Caroline Manzo Honest Warning About New ‘Real Housewives’ Show

Caroline Manzo walked away from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” with her marriage intact and her sanity (mostly) unscathed—but she says that outcome was pure luck. Before Bravo could lock in Alexa Fraser for its upcoming “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” (RHORI), Manzo delivered a no-nonsense reality check that convinced Fraser to walk away from the show.

Caroline Manzo Tells Alexa Fraser: ‘Do Not Do It’

Alexa Fraser—best known for E! ‘s “Meet the Frasers” and as the wife of psychic medium Matt Fraser—revealed on “Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef” that producers “heavily pursued” her for RHORI. Before she gave them an answer, she called longtime friend Caroline Manzo for advice.

“She blatantly said, ‘Do not do it. You will blow up your life,'” Fraser recalled

During their two-hour phone call, Manzo explained how editing magic can ruin reputations and marriages in a single season. According to Fraser, Manzo claimed producers once “cut my face and put it to a reaction that I didn’t really have” and even “snippeted my husband’s voice” to create fake cheating rumors.

Manzo also pointed to the well-documented legal saga of Teresa Giudice and Joe Giudice—whose fraud convictions led to prison sentences and Joe’s deportation—as proof that the franchise can detonate entire families. “Those things are just not worth it,” Manzo allegedly told Fraser.

Despite her own solid marriage, Manzo admitted that reality-TV stress could have broken her family “if we weren’t as strong as we are.” Fraser took the warning seriously and ultimately declined Bravo’s offer, saying the show “would have broken us.”

Everything Else We Know About ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’

Bravo announced RHORI on May 7, billing it as a series about “a tight-knit circle of Rhode Islanders who have deep community roots and families that go back generations.” Page Six later caught up with Bravo boss Andy Cohen, who teased that the cast is “more Italian,” “coastal,” and “an incredible group of women who have really

Fraser’s refusal leaves an open spot, and rumors swirl that “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” veteran Dolores Catania might hop states. Fraser remains skeptical: “I have never personally seen her around… could be just to elevate Rhode Island a little bit.” For now, Bravo has not confirmed any RHORI cast members or a premiere date.

Network insiders promise big personalities and deep family ties—all concentrated in the nation’s smallest state. As Cohen noted, “They all kind of know each other and overlap,” meaning alliances and feuds should ignite quickly. With Bravo touting “aspirational lives, thriving businesses and tangled family dynamics,” fans can expect the signature Housewives cocktail of luxury and (expletive)-stirring drama—minus Alexa Fraser’s psychic insights.

Tell us! What do you think about Caroline Manzo’s warning? Let us know in the comments below.