Former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo and her husband David Cantin have reconciled after secretly filing for divorce in separate states, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. The couple, who have been married for nearly eight years, dismissed their respective legal petitions in late March and have since shared romantic vacation photos on social media.
The legal proceedings began when Manzo, 54, filed for legal separation in California on March 4, 2025, citing the same date as their separation. In her filing, she stated the couple married in June 2017. Six days later, on March 10, 2025, Cantin filed his own divorce petition in Florida, claiming they married on June 28, 2018, in Malibu, California, and that the marriage was "irretrievably broken."
The discrepancy in marriage dates between the two filings highlights the complexity of the couple's relationship. Cantin's Florida petition alleged that Manzo had been permanently residing in Florida since 2021 and that they last lived together as husband and wife in the Sunshine State.
In his divorce filing, Cantin requested the court equitably distribute their marital assets with an unequal distribution in his favor, citing the "duration of the marriage and [his] extraordinary contributions to the acquisition, enhancement and production of income or the improvement of both the marital assets and the non-marital assets." He also requested that the court award his attorneys' fees and costs to the "extent the wife engages in unnecessary... or vexatious litigation."
Manzo's California filing cited irreconcilable differences and requested spousal support and attorneys' fees while opposing any spousal support award to Cantin. She indicated in documents that she would address assets and debts at a later date.
However, in April 2025, both parties decided to halt their cases "in an effort to resolve all issues in a dignified, private and cooperative manner" and "attempt to reach a mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues," without court involvement, according to documents.
Nearly one year after initiating divorce proceedings, both Manzo and Cantin requested that their petitions be dismissed on March 27. The timing of the dismissal suggests the couple successfully worked through their differences during the intervening months.
Just one day after voluntarily dismissing their court cases, Manzo shared photographs from a tropical getaway with Cantin. "D&D 2.0 ❤️ {paradise edition}," she wrote via Instagram on March 28. Weeks earlier, Manzo had also praised "my husband" for setting "the birthday bar dangerously high this year" after receiving a Studio 54-themed birthday party on March 7.
When contacted for comment, Cantin's lawyer stated, "We do not comment about our clients or cases." Us Weekly has reached out to Manzo's team for comment.
Manzo helped launch The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2009 alongside Teresa Giudice, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo, and Danielle Staub. She departed after season 2, made brief appearances in season 4, and returned full-time for season 6 before choosing to step away permanently for a more private life in California.
The reality star did not publicly confirm her 2017 wedding to Cantin until two years later. In May 2016, she explained her decision to leave the show to Fox 411, stating, "I'm kind of the person that if it's not comfortable and it doesn't fit who I am, I walk. You have to be happy and if it doesn't sit well with your soul, you have to listen to that."
While Cantin never appeared on Bravo, he became part of the public narrative when Manzo's ex-husband, Thomas Manzo, was convicted in June 2024 of hiring a "reputed mobster" in 2015 to assault her then-boyfriend. Following the conviction, Dina shared a photo of herself raising her hands to the sky while sunshine illuminated a large monument, appearing to celebrate the legal resolution.
The reconciliation between Manzo and Cantin demonstrates that even when relationships reach the point of legal separation, couples can sometimes find their way back to each other through private negotiation and mutual commitment to resolving their differences outside the courtroom.
