Ashley Iaconetti has been on reality television for more than a decade. Still, she recently joked that she is not entirely sure what made Bravo decide she should become a Real Housewives. She, however, has some theories.
Iaconetti revealed that one ordinary moment apparently caught a producer’s attention during casting. She also suggested that her dramatic history on “The Bachelor” may have helped her case too.
The former “Bachelor” star shared the thought while doing something far removed from the glamorous lifestyle often associated with the franchise. She was outside, casually power-washing shelves she had bought at a yard sale.
Ashley Iaconetti Joked About What Made Bravo Choose Her
Iaconetti recently poked fun at her journey to “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” in a social media video.
The reality star shared a video on Facebook, where she was power-washing a set of shelves she purchased for $25 at a yard sale. She used this simple moment to reflect on Bravo’s decision to put her on one of its newest Housewives shows.
“I don’t [know] what made Bravo think let’s make this girl who power washes shelves she just bought for $25 at a yard sale one of the Real Housewives, but I’m grateful they did,” the text across her video read. Her caption then gave fans at least one possible answer.
According to Iaconetti, a producer once pointed to an everyday parenting moment that happened during her interview.
“One of the producers actually said it was the moment I ate the kids’ crumbs off of the couch during my interview,” she wrote. Iaconetti did not provide added detail about the incident. However, the story fits the more regular side of her life that viewers have seen since she joined RHORI.
Bravo’s official description of Iaconetti heavily focuses on her life away from Bachelor Nation. She is raising two young sons with husband Jared Haibon, and dealing with the pressures surrounding their Rhode Island café, Audrey’s Coffee House and Lounge.
Still, Iaconetti had another theory about what might have caught Bravo’s attention; a theory born from much earlier in her reality-TV career.
Iaconetti thinks Her Infamous Bachelor Date May Have Helped Too
Aside from the couch-crumbs story, Iaconetti added another possibility in her caption.
“I also think it might have been the two-on-one in the Badlands,” she wrote.
This comment referenced one of the most memorable moments from her time on Chris Soules’ season of “The Bachelor” in 2015. Iaconetti had developed a tense relationship with fellow contestant Kelsey Poe during season 19. Their problems eventually followed them onto a two-on-one date with Soules in South Dakota’s Badlands.
The setup already came with a lot of pressure. Traditionally, a Bachelor two-on-one date involves the lead on a date with two contestants. One person usually receives a rose, while the other is eliminated. Iaconetti and Poe’s date deviated from that format.
While having a private conversation with Soules, Iaconetti shared her concerns about Poe, questioning how genuine she was. Later on, Soules spoke to Poe about his discussion with Iaconetti. What followed was a confrontation between the two women.
Soules eventually decided that Iaconetti would not receive the rose, and eliminated her. However, he later sent Poe home as well. Both women ended up leaving the competition on the same date.
That long reality-TV history may explain why Iaconetti jokingly believes the Badlands contributed to her casting. However, her experience on television did not mean everyone immediately believed she belonged on “RHORI.”
Iaconetti’s RHORI Costars Were Skeptical of Her at First
Despite her long reality-TV career, Iaconetti did not immediately win over everyone on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
One reason was straightforward: she was not originally from Rhode Island.
Iaconetti grew up in Virginia and moved to the state after marrying her husband. Several of her new costars, however, already had long-standing connections to each other.
“This cast was so skeptical of me … They were skeptical of me because I wasn’t from Rhode Island,” Iaconetti told People. She explained that many of the women seemed to know each other through friends, family members, or other local connections.
Still, the skepticism did not stop Iaconetti from eventually finding her place within the group.
