RHOC stars Alexis Bellino, Tamra Judge, and Shannon Storms Beador shed new light on their past legal issues concerning Jim Bellino’s 2018 lawsuit.
Season 18 of the Real Housewives of Orange County has been the season of new and old lawsuits. Alexis Bellino‘s return to RHOC triggered old emotions to surface for Shannon Beador and Tamra Judge, who were engaged in a multi-year lawsuit with the 47-year-old’s ex-husband, Jim Bellino.
The three RHOC stars recently stopped by Bravo HQ to share their thoughts on the lingering issues between them following Jim’s 2018 lawsuit.
Alexis opened up about her connection to the 2018 lawsuit filed by her ex-husband against Tamra and Shannon.
“Anyone that would say, ‘It’s odd that Alexis has been around two men that have sued Shannon,’ I would say, ‘Yeah, it’s kind of crazy,’” Alexis noted.
She added, “I have nothing to do with either [lawsuit].”
Alexis’ ex-husband, Jim Bellino, filed a defamation lawsuit against Shannon and Tamra in 2018.
“I lost $300,000 defending myself, and I didn’t do anything wrong,” Shannon explained. “I won the case and the appeal.”
During the RHOC season 18 premiere, Tamra claimed she lost $500,000 from the lawsuit.
Although Alexis maintained that she was not involved in Jim’s lawsuit, Shannon has a different perspective on the 2018 drama.
“I really have zero interest in becoming friends with the woman who started the ball rolling on the defamation lawsuit that I had against her ex-husband,” Shannon said, noting that Alexis “denied that she wrote a [cease and desist] letter” connected to the case.
Shannon then shared that Alexis texted her about Jim’s plans to sue her and Tamra in 2018.
“We have engaged an attorney and will be suing you and Tamra,” Alexis wrote in the text. She later added, “You will be hearing from our attorney.”
When confronted about the text message, Alexis explained, “This is where Shannon thinks I was involved: I sent the text to Shannon and Tamra for my ex-husband at the time. He called me very upset. Someone gave me [Shannon’s] cell phone [number], so I texted her and Tamra and I said, you know, ‘Please just shut your mouth and this will be happening. Our attorney will be contacting you.’”
“My ex calls me and he’s super upset, and he’s just like, ‘Will you send them a text and just tell them that my attorney’s gonna reach out? And just let them know?’” she continued. “I said, ‘I want nothing to do with this. I don’t agree with it…He asked me to send some more texts or something. I’m like, ‘I’m out. I’m not a part of this.’”
Tamra agreed with Alexis, stating, “Alexis really wasn’t involved in [the lawsuit]. It was her ex-husband that filed it. Her name was not on it. There was nothing.”
Alexis pointed out: “There’s no court document that you will ever find my name on.”
However, Shannon disagreed.
“Alexis denies that she was involved at all, but she did send a cease-and-desist type letter to me,” the RHOC star said. “And I have it. So you did.”
Amid this, Alexis took to her Instagram to further defend herself against Shannon’s claims that she was involved in Jim’s lawsuit.
Alexis shared the text message she sent to Shannon and insisted that she’s “not a liar” and that “a test message is not a legal document.”
The 47-year-old wrote:
“I AM NOT A LIAR. ??Yes, I remember this text. (Swipe left) A text is not a legal document, which was the original accusation.
This text did not get the ball rolling, it was my attempt to stop the ball FROM rolling. It was sent to both Tamra and Shannon at Jim Bellino’s request in 2018 with hopes that they would stop attacking our family. And at a time our family was already in shambles from 6 months of our new divorce. Our kids were broken.
I never supported Jim suing them and once he began moving forward with the lawsuit, I told him I will neither condone nor support it. I was NEVER a part of this lawsuit. I AM NOT A LIAR. Be sure to tune into the reunion as further evidence that I’m not a liar is revealed. (FYI, Tamra apologized, and we have made up since this 2018 debacle.)”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.