The Real Housewives of Rhode Island kicked off the first part of its highly anticipated reunion on Sunday night (June 21), and nothing was left off the table.
In the first few minutes of the episode, Rosie DiMare and Kelsey Swanson‘s truce came crumbling down as they unpacked their lingering issues from their debut season on reality television. While DiMare walked back her use of the term “slam pig” from their explosive mid-season argument, Swanson instead doubled down on some of the rumors she heard about her co-star, including one claiming that she slept with a married basketball coach.
So, who is this basketball coach? And where does this rumor come from? Keep reading for everything we know!
Who is Ed Cooley?
Ed Cooley was the head basketball coach at Providence College in Rhode Island from 2011 until he abruptly moved to Georgetown University in 2023. While Cooley attributed his sudden departure from Providence College to a need for change, the local rumor mill claimed there was a more salacious reason at play…
What is Ed Cooley’s connection to Rosie DiMare?
During a recent episode of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Kelsey Swanson accused DiMare of having an affair with a married basketball coach who allegedly paid her hush money to keep her silent. While Swanson did not name names, it wasn’t long until the internet figured out that she was talking about Ed Cooley. The rumors were further perpetuated by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Did Ed Cooley and Rosie DiMare have an affair?
Rosie DiMare has vehemently shut down rumors of an alleged affair between herself and basketball coach Ed Cooley. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star addressed the gossip in an Instagram video, telling her followers, “I do not know Ed Cooley. I have never met Ed Cooley. I have never been in a car with Ed Cooley. I have never had an affair with Ed Cooley. He has never paid me money. We bought our house ourselves with the money we make at our big grown-up jobs. That’s how you pay for things when you’re a grown up.”
DiMare also spoke about the allegations during the first part of the RHORI reunion, explaining that the rumors stemmed from Reddit post three years ago. Around the same time that Cooley was switching schools, DiMare was on medical leave from her job at the No. 1 news station in Rhode Island, leading some to speculate of an alleged affair. However, it sounds like there was a bad game of telephone going on because DiMare claimed during the reunion that Cooley was allegedly having an affair with a student reporter who attended Providence College.
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 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.