Who Is Dolores Catania's Boyfriend, Paul Connell?

Since Dolores Catania joined "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" in Season 7, viewers were surprised by her unconventional relationship with her ex-husband, Frank Catania. Although the two had divorced over 20 years ago due to infidelity on Frank's part, the exes now have an extremely close relationship, per Huff Post. "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" fans watched as Frank helped remodel Dolores' home and attend many events with her over the years. Many viewers felt like Frank and Dolores still acted like a couple, and he even called her his "soulmate," per Bravo. However, they both insisted they are not romantically involved.

When Dolores started dating David Principe in 2017, Frank surprisingly became close to the obstetrician. Frank, who works in real-estate flipping houses, built a house for Principe, per Bravo. The two became such good buds that Frank moved in with Principe after he broke his legs. Unfortunately, despite Principe being a doting friend to Frank, Dolores often felt neglected in their relationship and the two ended things in 2021, per Us Weekly. 

At the time, Dolores hinted to the publication that she had a new man in her life, and on February 14, 2022, she and her boyfriend Paul Connell became Instagram official. Fans congratulated Dolores on her newfound love and many were curious to know more about her new beau.

Paul Connell hails from Ireland and currently lives in New York, per The U.S. Sun. According to his LinkedIn profile, Connell is the owner of Eco Electrical Services, which is described as a "high-end electrical contracting company," based in New York City. Besides being a businessman, Connell is also a proud father of his two sons, Kameron and Brooklyn, and recently gave them a shout-out on his Instagram feed. "September 28th is not the only day you appreciate your son's [sic] but it's definitely a day you get to brag a little more if you like." Connell went on to say how proud he was of his sons, to which Dolores commented, "You raised Two amazing men."

In July 2022, Dolores and Connell went through a health scare together. "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star shared that Connell had undergone a life-saving heart procedure, per Page Six. She explained that Connell had been living with an irregular heartbeat for years and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. However, after many visits to various doctors, Connell found out he had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. "It causes a rapid heartbeat, and can be life-threatening if left undiagnosed and untreated," Dolores explained. Thankfully, the procedure was successful, and thanked Dolores for pushing him to get his heart further checked out.

Prior to meeting Dolores Catania, Paul Connell had never watched "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," per Page Six. However, now that he is dating one of the stars, he revealed that he watches the show with Dolores and likes to voice his opinions on the drama. "I'm a big commentator so I really have a lot to say," he shared. At the time, Dolores hinted that fans might see Connell in the upcoming season. 

Connell seemed to confirm the news in July when he shared a picture of all the housewives on his Instagram feed. The cast had apparently gone on a trip to Ireland, with Connell there to show them around his hometown. "[Such] a beautiful country, and all these ladies had the pleasure of getting to see and understand our culture and meet some amazing people along the way," he captioned.

The following month, Frank Catania further confirmed Connell's appearance Season 13 when he told Page Six that finale was filmed at the electrician's house. Connell had thrown a party for the housewives, which had ended in a massive brawl between the cast. While Frank didn't name any names, he did share, "Let's put it this way: There had to be people in between the women; there had to be people in between the men." Now that Connell is dating a "Real Housewife," he better get used to drama in his life.