‘RHOC’ star Alexis Bellino believes her late mom played a role in fiancé John Janssen entering her life

Fans of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” know the drama surrounding Alexis Bellino’s relationship with John Janssen has been at the forefront of Season 18. The backlash online has been intense, but there’s more to Alexis’ story than viewers know.

The hate has been strong toward John and Alexis ever since they went Instagram official with their relationship in December 2023, because John is the ex of cast member Shannon Storms Beador. Shannon and Alexis never overlapped on their seasons of “RHOC” until Season 18, which premiered in July. The relationship has even impacted friendships among the women on the cast.

In an interview with TODAY.com, Alexis opens up about her relationship with fiancé John, her steadfast faith, her friendships with Heather Dubrow and Tamra Judge, and if she regrets returning to “RHOC” (she does).

Alexis, who was a main cast member from Seasons 5-8, returned earlier this year as a friend of the show and explained in the premiere episode that she met John in November 2023 at The Quiet Woman restaurant, which has been the location of much “RHOC” lore over the years.

Alexis says John “didn’t have to do or say anything” in the moment to woo her, that it was just their “chemistry,” which she describes as “unspoken.”

The two started off in separate booths, and as she was preparing to leave, one of their mutual friends approached her and suggested Alexis meet John. Alexis explains the friend’s intentions weren’t to set them up romantically.

“It was happenstance, and it was amazing,” she continues. “And we tried to fight it for a little bit, and it didn’t work.”

John entered Alexis’ life not long after her mom died in August 2023, which was a time Alexis says her Christian faith was “definitely challenged.”

“God stuck by me, and now I’m strong again,” she says.

Alexis also believes her late mom may have played a role in bringing John into her life.

“When we decided we definitely couldn’t fight it and we were going to be more (than friends), I did immediately think my mom is who had him walk into my life,” she says.

Alexis explains she was “not in any mindset of looking for another relationship at the time that he walked into my life.”

“We started as friends, which I think is what’s so amazing about it, is we had so much in common — faith part of it, our children,” she continues, adding their pasts were sort of “parallel.”

“It was just natural, but then it was awesome because — we both were fighting the feeling of more, but we stayed friends and we really tried,” she says.

In Alexis’ first season on the show, she was married to her now ex-husband Jim Bellino. She explained at the time how they put God first, ahead of their marriage and children.

Alexis says that mindset will “definitely be the case” in her eventual marriage to John, to whom she got engaged in August 2024 on their nine-month anniversary.

“We already kind of mimic that now, even though we’re just fiancé, but it’ll definitely continue,” she says, adding faith is one of their “connections.”

“I think it’s hard not to be equally yoked with somebody,” Alexis adds.

She says she and John had discussed the possibility of getting engaged and had “already been ring shopping.”

“We knew we were going to do it,” she explains, adding she didn’t expect the proposal at that point in time amid “bad press” and “the negativity” in their lives.

“I just thought he was going to wait until the show finished filming and airing,” she says.

“I knew it was coming, but I just didn’t expect that moment.”

Alexis likens her and John’s blended family to “The Brady Bunch,” given that they're each bringing in three children from previous relationships.

“It’s awesome,” she says. “I mean, there is an age gap between them. His children are 20s and 30s, my kids are teenagers still.”

Alexis shares son James, 18, and twins Mackenna and Miles, 16, with her ex-husband Jim. In 2022, Alexis introduced her transgender son, Miles, to fans in a moving Instagram post.

She says John’s daughters treat her kids “like they’re their kids” and watch out for her twins on family trips.

“It’s really cool to see it,” Alexis adds. “I know once my kids finish college, they’ll all kind of be in the same realm. I don’t think the 10-year age difference will matter at that point.”

She also says that parenting has been “the greatest gift” of her life, and she’s “proud” to not only be a mom, but an LGBTQ+ parent.

Alexis has become especially close to co-star Heather in the last few years, not only because they both are parents to LGBTQ+ children, but because they “have a lot in common.”

“She’s a rock for me,” Alexis says, adding, “It’s just nice to have someone that’s an open ear that does have … some similar circumstances.”

Another friend who has been invaluable to Alexis in Season 18 is cast member Tamra Judge.

“We are kind of besties,” Alexis says of Tamra, adding that the two “talk several times a week — if not every day.”

“She’s just really been supportive of me, especially with everything that’s going on in the media currently, but we have a lot in common, too,” she continues.

Though she and Tamra clashed on “RHOC” in earlier seasons, Alexis says they “decided to put the past” behind them at BravoCon 2023, adding they had “a very deep discussion” in the middle of the night.

“We just cried together, laughed together, reminisced and just said, ‘Look, we’re just going to put this behind us.’”

Alexis will soon be seeing Tamra and the rest of the cast when they film the show’s reunion. She says her recent engagement “has nothing to do with” how she feels going into the reunion with the women.

“It’s the most exciting time of my life right now,” she says, “but I’m nervous about the reunion. I think every woman is, and if they say they’re not, I feel like they’re probably not telling the truth.”

At the same time, Alexis says she’s feeling “confident.”

“I know I have truth on my side,” she explains. “So, I’m ready.”

As for if Alexis regrets returning to TV, she says with a laugh, “If I’m going to answer that completely honest, I have regretted coming back just because of the hate that we’re getting.”

She explains she’s “really just sad” because her “entire story is not being shown.”

“I’m a 'friend of,' and as that, it’s very one-dimensional, and I feel that if the audience really got to see a lot more than what is being shown — there’s a lot being left out — I wouldn’t be having the reaction from the audience.”

“The Real Housewives of Orange County” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the following day on Peacock.

(Peacock is part of our parent company, NBCUniversal.)

This article was originally published on TODAY.com