One of the best things about The Real Housewives of Rhode Island is just how connected everyone is to one another. Liz McGraw and Alicia Carmody have known each other since they were babies. Carmody’s Botox lady is best friends with Rosie DiMare. And Kelsey Swanson once hooked up with the man everyone thinks is messing around with McGraw when her husband is away on fishing trips.
While Dino Guilmette has only been seen in quick flashes, his name has been brought up several times in the early episodes of RHORI’s inaugural season. Liz and her husband, Gerry McGraw, are close friends with Guilmette … so much so that Gerry would ask Guilmette to look after his wife when he was away on fishing trips. The unusual closeness between a single man and a married woman was, apparently, too much for the community to comprehend, so affair rumors quickly began to circulate in the rumor mill. The craziest part? Liz is hardly the only RHORI star to have a connection with Guilmette.
So, who is Dino Guilmette? And what happened between him and Swanson? Keep reading for everything we know.
Who is Dino Guilmette in The Real Housewives of Rhode Island?
Dino Guilmette is a former boxer and actor. Per his LinkedIn page, he is a self-employed business owner in Cranston, RI, and he received his Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Rhode Island.
Guilmette, who is around 47 years old, reportedly has ties to the Patriarca crime family, otherwise known as the New England Mafia. In July 2022, Guilmette was arrested on drug trafficking charges in Cranston following a years-long investigation into his alleged drug distribution, per court documents obtained by GoLocalProv. He is currently facing seven felony charges, including “intent to manufacture or deliver drugs, obtaining property under false pretenses, perjury,” and more.
Guilmette also fathered a child with Aaron Hernandez’s ex-fiancée Shayanna Jenkins. Hernandez, a former NFL player, was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015. Two years later, he died by suicide in his prison cell.
How does Liz McGraw know Dino? Did Liz and Dino have an affair?
So, how does Dino Guilmette fit into The Real Housewives of Rhode Island? Well, he’s been a very close friend of Liz and Gerry McGraw for over 20 years. Back when Gerry was spending three out of four weeks away on fishing trips, Guilmette was at home in Rhode Island looking after Liz, per Gerry’s request. Because they spent so much time together—including nights out at the club—Rhode Island’s tight-knit community began to wonder if something more was going on between them. However, Liz has vehemently denied all affair rumors, maintaining that she and Guilmette are nothing more than best friends.
Did Kelsey Swanson date Dino?
Yes, Kelsey Swanson did hook up with Guilmette about 10 years ago. Swanson described their fling as a weak moment that came about when she felt like she wasn’t getting enough attention in the early days of her relationship with her current boyfriend (reportedly John Caprio). According to Swanson, she tried to end things with Guilmette, but he would allegedly show up to places she was at and attempt to stop her from talking to other people, particularly men. Swanson said that while she can appreciate how close he is with the McGraws, her experience with him was much different — and having him back in the group has given her a bit of PTSD.
How to watch The Real Housewives of Rhode Island:
Those looking to watch The Real Housewives of Rhode Island will need access to Bravo and/or Peacock. If you have a cable subscription, you can access the network on the BravoTV website, or stream the show live on platforms like Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV when it airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes also become available the next day on Peacock.
Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99/month.
You can save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock’s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads.
Peacock Premium Plus is also available to subscribe to via Prime Video with a seven-day free trial that you can’t get by subscribing directly on Peacock.