'RHONJ' 's Dolores Catania Opens Up About Her Split from David Principe: We 'Grew Apart'

"I feel that he hasn't been there for me in a lot of ways," Dolores Catania said of her ex David Principe on The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Photo: Manny Carabel/Getty

Dolores Catania is addressing her breakup from longtime boyfriend David Principe.

During Tuesday's episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Dolores opened up about her split from David while eating dinner with her daughter Gabby, son Frankie and ex-husband, Frank Catania.

"We kind of grew apart a little bit — a lot. I don't see him much," said Dolores. "He's been asking to see me but spending the time that I have alone, I wondered what I want in a relationship."

As Frank requested she "cut to the point" and "tell the kids what the deal is," Dolores said: "Unfortunately, this is the end of the road for me and David."

Dolores' daughter then questioned the reasoning for the couple's sudden split, leading the reality star to cite communication issues and a lack of support as the cause.

"It's because [of] the lack of communication. I feel that he hasn't been there for me in a lot of ways," she said. "He didn't meet me halfway on a lot of things. He didn't even meet me a little bit. It's the hardest thing to do is to part ways with someone that you still love and care about very much."

Added Dolores, "But I have nowhere else to go with this."

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She admitted to feeling "really bad" about the breakup and said she still is comfortable with her family maintaining a relationship with him because he's "very attached" to them.

"I never realized how close the kids would get to David because he wasn't too fond of getting close with me sometimes, as we can all see. But, they're there," she said in a confessional. "I brought this man into their lives. I'm not taking him out because we didn't work out."

Later in the episode, Dolores and Frank spoke about David separately while on the cast's Jersey Shore getaway. Dolores said she was still feeling "emotional" about the split.

"Don't bring up David," she said. "I feel bad. Like, I tunnel out when I get emotional. I try to not cry."

She also broke the news to her fellow Housewives that the former couple had parted ways. Teresa Giudice was especially stunned to hear the news, questioning why Dolores didn't text her about it sooner.

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"It wasn't easy for me to even talk about," Dolores said. "The other thing is, I'm taking it very bad [sic]. Horrible."

Dolores split from David last summer after nearly five years together. Recently, she went Instagram official with her new boyfriend, Paulie Connell, on Valentine's Day.

Meanwhile, David is dating Vanessa Moretto. She previously dated Teresa's fiancé Luis "Louie" Ruelas.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.