RHONJ star Dolores Catanias boyfriend Paul Connell will soon be officially divorced 3 years

REAL Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania’s boyfriend Paul Connell will soon be officially divorced, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.

Over a year prior to meeting Dolores, Paul "Paulie" Connell's ex-wife filed for divorce in New York.

Now, The U.S. Sun has exclusively learned he is still embroiled in the divorce three years later.

Paul's ex, Joanne Connell, filed for divorce right before Valentine's Day on February 4, 2020.

The last filing was submitted in October 2020- a request for judicial intervention (RJI), meaning the filing has yet to be assigned to a judge.

Given that divorces in New York are sealed, further details of the proceedings are not known.

PAUL'S SIDE OF THE STORY

Paul explained to The U.S. Sun why divorce proceedings have been held up: "There's been no really need for me to be divorced, like, it's not like I was getting married or I go around marrying people for the fun of it.

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"So, it never really happened to that point for her or for me. We're quite comfortable.

"Obviously when me and Dolores got more serious, now the conversation's like, ‘Okay, now it's time to close that chapter,’ and that's it. There's really nothing else."

He continued: "I'm very happily separated and very soon to be happily divorced.

"It's a very simple understanding. We are not divorced, we are getting divorced.

"We never had a big misunderstanding to the point where, 'I hate you, you hate me.' It was never like that, never being like that.

"We've just parted ways. We're still very amicable."

Paul went on to explain he has a "very good understanding" with his ex.

He told The U.S. Sun: "She's done a great job raising my children with me, and since we've separated, she's done a phenomenal job doing what she's done.

"But she's a very private lady and she's always been like that from the day I met her."

SUPPORTIVE EXES

Like Dolores' ex Frank Catania, Paul's ex Joanne is "very happy" for the couple.

Dolores, for her part, has been divorced from Frank for nearly 25 years. They are parents to Gabby, 27, and Frankie, 24.

Paul continued: "[Joanne] is also very happy for myself and Dolores and she thinks it's a wonderful thing that I found happiness and whatever comes with it.

"Her and Dolores have a very good mutual understanding.

"She respects our relationship, respects our boundaries, she respects our decisions and she respects Dolores as a mom, and that's why she has no problem with Dolores and my children and all of us being happy families."

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Dolores, 52, and Paul, 48, met in September 2021 through a mutual friend.

Their love journey has been playing out on this season of RHONJ.

On Tuesday's new episode, Paul revealed that he's ready for another serious commitment.

While at dinner with Dolores' family, including her ex Frank and his girlfriend Brittany Mattessic, Paul broke the news that he has "already" purchased an engagement ring for Dolores.

In her confessional, the Real Housewives star shared how she felt about possibly getting engaged in the near future.

"It's nice to think about these things, but like my dad said before, Frank bought a house before we got married and put it in my name- 'don't buy the cart before the horse,'" Dolores said.

Then, in a Bravo's After Show, she further explained: "Paul and I haven’t really felt this way about anybody else we’ve met in a very long time.

"I'm very happy with the commitment I have right now, to be honest."

Margaret Josephs then weighed in: "As far as I know, Paulie’s not divorced. I guess it's hard to get married if you're not divorced."

LIVING TOGETHER

Meanwhile, the New Jersey native has officially moved in with Paul.

In an April episode, Dolores revealed she lives with her boyfriend.

She explained to Danielle Cabral: "We went away on vacation, and then when we came back, he said, 'Don't go. Just stay.'"

Dolores travels back and forth from her North Haledon home she's lived in for over 25 years and has recently undergone major renovations.

The cast of RHONJ got a sneak peek of Paul's $2million Edgewater home - The U.S. Sun previously shared exclusive details - when they came together for Jennifer Aydin's Turkish coffee reading.

The season finale of RHONJ airs on Tuesday, May 16, on Bravo.

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