One of the “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” showed up to her first reunion taping looking a little different than she did throughout the season.
Part 1 of the RHORI reunion aired on Sunday, June 21, with star Rulla Nehme Pontarelli confirming she had a bit of a makeover before sitting down to rehash this season’s drama with her co-stars. According to Pontarelli, it was a procedure she’d considered getting for the past 25 years.
The first season of RHORI debuted back in April, introducing viewers to Pontarelli, Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Ashley Iaconetti, Liz McGraw, Kelsey Swanson and Jo-Ellen Tiberi.
Pontarelli spent most of the show’s debut season defending herself and her husband, Brian Pontarelli, from rumors that he was having an affair. She clashed with Tiberi on numerous occasions, as Jo-Ellen presented her with evidence allegedly proving Brian was cheating on her. The season ended with Rulla getting a restraining order against her husband after he was arrested for stalking her.
While that drama will be hashed out when Brian and the other husbands join their wives for Part 2 of the reunion, Rulla started Part 1 by explaining her recent plastic surgery.
What Rulla Had Done
BravoAs host Andy Cohen introduced the women one by one at the start of the reunion, he told Rulla she looked a little “zhuzhed” in the face.
“Talk to me about what’s different,” he then prodded.
“After 25 years of debate, I finally decided to just go ahead and get my rhinoplasty,” explained Rulla. “So good,” co-star Rosie DiMare said of the nose job, before Rulla added that she had a “very minuscule lip lift” as well.
Backstage during a commercial break, co-star Jo-Ellen remarked on how different she looks now.
“Her nose … I don’t even know who she is,” said Tiberi. ” I have been staring at her face like, ‘Who is this new cast member?'”
Rulla’s transformation comes after she told PEOPLE at the show’s premiere that she would consider going under the knife if she wasn’t pleased with how she looked on screen. “We’re afraid because they didn’t let us catch a glimpse of ourselves. Like, is this my bad angle? Did I look crappy?” she said at the time.
Rulla’s Reunion Look
While at the reunion, Rulla also sported a much shorter hairdo than the longer, curlier tresses she sported throughout her debut season on Bravo. For the taping, she paired her new facial features with shoulder-length hair and an embellished blue gown from Tabja Couture.
Explaining why she chose the look, which also shows off some skin around the stomach and leg, Rulla said she walked into the reunion wanting to show “a little sparkle. A lot of strength. And enough stories to fill an entire season.”
“Much love and gratitude to everyone who has supported me through Season One,” she wrote in a June 11 Instagram post, highlighting her look. “No matter what was said on that stage, I stayed true to myself. And this reunion look wasn’t just a dress—it was a reminder that you can go through pain and the storm and still show up shining.”
Part 2 of the two-part “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” reunion airs Sunday, June 28 on Bravo.
