Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
Frank Catania had an off-camera meeting with Luis Ruelas following the airing of the Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion earlier this month.
While looking back on his chat with Luis on Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp‘s podcast on Friday, Frank spoke of the drama of season 13, including Jennifer Aydin‘s alleged setup of newbie Danielle Cabral, Joe Gorga and Margaret Josephs‘ potential influence on him, and Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga‘s ongoing animosity towards one another.
“It’s so bad this year. It was even harder to film. It wasn’t fun this year. It definitely wasn’t fun this year,” Frank admitted of the season on the June 23 episode of Two Ts in a Pod.
In addition to Danielle and Rachel Fuda joining the show as full-time housewives for season 13, Jennifer Fessler joined as a friend and Frank’s girlfriend, Brittany Mattessic, appeared as a guest-star.
Looking ahead to future seasons, Frank said that when it comes to Brittany taking on an extended role on the show, he’s not so sure that would be a good idea.
“We are definitely reluctant, to say the least,” he admitted, confirming his partner is “not controversial whatsoever.”
Throughout the 13th season of RHONJ, fans watched as the drama between Teresa and the Gorgas continued to increase until the family members cut ties completely.
“There is an old animosity towards Melissa and Joe ever since they came on the show… That’s what I think it came from,” Frank noted. “[And] I just think that while the show is still going on, I just don’t see the two of them getting back together. And that’s the feeling of the entire cast.”
In addition to being bitter about the way in which Melissa and Joe joined the show, Frank said Teresa has grown exhausted from continuously having to defend Luis.
“He is getting hit from every single avenue and I think she’s just, she’s losing it. She’s just getting pressure from all over the place,” he explained.
Although Frank has been accused of allowing himself to be influenced by Joe and Margaret, and of letting them get him worked up ahead of the reunion, even though he didn’t really have issue with Luis, Frank said there’s no truth to that suggestion.
“That’s false. Margaret and Joe had nothing to do with it,” he confirmed. “There’s nothing that bothers me more than when I get all this social media saying I’m either Team Gorga or Team Teresa. Guys, I’m not team anybody. I try to stay neutral. It just so happens that I had an issue with the same person that Joe Gorga had an issue with.”
“I had my own personal issue with Luis and that was between me and him,” he added.
Regarding the supposed investigation Luis requested on the cast, which he admitted to before denying, Frank said he believes that there may have been another company behind the digging.
“The only reason I believe that is because the town I live in received an open request with respect to a Brittany and it’s a similar name, last name, to my Brittany. So I was contacted because they thought it was Brittany. And that request came from the company that this woman who came out yesterday and she said she requested it, that request came, an open request came from her company, which I knew personally way before this so I do see some validity and truth in that they had requested it,” Frank explained. “I’m not saying that Luis didn’t do it on the side, as well, it’s just that I don’t know anything to that.”
Another hot topic amid season 13 was the false cheating rumor against Melissa, and whether or not Teresa or Jennifer pushed Danielle to mention the claim.
“Based upon what I saw at the reunion…. I think basically Danielle was a soldier of Jen at the time,” Frank noted, also suggesting Teresa had something to do with it.
“I don’t see Jen doing it by herself,” he pointed out.
Moving on to Luis, Frank confirmed the two of them met off-camera earlier this month.
“Two Tuesdays ago, the last part of the reunion aired. The next day, I get a call from Luis,” Frank recalled. “He wanted to meet me in person. So I did.”
Because Frank hates controversy and confrontation, he hoped to find resolve. Unfortunately, as he shared with Tamra and Teddi, they couldn’t come to an agreement.
“Neither one of us pretty much believed the other one,” he revealed. “When he told me he didn’t do what I thought he did, I told him I didn’t believe him. He said, ‘What can I do to make you believe me?’ I said, ‘Luis, you’re not gonna make me believe you, but the fact that you called me to sit down and talk,’ I said, ‘I’m here now. I’ll put it behind us and move forward.’”
As for where they stand today, Frank said their drama is “done” but they are “not hanging out.”
“We’re not going out as buddies. But we don’t have an issue between us right now,” he clarified.
Then, when he was asked if Luis’ efforts to reach out were sincere, or done in an effort to remain on the show, Frank said he doesn’t believe Luis is too worried about remaining on RHONJ.
“From everything I’ve known, everything I see, Luis is very, very well off financially. Even though I understand his worth has gone down drastically since coming on the show, he’s still way beyond,” Frank stated. “So I don’t know how much he’s worried about her staying on the show.”
“Maybe she’s more worried about her staying on the show but I don’t think it’s a financial issue. I think it’s more of an ego issue,” he added.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast is currently in hiatus ahead of season 14.