Dorinda Medley Chokes up at Late Husband Richard’s Message from Beyond the Grave
The RHONY cast member met with psychic medium Matt Fraser — and you should probably get your tissues ready.
BY JESSICA BUTLER
Have you ever wondered if there’s an afterlife of some kind? Or if there’s a way to know if our loved ones are watching over us? Well, The Real Housewives of New York City‘s Dorinda Medley was lucky enough to explore these and other ideas when she invited psychic Matt Fraser of Meet the Frasers over to do a reading.
The RHONY socialite and medium sat outside together and some unexpected information came through — like a special message from Dorinda’s late husband, Richard Medley.
“I got a good feeling the minute I walked in,” Matt tells Dorinda in the video below.
Matt went on to tell Dorinda that he could sense her husband was there. The medium then revealed that Richard told him to hold her hand. The ‘Wife was already feeling emotional at that point, but it was the message Matt communicated to her from her late husband that really shook her up.
Matt tells her, “The first thing that he wants you to know is that you don’t have to keep searching for him all the time.”
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. You might need a tissue for the rest — Dorinda definitely did.
Find out what Richard’s full message to Dorinda was in the video below, and see more of Matt and his readings during Meet the Frasers on Mondays at 10/9c on E!.
Southern New England residents may know psychic medium Matt Fraser from his shows at local venues, during which he performs group readings for those in the audience.
Now, people all over the country will get to see those abilities and get a glimpse into his life behind the scenes.
The new television show “Meet the Frasers,” which premiered Monday on the cable network E!, showcases Fraser’s own personal and working relationship with his family, as well as his girlfriend Alexa Papigiotis’s relationship with hers.
Members of Fraser’s family who star in the show include his mother, Angela, father, Rod, and sister, Maria. Papigiotis’s family also stars in the reality show, including her mother, Sharon Ciolli, stepfather, Anthony Ciolli, and sister, Ava.
“My family works for me, which is a blessing because I love seeing them everyday,” Fraser said. “The best thing is that we all get to work with one another.”
However, he added that his mother “thinks she’s the boss” and that both his sister and his dad are skeptics of his abilities.
According to a press release from E! and NBCUniversal, “Matt and Alexa can always count on their families to give them unwavering support and advice – even when they haven’t asked for it.”
Fraser and Papigiotis both grew up in Rhode Island and agreed that “there’s really nothing like it.” Fraser, a Cranston native, attended Stadium Elementary School and Hugh B. Bain Middle School. Papigiotis grew up in North Providence and attended the schools there, but she said she has “always loved Cranston” because when she was in pageants, the dress shops were located there.
So how does having a local connection affect their lives and careers?
“We love it,” Papigiotis said. “You always have to remember where you came from. The show is really showcasing Rhode Island and Cranston.”
She added that people come up to them mostly in Cranston, Providence and at the beach. Fraser said people have messaged him on Facebook expressing their excitement regarding the new career step.
“For us, there’s no place we would rather live than Rhode Island,” he said.
Fraser, 28, believes that with the airing of the show, people will get to see “the other side of Matt Fraser,” such as life with Papigiotis and the rest of his family. He said he hopes the show will “demystify” psychic abilities and demonstrate that he is a “regular guy who just happens to see and hear dead people.”
Fraser also added that he hopes viewers will be able to relate to the family dynamic in the show, whether it be those who lost loved ones being drawn to him, young women connecting with Papigiotis or those who share the skepticism of his sister and father.
“Everyone can watch it together,” Fraser said.
Papigiotis said that her favorite part of the show is the fact that they can participate in it together. She said that she and Fraser can showcase their relationship while presenting their families to viewers and “[putting] love in other people’s homes, too.” She added that the show is realistic to their lives.
“The show showcases us and our daily lives, and our real issues,” she said. “There’s love, passion, humor and situations we go through day to day, and I think that’s what people find inspirational.”
Throughout his life, Fraser said he has had the ability to see and hear the deceased. He said at just 4 years old, he realized he could communicate with them, but at the time he found it frightening.
“Being so young, I just thought the house was haunted. I remember being that young and screaming for my mom to help me,” he said.
His mother, a psychic herself, pushed him toward his abilities. He said he had always wanted to help others, and eventually became an EMT working at the World Trade Center in Boston. He said while in this profession, he would walk into work knowing what the day ahead had in store for him – whether it be someone dealing with diabetes or having a panic attack.
“[It] was a good thing because it prepared you for what was to come,” Fraser said.
Papigiotis has made a career of competing in pageants, and her journey of participating in the Miss Rhode Island USA competition will be demonstrated on the television show. She’s been competing in pageants since she was 15 years old, beginning with the Miss Rhode Island Teen USA competition where she placed in the top 15. The next year, she was crowned Miss Rhode Island Teen USA and won the Miss Congeniality award.
Notable places in Rhode Island have been used as sites for filming the show. In Cranston, places such as Sonya’s Boutique on Oaklawn Avenue, the Park Theatre and the Fraser home in western Cranston have been used. In Providence, restaurants such as Mare Rooftop, Capriccio, L’Antica Trattoria at St. Bart’s and more have been used for filming. Filming also took place in Newport for some scenes.
“Because it’s a place that Alexa and I live, we get to film in our hometown. I think it’s going to be something that people are interested in,” Fraser said. “They get to see Rhode Island, what our community is like.”
“Meet the Frasers” airs at 10 p.m. Monday nights on the E! network. For more information, visit meetmattfraser.com, or follow Fraser and Papigiotis on Instagram and Twitter @meetmattfraser and @alexapapigiotis.
There’s a new reality show couple out there who should definitely be on your radar — especially for fans of anything supernatural.
On January 13, Meet The Frasers will premiere on E!, introducing Rhode Island psychic medium Matt Fraser and his girlfriend, Alexa Papigiotis. Apparently, they’re local celebrities around their town of Cranston, Rhode Island, and they definitely seem like an interesting couple to watch.
But who are Meet The Frasers, really? Here’s everything you need to know about the stars of E!’s newest reality show.
Matt Fraser is a psychic medium aka he sees dead people… a lot. Discovering he had a gift at just the age of three, the Rhode Island native now uses his ability to conduct readings for people all around the country.
In a Sixth Sense (1999) sort of way (minus the creepy blank stares), Matt can visually see and hear spirits that are looking to get messages to their loved ones in the physical world.
After a decade of performing at live shows and conducting readings on air, Matt his taking his talents to reality television… and he’s not alone.
The new E! reality series Meet the Frasers follows the 28-year-old, his girlfriend and former Miss Rhode Island Alexa Papigiotis, and his loud Italian family.
Navigating the spirit world seems like second nature to Matt, but trying to wrangle in his boisterous family (especially his mom Angela Fraser) is a whole different entity.
EXCLUSIVE: Psychic medium Matt Fraser talks new E! reality show.
Distractify spoke exclusively with the reality star about his psychic abilities, working alongside his opinionated family, and how his beauty queen girlfriend reacted to him being able to communicate with the dead.
When people hear the words “psychic medium,” the televised reality stars Theresa Caputo (Long Island Medium) and Tyler Henry (Hollywood Medium) may come to mind. But, Matt explained that his E! show will differ, in that fans won’t be necessarily reaching for the tissue box. He explained that his show is not about making people cry.
“I want them to laugh,” he told us. “What you’re gonna realize is that I’m haunted by living people and dead people,” he jokingly added.
Aside from watching Matt conduct readings, the family aspect is a huge part of the show.
The E! star revealed that he doesn’t necessarily get overwhelmed by the amount of spirits that come through to him on a daily basis, but gets “distracted” by his loud family members.
“You can’t fire them and you can’t get them in trouble,” he revealed to Distractify about the hardest part of working with his family. “I tried writing up my mother, but she always takes the mother role and doesn’t understand that I’m the boss … She just does not respect boundaries whatsoever.
Another major aspect of the show is his ongoing relationship with his girlfriend Alexa, whom he initially met on Instagram. So, how did the former Miss Rhode Island feel about her now-boyfriend being a psychic medium?
Recalling their first date, Matt explained to Distractify that Alexa quickly asked him about his profession. “Immediately I saw her grandmother and the minute somebody asks … I start belting it out. I’m always feelings and sensing things,” he said.
When the E! star told Alexa about the messages he was receiving from her late grandmother, Matt said she walked out of the coffee shop for some air. Luckily, she came back!
“She was a little bit freaked out, almost had an anxiety attack, almost ran out the door on me,” he laughed. “I don’t think she knew whether to bless me or burn me.”
Adding, “She agreed to go out on a second date and the rest is history.”
Throughout the series, fans will get to watch the couple’s cute dynamic, and Alexa’s not-so-subtle hinting that she wants an engagement ring and a fabulous Disney World proposal.
However, Matt quickly shut down that idea, telling us that children will not be “crying” or “s–ting” when he gets down on one knee. Well, we wonder how Alexa feels about the vetoed proposal…?
Meet the Frasers airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET only on E!
Matt and his girlfriend, Alexa Papigiotis, in Palm Beach, Fla.HANDOUT (CUSTOM CREDIT)
Matt Fraser is not your typical psychic medium. The high-energy native of Cranston, R.I., is taking his popular readings — at which he connects people with the spirits of departed loved ones — to a new level with his new reality sitcom, “Meet the Frasers,” which debuts on E! Entertainment Jan. 13 at 10 p.m. with two back-to-back episodes. The show will focus on Fraser, 28, his girlfriend, former Miss Teen Rhode Island Alexa Papigiotis, 21, and their families. “I have a pageant queen girlfriend, Alexa, who I absolutely love, an overbearing psychic mother, and a very opinionated father and sister — who are my biggest skeptics,” Fraser said in a recent phone interview. “If that’s not crazy enough, being a psychic medium is like having a conga line of dead people following you around day to day. As a family, we love each other, but life is not easy — especially working together. We get on each other’s nerves, but at the end of the day, we are family.” We caught up with Fraser, who lives in Cranston with Papagiotis and their three Bengal cats — Leo, Luca, and Lady — to talk about all things travel.
Favorite vacation destination?
My favorite vacation destination has to be Palm Beach, Fla. I love it so much, I actually got myself a place there. There is something about the vibe in Florida that makes it so relaxing. Everyone is so calm and relaxed and life much slower paced there compared to the East Coast. And the water is gorgeous! It’s where I go in between shows with my girlfriend to just relax, sleep, and unwind.
Favorite food or drink while vacationing?
Hands down Italian! I love pasta — especially pink penne with vodka sauce. It reminds me of home and family. Not to mention you can never get sick of pasta, right?
Where would you like to travel to but haven’t?
I would love to travel to Hawaii. It’s where my parents went on their honeymoon and it’s a place I have always wanted to go. I haven’t had the excuse yet to go, but I’m sure it will happen. I remember as a child looking through my parents’ honeymoon photos and dreaming of what it would be like to visit. It just looks magical. One day when I get married, I hope that this will be where we honeymoon.
One item you can’t leave home without when traveling?
My phone. As much as I try to leave it behind, I just can’t. When you speak to the dead and have a reality TV show, you never know who is going to call or what the person on the other end will say.
Aisle or window?
Definitely aisle. I swear I have the tiniest bladder. I would rather give up the view than to bother the people next to me to move five times during the flight.
Favorite childhood travel memory?
Going to my grandmother’s house in Vermont. She had a log cabin and we would go every Christmas. We would road trip up to Vermont and arrive to see the house all decorated and decked out for Christmas. As a child it was so exciting for me. I felt like I was in a winter wonderland.
Guilty pleasure when traveling?
love a good casino. For some reason, so does my family. I don’t know if it’s because we are Italian, or if it’s just that we grew up going to Foxwoods, but I can’t walk by a slot machine without throwing a few dollars in. No, my psychic ability doesn’t help me; it’s just for fun, so I wouldn’t follow behind me.
Best travel tip?
Be flexible and be open. Sometimes the best adventures come when they are not planned on the schedule. Live in the moment and go with the flow.
Monday’s debut of “Meet the Frasers” on the E! network will turn up the spotlight on Cranston native Fraser, his pageant-winning girlfriend and their colorful families.
Cranston native Matt Fraser may be an internationally recognized psychic medium, but even he could not have imagined the zaniness of starring in a reality television show.
The 28-year-old and his 21-year-old girlfriend, Alexa Papigiotis, 2017 Miss Rhode Island Teen USA and a contender for Miss Rhode Island USA, invite the world into their hectic lives spiraling out of their Cranston home base with the launch of “Meet the Frasers,” a television series premiering Monday, Jan. 13, at 10 p.m., on E!
Cameras trail the pair and their uber-involved families — parents and sisters on both sides — across Rhode Island, sharing glimpses of Newport, the Narragansett Towers and meals at CAV Restaurant and Capriccio’s in Providence. Along the way, Fraser and Papigiotis provide hysterical commentary on everything from male Spanx to the need for flashy work uniforms to the things Italians just don’t do (hint: it’s eat meatballs out). Lessons in Italian slang — words like “ficanas,” or snoop — pepper the conversation.
“Even though Matt can speak to dead people, we do live a normal life. Well, somewhat of a normal life — we have three Bengal cats, loud Italian families and we live right here in Cranston,” says Papigiotis, who recalls meeting Fraser when he did a reading for her. “He said he saw my departed Grammy standing behind me, and I nearly ran out of the restaurant! I was a little bit freaked out, but I also thought he was so cute! I immediately just knew we would be together.”
Fraser — who realized he’d inherited his mother Angela’s psychic abilities as a child — loves showcasing a flamboyant style in his packed live shows and now for television audiences. In one episode, he introduces a gold and black work uniform for his staff (Papigiotis, his mom and sister, Maria), featuring “Team Fraser” embroidered in gold on the left breast of the blazer and rhinestone wings on the back. In another scene, he helps Papigiotis shop for pageant dresses while skirting her ongoing dialogue about an engagement ring.
“I like to think I live a normal life. Yes, of course I speak to the dead, but they don’t scare me anymore. It’s my family that does! You might not believe in psychics, but you better believe that we are crazy!” he says, cringing in one episode at the thought of his parents relocating back to his childhood home, just eight minutes from the home he shares with Papigiotis.
Sister Maria and his father, Rod, are the family skeptics but support the livelihood that has emerged from Fraser’s abilities. They drive together to shows in a vehicle emblazoned with his face and name, help sell his merchandise after shows, track the balance sheet and, of course, offer opinions. Mom’s input often comes with helpings of lasagna, which fuels Fraser’s fear of looking chubby.
“I don’t care if they call me a scam artist, but if they call me fat, I’m gonna cry!” he exclaims in a clip while trying on girdle-like underwear.
Being part of the first reality show filmed in Rhode Island seems like a logical next step for an outgoing, high-energy Cranston kid whose private readings are booked several years in advance.
“I hope I make our state proud!” he says, adding that, “People know me from my readings and events, and I am so happy to share what life is like behind the scenes. The best part about my life is when my family is all together. We get on each other’s nerves, believe me. But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a single thing. We are loud, Italian, unfiltered, and we tell it like it is.”
