If Alexis Bellino thought returning to The Real Housewives of Orange County would be a breeze, she got a nice dose of reality during Thursday’s new episode.
The former series regular has been going to bat with Shannon Beador throughout Season 18, and it’s overshadowed her first season back.
Instead of forging natural connections with the women, she’s been far too invested in getting involved in her boyfriend, John Janssen’s drama with Shannon.
Recent episodes have indicated that a legal war is brewing between Shannon and her ex-boyfriend over money he alleges loaned her for cosmetic surgery.
Shannon has vehemently denied owing John a dime and maintained that she paid for everything for him during their relationship.
At the top of Thursday’s episode, she detailed how it was John’s daughter’s birthday and how she footed the bill for a $10,000 family trip to the London Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Shannon claimed that she had been nothing but generous to John. She couldn’t comprehend why he was coming after her for this sum of money she claimed she never agreed to pay back in the first place.
When it seemed like the drama was dying down due to Alexis being in Big Bear with Tamra Judge, Katie Ginella, and Jennifer Pedranti, a phone call from John changed everything.
Alexis has a meltdown
As the ladies prepared to leave Tamra’s picturesque vacation home, Alexis melted down and screamed, “The gloves are off.”
It’s hard to tell if it was the editing or Alexis not wanting the audience to hear much because this is John’s business, but it wasn’t a seamless turn of events.
“What Shannon is doing now, I’m going to fricken lose it,” Alexis complained to Katie.
Alexis then took to a confessional and said she knows lots about Shannon her nemesis “probably wouldn’t want anyone else to know.”
She later told Katie that the tea would “ruin” Shannon’s life.
When a producer probed Alexis to elaborate on what happened on the phone, she wouldn’t give any substantial information.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss what happened that pushed John to the limit. That is a question everyone would have to ask him,” she said.
Shannon comes clean about the legal drama
At the end of the explosive installment, Shannon revealed to Tamra Judge that her lawyer had sent John an offer, and his lawyer had fired back, saying that they wouldn’t accept anything less than what was owed.
“So, I am not making monthly payments to John Janssen. It’s not going to happen. I’m not going to go through three years of hell again,” Shannon said through tears.
The episode also shows a flash-forward of Shannon hearing about the Ring footage Alexis had told the ladies about.
Oh, boy, this season is getting more dramatic by the week, and we’re here for it.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo on Thursdays at 9/8c. Stream Seasons 1-18 on Peacock.