Jim Bellino shared his thoughts on Alexis Bellino and John Janssen‘s relationship during a recent interview with Kelly Dodd and her husband, Rick Leventhal.
Days after Alexis, 47, confirmed she and John, 61, were engaged after just nine months of dating and as their romance continues to be front and center on The Real Housewives of Orange County, Jim, 62, revealed his reaction to the couple, addressed claims of John being an “opportunist,” and spoke of their upcoming nuptials.
“I’m devastated, can you tell?” Jim joked on Patreon’s The Rick & Kelly Show after being asked about Alexis and John.
“Honestly, I check in with my children. I’m a good dad. I’m a very proactive dad. What I really care about is how the person that Alexis is with affects my children,” he explained, getting serious. “I hear nothing but good things. He’s great with my kids. He’s very engaged with my kids as well, and I’m not a hater dad. I have an amazing relationship with my children. I’m a firm believer in speaking to your personal experiences with people. I’ve never spent 10 minutes with the guy. My opinion is my experience that my kids have to say and my own experience with him, and I don’t have anything negative to say.”
Since Alexis and John went public with their relationship in late 2023, Alexis has been accused by some of breaking “girl code.” But according to Jim, he knows that she did not.
“I don’t agree with how Alexis has handled this season but I also — let me just speak to this: Should Alexis be, like, in Shannon’s face, and is it a girl code regarding this relationship? Alexis and Shannon were never friends, never knew each other,” he stated. “I was with Alexis when Shannon was with her ex-husband [David Beador], maybe seven years ago, and they said, ‘hi,’ we were on the show, they weren’t. So there’s no engagement there. There’s no girl code. Shannon was broken up for one year. Alexis and John Janssen have done nothing wrong regarding being in this relationship, and this is being way overplayed.”
As Alexis faces claims from her critics, John has also been slammed online with some accusing him of using her for fame.
“I find that funny … I don’t see John on camera at all so I don’t think he’s an opportunist. If he was an opportunist, he’d be filming,” Jim stated. “So I have to say, and I’m not a proponent or an advocate of John Janssen, I have my own opinions, but I don’t believe he is with Alexis for an opportunity to be on the show.”
Jim couldn’t speak much to John’s character because he hadn’t spent enough time with him. However, they did have one run-in at his restaurant, Jimmy B’s.
“He’s very shy. He was a gentleman. He was with his daughters,” Jim recalled.
When Jim was then asked if he’d be happy when Alexis and John wed because it would mean he would no longer have to pay her alimony, Jim seemingly denied that was the case.
“That’s actually something I can’t comment on regarding the alimony because that’s an up-in-the-air subject whether alimony would stop or not,” he explained.
Also during the interview, Jim was asked if he’d be invited to Alexis and John’s wedding.
“One hundred percent no, but I’m fine with that,” he replied. “I wouldn’t invite her to my wedding. [But] I think they’re genuinely happy. I do.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.