'RHOC' Stars Shannon Beador & Alexis Bellino Finally Clash Over John Janssen

Season 18 of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County" kicked off with the first clash between Shannon Beador and Alexis Bellino over their love triangle with John Janssen.

Venomous words were spilled, misunderstandings brewed, and the promise of more heated altercations left a chill in the air.

The beef between Shannon Beador and Alexis Bellino started when the latter's ex-husband dropped a defamation lawsuit against the 60-year-old and co-star Tamra Judge.

When Bellino started dating Beador's ex-boyfriend, Janssen, many expected the women to clash on "RHOC." However, the duo blew fans' expectations out of the park, with neither willing to back down or accept the other's narrative.

On the July 11 episode, Beador still peeved about Bellino's ex-husband Jim Bellino's 2018 defamation lawsuit, called out the latter for playing a part in the incident. Although she won her case in 2020, the 60-year-old stressed that it wasn't without financial losses.

"I've been upset that you were involved in the lawsuit where your husband sued me and, as a single mom, I don't want to tear up, but for three years, I went through such emotional and financial difficulties," Beador lamented, per E! News, adding:

"I lost $300,000 defending myself for something that I didn't even do. And you started the lawsuit by sending me a cease and desist letter. You're part of it, Alexis."

Beador stressed that she had zero interest in befriending Bellino, saying: "I can be in a room with you, but I'm not interested in being best buddies. And I hope you can understand that." To her surprise, the latter happily agreed, citing her relationship with Janssen.

"I'm not asking to be best buddies. I know this is uncomfortable for both of us when you're the ex, and I'm the new," Bellino replied, stressing that Beador's anger over the defamation lawsuit was misplaced.

"Show me the proof of my name on anything because Jim and I had been divorced for six months when he sued you. I had nothing to do with it," the 47-year-old argued.

In her confessional, she noted that Beador's anger against her likely stemmed from Janssen instead of the defamation case.

During her confessional, Bellino confessed to being "baffled" by Beador's behavior, saying, "None of it's the root of the problem. The root of the problem is you're mad that I have a boyfriend, and you're not gonna win the battle with him."

She did not hide her feelings in her confrontation with Beador, advising the 60-year-old to move on from something that happened years ago. However, the latter proved Bellino's point about Janssen being the real problem when she referenced their relationship.

"Are you gonna write me a check for 300,000 dollars? John was there that whole time knowing the anguish that I went through," Beador fired back, prompting Bellino to quip:

"I think what the real issue is here is that I have your ex-boyfriend. Guess what? Move on. We're moving forward with our relationship."

Following her clap back, Bellino stormed out but could not make her grand exit before Beador threw one last jab at her. The 60-year-old yelled, "You know what, take John Janssen, and I thank you for taking him from me!"

Beador's last attempt at hurting Bellino's feelings fell flat because the latter reminded her of a painful truth about her relationship with Janssen. "And I'm thankful that he left you," she quipped, rubbing salt in the 60-year-old's deepest wound.

"RHOC" fans may recall that Beador confessed to being blindsided by the end of her relationship with Janssen. He reportedly broke up with her one week after filming for the show's Season 17 ended.

Days before her heated confrontation with Beador aired, The Blast reported that Bellino had addressed their love triangle in a candid interview. She explained that she owed the 60-year-old nothing despite dating her ex-boyfriend, saying:

"I didn't know Shannon, so I did not break girl code. I didn't owe anyone anything, and I wasn't doing anything to rub anything in anyone's face. It was literally timing, and that's why it's reality TV because you cannot write this script."

Alexis Bellino and Shannon Beador's fight on "RHOC" season 18's premiere spells trouble for future encounters. But how will they react with John Janssen in the room?