The name on everybody’s lips this season is Alexis Bellino. More than a decade after she left The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bellino made her return to reality television as a “friend of” in Season 18. However, her comeback has been met with extreme criticism as it came shortly after she sparked a romance with Shannon Beador‘s ex-boyfriend John Janssen. As the season progresses, Bellino not only butts heads with Beador, but she also seems to be losing other allies as she clashes with Emily Simpson in a preview for tonight’s episode.
“I don’t even remember 100% about why. I just remember being angry in that moment,” Bellino told DECIDER when asked what sparked their feud, noting that things “went a little bit too far that night.”
The reality star admitted that, to this day, their friendship is still struggling to get back on track. “We’re not really speaking,” Bellino — who previously made a cameo in a 2019 episode of RHOC while grabbing lunch with Simpson — revealed. “It’s awkward.”
Meanwhile, things between Bellino and Beador are still murky. While Bellino acknowledged that she “cannot be friends” with Beador, she said she wanted to be “civil” with her fiancé’s ex-girlfriend for the sake of their co-stars.
“They were in a horrible position,” she explained. “Not only was it difficult for Shannon and I to film, but their daily struggle of trying to be in the middle was not easy for them. So I still feel bad about that for them.“
One cast member who has stuck by Bellino’s side through it all has been Tamra Judge. Despite her bumpy past with Judge, Bellino said, “The deal is we are true friends and we do really care about each other. She and I have both changed a lot and grown a lot in 10 years.”
Bellino recently stopped by DECIDER’s studio, where she addressed Beador’s claims about Janssen, the heat she’s received on the internet, and what episode she wished she “didn’t film.” Check out the full interview below.
DECIDER: First things first, congratulations on your engagement! Have you started planning the wedding? Or do you think you’re going to take your time?
ALEXIS BELLINO: Thank you so much. It is a very exciting time for us and we are already venue shopping, so yeah, it’s already in the works.
There has been a lot of talk about your return on the internet. How are you handling everything?
It’s been very difficult. It’s brought John and I a lot closer just because of the hate. I think it’s kind of like when we first started talking as friends, everyone talking about us kind of pushed us closer together faster because we’re like, “We’re just friends, Like, what’s going on?” And it’s kind of the same thing that’s happening with as much of the negativity that we’re getting right now. But, you know, it’s bleeding over to our children now. So enough’s enough. And yeah, it’s not good now.
I want to get into tonight’s episode. You got really emotional during Heather’s speech at her Family Equality event. Can you walk us through what was going through your mind at that moment?
I guess when you have a family in general, there’s complications with children and everyone’s so opinionated about what it is. And for my children, I just want them all to be able to be unapologetically themselves. It’s a very dear charity to my heart now. And I am involved with family equality now thanks to Heather.
On top of the Shannon stress this season, you had a lot going on in your personal life during filming. Were you surprised the ladies didn’t give you more grace?
Yeah, actually, I’ve never had that question. But yeah, I am a little surprised. My closest friends did. Tamra was always supporting me. Heather was, Jenn and Katie definitely once they learned more about me. But it did kind of just take the back burner. It was almost like I’m invincible, they thought or something, or I was just the villain to begin with from the beginning. So yeah, it was a very difficult season for me to film for the three reasons. And it would be my mom’s passing – we filmed, I think it was three months after her death. And then dating who I chose. And then, you know, just all the stuff in the media.
Let’s dig into the drama. When you see Shannon breaking down over the videos, do you have any regret about bringing up the fact that they exist? And do you understand now why Emily asked you to have a little more compassion?
First of all, Emily just needs to stay in her place a little. She gets in everyone else’s business so I wish that she would’ve come in as a friend to me and not as so judgy in that scene that you guys saw. And also have some compassion for me, because like I said in that scene, Shannon’s not the only one hurting in this filming that we’re doing. I have had a lot on my plate. And it’s not easy filming with his ex either.
And the way that the videos were brought up — yes, I wish I hadn’t. It was a very knee-jerk reaction. I was emotional and I was kind of — what you don’t see in that scene is I was a little frustrated at the women who are my friends but they were bringing up Shannon a lot and talking about John a lot and asking a lot of questions. I don’t want to mention them. I’m with the guy all the time, I don’t need to talk about him all day, too. But it does make it look like I do because they’re asking me questions and then that’s what you see. So I just snapped. And I shouldn’t have. And they were never meant to be brought into this public forum at all.
You make a good point because obviously no one wants to film with their ex’s new girlfriend, but it’s just as awkward to film with your boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.
Yeah, it’s my fiancé’s ex. And it’s like I knew so much and I was trying to hold a lot of it in. And I think that’s also why you see a lot of emotional times with me during the season. There’s a lot more they didn’t show but I feel like I cried almost every time I filmed. So, I mean, I’m glad that at least in Big Bear I was laughing most of the time. Until the end.
When we talked to Tamra, she said you would probably reveal what’s on the videos from the night of Shannon’s DUI at the reunion. Do you think you will?
I made the mistake to bring them up. And some of my friends, like Tamra and Heather, had known about them for a while but they were never gonna bring them up. It was up to us. But I never expected it to go to that level. And I never expected Katie to run and tell Emily. It was just like a downward spiral. It was never supposed to happen in that way.
I do want to give you a chance to clear up some things Shannon said in the episode because all sides are important. Shannon said she offered to pay the full amount to John, but he wouldn’t take it, leaving some of your castmates to speculate that it wasn’t about the money. What’s your response to that?
It’s not true. She didn’t offer him the full amount. She offered him a small amount, very minimal. And then a payment plan. He wasn’t going to do that. He doesn’t want to start accepting payments from his ex-girlfriend, especially with a fiancée. And then the disparagement part that is so frustrating is John has been defamed and disparaged for four years by this woman. And we were filming a TV show which wouldn’t air for another seven months. So he was advised by his attorney never to sign that because he would put like a muzzle on him to any new lies that she brings about. And all John wants is the truth out. And that’s all I want. We don’t want to destroy Shannon, what people are saying. That’s not what we’re doing. We just want the truth to be told. That’s what’s owed is the truth. And that’s what’s going to be shown.
What did you think of Shannon claiming that John would strategize with her before they filmed? And would you say he does that with you?
Well, the fact that she would say strategize, I think that’s bizarre because he’s my fiancé. So do I talk to him about work? Yes. Do I talk to him about my kids? Yes. It’s not strategizing. It is called communication. And if I ask him a question about something that has happened, he’s going to answer me. Like if there’s a rumor that’s out or if there’s something new I heard or something new Shannon is lying about, I’m going to ask him. That’s not strategizing. That’s called communication.
One last question on this topic. You were willing to sit down with Shannon at Heather’s event, but she refused to talk to you. What do you think you would’ve said had she been open to the conversation? And will we see a more civil conversation happen between you guys?
Well, I can’t give you that information because you have to stay tuned in. However, my goal throughout the whole season was never to be Shannon’s friend. I cannot be friends with her. I think everyone understands why, especially after I’ve seen what I’ve seen on the videos. But I did have a heart and I still know that if we’re filming a show and it’s our job, I wanted to be civil. That’s all I wanted. Just like I said on the very first episode when I got the random question that I pulled out of that little thing and it’s like, “What is your friendship goal?” I was like, oh, my gosh, how ironic is that? And I said it perfectly there. I just wanted to be amicable. I never said I want to be your friend. I just want to be amicable. And especially for our cast members and our friends. They were in a horrible position. Not only was it difficult for Shannon and I to film, but their daily struggle of trying to be in the middle was not easy for them. So I still feel bad about that for them.
In the preview for next week’s episode, things seem to get pretty heated between you and Emily. What can you tell us about that?
I don’t even remember 100% about why. I just remember being angry in that moment. And as you could tell, this season, I’m a little bit more vocal that I was my past four seasons because I’m going to be unfiltered and do me. But it was about, I think the preview did mention this so I hope I’m not spoiling anything, but there was something that Heather did during the fashion show that was not intentional. You saw Emily get upset about the clothes. It just kind of heightened. And so it sparred from that. So it just went a little bit too far that night.
How are you and Emily doing now?
We’re not really speaking. It’s awkward.
It’s no secret that you and Tamra have had your issues in the past.
Issues? [Laughs]. That’s taking it lightly.
Does it ever surprise you to see how much she’s been championing you now? Do you feel bad she’s catching a lot of heat for defending you?
Yeah, I do. And she doesn’t deserve it. The deal is we are true friends and we do really care about each other. She and I have both changed a lot and grown a lot in 10 years. We liked each other when we filmed before when I first started. And then we had two years of feuding. That was legit. I know and understand why some of the reasons she was upset with me were because Heather and Tamra thought I wasn’t being authentic on the show and they could see cracks in my marriage, I think. But [at that time] I wasn’t in the realm of divorce. It wasn’t even an option for us at that point. Jim and I were still fighting for our marriage. So I think that’s a lot of why they had their guard up against me, because it’s like she’s not being true to herself. But I was trying to be a strong Christian married woman and I was going to fight for my marriage.
But then after BravoCon, she and I had a heart to heart and cried together, laughed together, reminisced, and just went through the whole thing and said, “OK. Is the beef squashed? Yep, it’s squashed.” And that was it. Our friendship has grown since then. And she has stuck by my side and defended me because she has seen a lot of what’s happened that isn’t being shown for you guys to see. Plus, she has her own issue for why she’s so upset with Shannon.
Given that he’s constantly being talked about on the show, is there anything Johnny J wishes people knew about him before maybe judging him?
The truth. Because everything that they’ve heard and that they’re judging him on right now are falsehoods. And I am determined to clarify them. And I have the evidence and I’m going to declare it.
Who do you think is lying: Gina or Katie?
I do go back and forth on this one. I almost believe it’s somewhere in the middle. I almost believe both of them are a little bit – not lying necessarily on Katie’s part, but maybe, I don’t know. We have to see more evidence from Katie, I think. But I adore Katie and I don’t really like her and Gina fighting especially about this. I feel like it’s kind of silly, to be honest. It’s like, who cares if they did? Who cares about the paparazzi? But it does boil down more to someone being called a liar. And nobody likes that.
What else can you tease about the rest of the season? Anything you’re excited for fans to see, dreading needing to relive?
Well, yeah. The next episode, I think, is one that I’m going to wish I didn’t film that day because I had gotten some really bad news in the car. So I went into the party – it’s a party that Jenn [Pedranti] was throwing – and I just broke down. I feel like I cried so much from being so emotional. I’m not really that bad of a basket case. I mean, I am a little but not that bad.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs every Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.