The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member has an extra special reason for wanting to celebrate the year's end: a milestone birthday!
She turns 50 today, Dec. 28, and E! News made sure to get the exclusive scoop on her post-pandemic party plans, in addition to the upcoming 11th season of RHONJ and much more.
"I have a lot of groups of different friends," Dolores explained, differentiating her Real Housewives castmates from her kindergarten besties; both cliques she intends to invite to a big party "as soon as things open up," even though the idea of celebrating herself on that level makes her nervous. "When I thought the other night when I was going out to eat that my friends might be having more than just the two people...I wanted to pull my hair out. I was pacing my house. I was like, 'Please don't let this be for me, bigger than I think it is.'"
The pre-birthday dinner's guest list did indeed end up being limited to Dolores and her two friends, but it was her mini freak-out beforehand that helped her realize it's time to get out of her "comfort zone."
That, and the work she does with brands like Pulchra. The reality TV personality partnered with the luxury boutique to try and "make women feel sexy and confident and good about themselves."
"And that's not for everybody, but I try to tell people to get out of their comfort zone," Dolores shared. "Having a party and that kind of attention on myself is so out of my comfort zone. So I'm going to push myself...I'm going to make myself do something for this birthday when things open up."
In the meantime, the birthday girl is enjoying the holidays—from the Jersey Shore since her home is currently being renovated—with her boyfriend Dr. David Principe and her ex-husband Frank Catania, along with their two children, Gabrielle, 24, and Frankie, 21. Despite being divorced for 20 years, Dolores and Frank have remained friends while co-parenting, and the two, along with David even live together.
The couple is doing great, and while detailing how she and David keep their relationship fresh, Dolores shared an adorable anecdote. "David doesn't know how to show it on camera, but David tells me every day, 'You're beautiful, you're sexy,'" the Bravolebrity gushed. "Like last night he goes, 'You know, you're the most beautiful woman I know.' That's what he said to me as I was walking out the door with my pajamas on and my Uggs to go eat with him."
Perhaps a second marriage is in the cards? "I don't know," she began. "Life brings the craziest things. Like, you can never say never and you don't know what could happen."
"Look at Teresa [Giudice]," Dolores continued, referencing her RHONJ co-star who split from her longtime husband Joe Giudice in 2019 and is currently dating Luis "Louie" Ruelas. "When you hear the story, you're going to be like, 'wow.' You'd think he fell out of the sky...But you just never know what life brings you. So, can I see myself married again? I guess with the right person."
In addition to teasing what's to come for Teresa on season 11 of RHONJ—which has officially wrapped filming and will premiere sometime in early 2021—Dolores revealed that fans can expect a lot of drama.
"You're going to see fights that you haven't seen in years," she told E! News. "Like visceral, visceral, emotional fights. After the episode[s] and after these certain scenes—and every single f--king one of us has [them]—you're gonna have to take a nap. It's draining. It's draining!"
Dolores added, "The things that have gone on this season, the next day we were still, like, knocked out, emotionally drained. Every single cast member."
Until the bombshell season premieres on Bravo, get your Real Housewives of New Jersey fix by streaming past seasons on Peacock.
(E!, Bravo and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)