I think it’s fair to say that Alexis Bellino and Gretchen Rossi‘s friendship is over. The two have squared off all season and this week’s episode of Real Housewives of Orange County featured a pretty heated exchange between the two former besties about loyalty and friendship responsibilities.
In fact, the in-fighting and fragmentation of former friends has equaled a big ratings jump for Bravo’s least watched Housewives series! LALate News is reporting that Tuesday’s episode was the number five most watched cable show for 18-49 year-olds and garnered 2.1 million viewers. Pretty solid!
Proving that big animosity means big drama, Alexis shares her perspective in her Bravo Blog. And, Alexis all but declares her friendship to Gretchen over! Clearly, Alexis has not moved past Gretchen outing her nose job to enemy, Tamra Barney! “Why would Gretchen even mention my surgery to that group? What purpose did that serve? How foolish and juvenile!,” Alexis seethes.
“First off, it’s no one else’s business what procedure I’m getting done. Why does everyone seem so interested in my personal life when I’m not including them in it? Yes, I have been talking about a nose job for years, but I have NEVER HAD THE NERVE TO DO IT!”
“So when Tamra says ‘Just own it,’ HELLO! I am owning it. I’m doing the procedure on national television. . .I don’t think there is any hiding in that!;” Alexis reminds us.
And as to allegations that she was being defensive, she is owning that too! “Yes, I’m defensive because all of you are talking about me! That would make anyone defensive, and frankly, buzz off! I’m not looking for a fight.”
“The most difficult part of this entire evening is seeing Gretchen turn on me. Last year she would have stood up for me if Tamra was attacking me,” Alexis declares.
“I have been by Gretchen’s side for two years now. Gretchen says she didn’t get involved because I was handling myself just fine, and that I never got in the middle of she and Tamra. I spent numerous occasions defending Gretchen to Tamra, especially in group settings.”
“The bottom line is, if anyone I knew, friend or not, was talking about Gretchen the way Tamra was talking about me that night, I would have defended Gretchen. I knew at that moment I was on my own island. It really hurts my heart to know that I don’t have Gretchen to back me. Only time will tell if our friendship can sustain.”
Jim Bellino is also getting in on the action to defend his wife. The retired Househusband took to his personal blog to explain how loyalty works and describe how certain people haven’t figured it out yet!
“The major difference between real life and reality TV is that in real life, what someone thinks about you either never gets back to you, or it takes a while—it’s part of a social process that takes time and many leaky sources. On reality TV, you find out fast—and it’s brutal, and there are no holds barred,” Jim explains.
“Loyalties become extra fickle when there’s a third party helping viewers decide what to think,” Jim assets. “How people on reality TV treat one another changes every episode. How can this be?”
“How cast mates regard each other in their private interviews changes more than the weather—and what’s worse, some of the audience watching the show changes their opinion of someone based on what their favorite cast mate on the show says.” I hate to say it, but, Jim makes a lot of good points in his blog. Who’s really writing them, Jim?
“Loyalty is nine-tenths of the law—Alexis and I are not interested in bandwagon friends, and you shouldn’t be either,” Jim concludes.
Finally, Vicki Gunvalson is speaking out about the horrendous fight she had with on-and-off-camera nemesis, Gretchen. “My thought on the never-ending bunco episode is “true embarrassment.” Am I disgusted at myself and how I lost my temper with Gretchen and Slade [Smiley]? One word — absolutely!;” Vicki starts off explaining in her Bravo blog.
And, Vicki is wasting no time explaining the difference between Brooks Ayers‘ child support arrest and Slade’s! “Gretchen and Slade were both just trying to make a case for their innocence for Slade’s past child support issues.”
“Fact is, once they found out that Brooks had been arrested for back child support several years ago, they felt it was a way to make Slade look better or equal by bringing Brooks into it.” Really, there is no way to make a deadbeat dad “look better” – it’s scummy no matter which way you spin it, ladies!
“Instead of questioning Brooks directly, they decided to attack me when I was most vulnerable and going through a very rough time in my life,” Vicki shares. Which is interesting considering Gretchen was complaining that Vicki has never directly asked her about Slade’s issues.
Giving some background on why she does not get along with Slade, Vicki reveals it all goes back to the beginning of Housewives time. “The issue with Slade and myself stems back all the way to Season 1 seven years ago when he was dating Jo [de la Rosa]. He lied about dating Lauri [Waring] after Jo and him broke up, and he treated all the ladies like we were second class citizens or beneath him.”
“When Tamra and I called Slade a deadbeat dad several years ago, it was because of him bashing us on and off camera and it was our way of getting back to him where it hurt.”
“I have kept trying to see the “good” in Slade and move on, however he just keeps stirring things up. Why does he continue to stir up trouble? What other man does that to women?,” she wonders. “I really think he thrives on the drama so he gets more airtime.”
“Brooks has never, nor would he ever, verbally attack a woman. . .EVER. One word comes to mind that I think Slade should consider is — chivalry. Where I come from and how I was raised, men are to treat women with respect and class. This is something Slade doesn’t seem to be able to do. You either have it or you don’t.”
“Slade you might want to take some lessons from Brooks, Jim, Eddie [Judge], Terry [Dubrow], and the previous male RHOC-ers who have never verbally attacked a women.” Dang, pretty harsh, albeit true!
Vicki makes it clear she has not made amends with the serial Housewives schtuper. “Class, integrity, and character are something you cannot buy or wish for. . .you either have it or you don’t and for Slade to do what he did in front of 300 people was disgusting and made me very sad.”
Vicki is also speaking out defending herself for attending Bunco night and appearing on film in the midst of daughter, Briana Wolfsmith‘s, health issues. Taking to Twitter, Vicki explains she has had a surprisingly low profile during filming! “The family emergency was my first priority and I stopped filming much of the time. Briana was my 1st priority an always will be,” she insisted.
ARE ALEXIS AND GRETCHEN STILL FRIENDS? DOES JIM HAVE A POINT ABOUT REALITY TV LOYALTY? IS VICKI A HYPOCRITE OR DOES SHE MAKE SOME FAIR POINTS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BROOKS AND SLADE?
