Alexis Bellino Dating John Janssen, Shannon Beador's Ex, amid Rumored “RHOC” Return (Exclusive)
The couple have formed "a natural connection," an insider close to the pair tells PEOPLE
Nydia Alvarez
Alexis Bellino and John JanssenAlexis Bellino has a new romance in her life, and it's someone who will be familiar to Real Housewives of Orange County viewers.
PEOPLE can confirm the reality star is officially dating John Janssen, the ex-boyfriend of Shannon Storms Beador.
The two met through mutual friends last month at Orange County eatery The Quiet Woman, one of Storms Beador's frequent stomping grounds and the location of one of the most infamous moments in RHOC history. They've been going strong ever since.
"Currently, they’re not using labels like boyfriend or girlfriend, but they've been spending a lot of time together and have been enjoying learning about each other," a source close to the pair tells PEOPLE.
Related: Shannon Beador 'Blindsided' as Boyfriend John Janssen Ends Their Romance, 3½ Years Into Dating
Bellino, 46, and Janssen, 60, are both recently out of relationships.
In September, PEOPLE confirmed Bellino and her fiancé Andy Bohn had split, ending their engagement three years after he proposed in December 2020. Last November, meanwhile, Janssen pulled the plug on his romance with Storms Beador, a week after filming wrapped on season 17 of the hit Bravo series. The two remained friends but stopped speaking in late September, not long after her she was arrested for a DUI.
Difficult times have bonded Bellino and Janssen, according to the source. "The two have been supportive companions as they navigate newly single life," the insider says. "This common background paired with a mutual attraction has made it easy for Alexis and John to form a natural connection."
Their romance comes as rumors have been spreading about a possible RHOC return for Bellino for the show's upcoming 18th season, which begins filming in January. The mother of three left the series after season 8, capping off a four-season run on the show.
Amanda Edwards/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Alexis Bellino and Shannon Storms BeadorBravo doesn't comment on casting and did not respond to PEOPLE's request for confirmation, but Emily Simpson — who is returning as a Housewife next season, per a source — told Page Six late last month that she'd like to see Bellino come back to rile up Storms Beador.
"I want to see that! That is good TV,” said the 47-year-old RHOC star. "I’m sorry, but bring Alexis back and let Shannon spiral out of control."
Storms Beador has yet to comment on the pairing, though PEOPLE has reached out to a rep for the star for comment. She and Bellino have never crossed paths on RHOC, but Storms Beador has history with the alum's ex-husband Jim Bellino, who sued her and Tamra Judge for defamation in 2018.
As PEOPLE reported in October 2020, Storms Beador won the case, though has since said she lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process of defending herself. Years later, and hours before she was arrested for her DUI in September, Storms Beador reportedly spotted Alexis at a restaurant in Orange County.
"I witnessed her shouting obscenities at me from across a restaurant, immediately prior to her very unfortunate arrest," Alexis told Page Six last month, stressing that that incident was odd because "Shannon Beador and I have never worked together or interacted."
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She went on to note that Storms Beador's alleged outburst has nothing to do with Janssen, as the two hadn't ever spoken yet.
“John Janssen and I are two people who met by happenstance,” Bellino said. “We are discovering that we’re in similar places in our lives, as divorced parents both emerging from recent heartbreak because of relationships ending."
"I look forward to hanging out with my new friend," she said.
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