‘RHORI’: Rulla Nehme Pontarelli Addresses All That Speculation About Her Husband Brian’s Actions

Rulla Nehme is standing by her man. Her marriage to foot surgeon Brian Pontarelli on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island is under constant scrutiny as many of the viewers and her co-stars believe she turns a blind eye to him having an alleged ongoing affair.

In the latest episode, while on the way to a cast outing, Brian received a phone call which he claimed was from his father regarding his mother needing to be rushed to the hospital. Throughout the remainder of the episode, co-star Jo-Ellen claimed Brian was with his mistress before and lied about his mother being sick.

Later in the episode after the couple arrived to the event late, several co-stars tried to confront Brian but he opted to leave the event with his wife and said they don’t need to defend their relationship. On The Real Housewives of Rhode Island After Show, Rulla insisted her mother-in-law was truly sick.

“She’s had a lot of trips back and forth to the hospital, and this was a situation where, you know, her hands were cold, her feet were cold,” she said. “The nurse wasn’t there.”

Regarding Brian receiving the phone call, Rulla said it was true. “My father-in-law was in a panic,” the mother of two recalled. “I didn’t want to be, like, unsupportive to Brian. ‘Bye, I’m gonna go to polo, but you can go, you know, take care [of your mom].’”

At the polo event, cast members noted Brian wasn’t wearing his ring. Rulla provided an answer. “He’s a foot and ankle surgeon,” Rulla explained. “I mean, if you look at him, his colleagues, and a lot of docs … they don’t wear their rings often. Now he’s wearing it just to kind of, like, prove a point. I never had an issue with it. When we’d go out, he’d wear it. But otherwise, like just on the daily, he wouldn’t.”

She also claimed she doesn’t always wear her own ring. “Look, when you know where you’re at, it’s not all about the ring. That is a symbol, but a lot of people, for decades and even a century, you know, choose and have chosen not to [wear a ring].” 

During an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Brian confirmed he was in contact with the alleged mistress following him ending their affair but says it was her contacting him out of anger that he cut her off. He recently sued the woman for going against an NDA.