By Nicolas Ayala
In a narrative arc that even the most seasoned reality editors couldn’t have scripted better, Alexis Bellino — the indelible force from The Real Housewives of Orange County — is stepping into 2025 with a mix of glamour, grit, and a whole lot of personal reinvention. With an upcoming wedding that promises to shatter bridal stereotypes and a post-RHOC life that’s looking more empowered than ever, Bellino’s latest chapter feels less like a reality TV aftershock and more like a full-on superhero origin story.
From Bravo battlegrounds to bridal retreats: Alexis Bellino’s transformation is in full swing
After a tumultuous return to the Bravo franchise in season 18 — a comeback that polarized fans as much as it reignited old conflicts — Bellino has officially exited the RHOC universe. Not by choice, but with a sense of inevitability and, surprisingly, liberation. "I wasn’t asked back next season," Bellino revealed candidly during a guest spot on the Going Rogue podcast. But as any fan of her resilience knows, Bellino isn’t one to dwell on doors closing.
Instead, she’s been looking forward — and harder than ever. Her engagement to John Janssen, a relationship that blossomed swiftly and passionately in less than a year, has sparked not only a new romance but a redefinition of what celebration and love mean to her. And she’s doing it her way.
“We’re not doing a typical wedding”: Alexis Bellino’s planned nuptials promise to defy expectations
Bellino’s upcoming wedding to Janssen isn’t just another socialite soirée waiting to happen. It’s being carefully crafted to be as unconventional as her journey has been emotional. Speaking to People in April 2025, Alexis teased a ceremony that won’t follow a single traditional trope — including her gown, which she described as “out of the box” and “unconventional, head to toe.”
“I didn’t want to wear a wedding dress, I’m not walking down an aisle,” Bellino admitted just weeks after her August engagement. And yet, when she had her classic ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ moment, the experience flipped her vision on its head. “You think you want A, but then you try on B, C and D and you choose E,” she said. It’s the kind of emotional pivot that feels straight out of a comic book — where the hero tries on the suit and instantly knows it’s the one.
Her “bridal retreat” to Scottsdale, Arizona, with RHOC alum Jo De La Rosa (and a missed Tamra Judge) only added to the cinematic flair of her wedding preparations. Alexis documented the mission with the zeal of a Marvel heroine assembling her Avengers, singing “Chapel of Love” in an elevator and striking a near-nude pose in the bridal boutique modern bride. These aren’t just pre-wedding shenanigans — they’re emblematic of a woman reclaiming her narrative through joy, friendship, and a little bit of flair.
More than a reunion — Alexis Bellino’s final season reignited her star power, despite fan backlash
Bellino’s second stint on RHOC wasn’t about winning fans — many of whom clashed with her over her dynamic with Shannon Storms Beador — but about presence. And presence she had. Her involvement in the show’s most explosive storylines, especially those intertwined with her fiancé Janssen and Beador’s controversial legal battles, helped propel season 18 to the highest viewership in five years. According to TheWrap, Bellino helped the show hit 3.1 million total viewers.
“How do they bring someone back who is not a fan favorite vs. the fan favorite?” Alexis asked rhetorically, acknowledging her complex relationship with the audience. But like any iconic anti-hero, she didn’t need to be loved by everyone — she just needed to be relevant. And relevant she was.
Faith, hope, love — and a late mother’s blessing: Alexis Bellino’s engagement is steeped in personal meaning
One of the most poignant layers to Alexis’s love story with Janssen is the role she believes her late mother Penelope played in bringing them together. In an Instagram announcement that radiated both emotion and exultation, Bellino credited her mom with delivering a “gift” in the form of her fiancé. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love,” she wrote, echoing 1 Corinthians 13:13.
For a woman who’s weathered divorce, public scrutiny, and the stormy seas of reality fame, this message lands like a power-up. It’s not just a testament to her survival, but to her thriving — and that’s the real superhero takeaway.
Alexis Bellino’s story proves that reinvention doesn’t need to be quiet to be powerful
Alexis Bellino may no longer be fighting it out in the RHOC trenches, but she’s far from retired. With a non-traditional wedding on the horizon, a fiancé she genuinely loves, and a life she’s boldly shaping on her own terms, Bellino is showing us all what it means to evolve with style and substance.
She doesn’t need a camera crew to validate her journey anymore. And honestly, that makes her story — from reality rogue to real-life queen — all the more powerful.