“He’s not a fame w—-, trust me,” Bellino said of Janssen, calling rumors that she rejoined ‘RHOC’ because of him “one of the [biggest] misconceptions” and “aggravating”.
Alexis Bellino (left) and John Janssen (right). Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty
Alexis Bellino wants to set the record straight when it comes to putting her relationship out in the open.
The Real Housewives of Orange County star was on the Reality with The King podcast on Tuesday, July 30, and spoke about her relationship with John Janssen, who also dated OC housewife Shannon Storms Beador.
Rejoining the show after ten seasons, fans questioned if Bellino’s decision was because of her new beau, but she said that isn’t true.
“This is one of the [biggest] misconceptions, most aggravating rumors out there about him,” she explained. “First of all, John offered to pay me the full salary that Bravo was gonna pay me not to do the show.”
“So if he’s mister ‘doesn’t have money’ and ‘she pays for things,’ he’s not gonna do that, number one,” she said, referring to Beador’s previous claims that Janssen never paid for her during their relationship. “Number two, it’s a lie. It’s a lie. And [Beador] says he love-bombed her, he did all this, he did that. How does he love-bomb you if he’s broke and doesn’t give you anything and you’re paying for everything? How does that make sense?”
Bellino accused Storms Beador of making things up about Janssen and claimed: “It’s gonna keep getting profusely shown throughout the season.”
John Janssen Says His Relationship with Ex Shannon Beador Felt Like He Was Failing ‘Every Day’: ‘I Tried’
Shannon Beador (left), Alexis Bellino (middle) and John Janssen (right). Santiago Felipe/Getty; Amanda Edwards/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Storms Beador and Janssen were together for 3½ years, with RHOC viewers watching their romance play out for the Bravo cameras. He ultimately called off their romance twice, first in late 2022 — a breakup Storms Beador claimed “blindsided her” — and then again in September 2023, not long after her arrest for an alleged DUI and hit-and-run.
Janssen has since found love with Bellino, a relationship the pair first made public with PEOPLE exclusively. Their pairing has caused some controversy in the Real Housewives universe as it came months before her return to the Bravo series.
Speaking about the timing of their romance on the podcast, Janssen shut down another claim that Storms Beador previously made in which he was only dating her to be on television. He said not only is that not true, but he disliked appearing on the show.
“What the vast majority of people out there do not know is that I ended up making the decision saying I’m not gonna film,” he revealed. “Now at the time, I’m with Shannon, I care about her, she wouldn’t survive if she didn’t have the job, so I was put in a very difficult position and I agreed to film. Then people say I lit up on camera and stuff. I’m shy actually, and I was trying to make the best of it.”
RHOC: Shannon Calls Out Alexis’ Eerily Similar Relationship with Her Ex John: ‘Good Luck Trying to Be Me’
While Bellino and Janssen have made one public appearance together, the mom-of-three said it has taken Janssen time to warm back up to being in the public eye after his breakup.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, but he went on the red carpet with you,’” she said. “I asked him to. He did it for a favor for me because I wanted to go to that event. He doesn’t want me to go alone. He wanted to go with me.”
She added: “He’s not a fame w—-, trust me. He’s been asked to do a million interviews. The guy said no for, up till now, I mean, he just popped in just now.”
Alexis Bellino (left) and John Janssen (right). Amanda Edwards/Getty
Janssen also explained that “it’s been a dilemma” whether to stay away from the spotlight with Bellino because his experience doing so in the past has “hurt me” and caused false information to spread, in part due to what Storms Beador has been telling her costars.
“I’m not on the show, but I think I’m talked about more than anybody else, which is pretty surreal,” Janssen told King, referencing how Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson have particularly slammed him in multiple episodes so far. “They don’t know me. I’ve never even had a conversation with Emily Simpson, for example — and she definitely doesn’t like me, but she doesn’t know me. And they act as if they do.”
“My silence is largely responsible for people hating me and thinking I’m this bad person, because all of these things that have been said about me have taken hold as truth over the last 4 or 5 years. And it’s hurt me. It’s hurt me,” he added.