'Real Housewives' Least Problematic Stars: Dolores, Kandi, More

Grab the wine, it’s Housewives time! The Real Housewives franchise has served up some major drama since first airing in 2006 and has turned into an empire with endless franchise cities nearly two decades later. However, not all the Housewives are pot-stirrers with problematic tendencies.

Of course, everyone is bound to end up in the vicious catfights, that’s just the name of the Bravo game. Unfortunately, the cool, calm and collected ladies tend to hide in the shadows, but a few — and we mean few — of the most loved Housewives are the least problematic.

Let’s discuss The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania, shall we? Now, she may be one of the last people in the entire franchise that you want to mess with, but she’s never in the center of drama (unless she’s crossed).

She joined the show during its 12th season in 2016 and quickly won over the hearts of viewers. Being a life-long friend of RHONJ OG Teresa Giudice, she could have easily been her sidekick through ongoing drama that the New York Times bestselling author was involved in. Instead, the philanthropist had her back from afar, but never intervened in the explosive catfights.

It’s hard to name original cast members who haven’t been problematic on the show, but there’s always a diamond in the rough — well, a peach in this case. The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss stays in her lane and out of other people’s business.

The singer should have won an MVP award during season 13 when she had everybody’s back during strippergate after costar Kenya Moore was on a crusade to find out who slept with that stripper during Cynthia Bailey’s bachelorette party.

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While Kandi seemingly knew who had relations with the exotic dancer, she zipped her lips and threw the key far, far away.

“I’m all about pro-live your best life, pro-being sexually,” the reality star said during an April 2021 episode of Watch What Happens Live! With Andy Cohen. “Let your freak fly, and don’t judge people for it, so I didn’t want to be in a position where I have to put somebody on the stake for having fun or doing whatever they want to do,” she continued.

Keep reading to learn more about the least problematic housewives!

Lydia McLaughlin

The sunshine gal didn’t make a name for herself as she only lasted two seasons on The Real Housewives of Orange County during seasons 8 and 12. However, being put in a group full of cutthroat women like Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, one would stray away, too. Lydia tried to make real connections with all her costars, which unfortunately didn’t get her very far.

“I decided to walk away [the second time] because of my relationships with the cast members,” she told Us Weekly in May 2021. “I felt like if I did another season, I would have been the target and I would have been who everyone would be attacking,” she continued. “And I just wasn’t up for that. I didn’t want to do that.”

Phaedra Parks

The Real Housewives of Atlanta OG was involved in drama with Kenya Moore as she crossed the line with inappropriate comments about her now ex-husband, Apollo Nida, but she stayed true to the Southern Belle that she is. After being antagonized by her costar for seasons, she gave the read of the century during the season 6 reunion in 2014.

However, she didn’t leave the show on a good note after it was revealed that she started the rumor that Kandi drugged costar Porsha Williams — although Phaedra claims she repeated something she heard in an effort to keep Porsha safe if the rumor was true.

Bethenny Frankel

Has The Real Housewives of New York City alum gone head-to-head with her costars? Yes. Has she called people out on their BS? Yes. Does she have cast member haters? Also, yes. But to say she’s problematic is a big reach.

She was one of the few Housewives, especially in her city, to be aware of social and economic issues in the world and even started her own charity, BStrong. During the end of her eighth and final season, Bethenny was vocal about her disapproval of how the show was being run and even called out executive producer and host Andy Cohen for “rewarding bad behavior.”

Dolores Catania

She’s an RHONJ gem! Being one of the more sane ones in the group, Dolores sees things with clear vision … which is why she can spot unnecessary drama from a mile away. Don’t take her kindness for weakness, though, because she will hurt feelings if she ever feels disrespected. The New Jersey native almost got into a brawl with RHONJ alum Danielle Staub a few times, but considering she is one of the most problematic housewives, it all makes sense.

Kandi Burruss

Speaking of Kandi, she’s in the same boat as her ex-bestie Phaedra. The musician is so busy with her family, restaurants, music and other ongoing business endeavors that she simply does not have time to start problems on her own. With that being said, she does have time to call people out on their lies, but that’s nothing to complain about!