Alexis Bellino Not Returning to RHOC: 'I Was Not Asked Back'

The reality star announced her exit from the Bravo franchise while guest hosting the Going Rogue podcast.

"I was not asked back next season," she told guests Roxy Earle (of The Real Housewives of Toronto) and Carlos King (of the Reality with the King podcast).

"I can't say it came as a shock, it did not come as a shock," Alexis continued. "It was a hard conversation. I guess I wasn't really prepared [because] I didn't think contracts were coming out -- like, I thought we had more time. [So] it was a shock when the call came, but I was never shocked about that information."

"It was a little bit of a relief," she added. "I mean nobody wants the rejection, and no one wants to [hear] you're not asked back. But it already happened to me. It happened to me in season 8. I've been there, done that!"

She revealed that she is still working on her friendship with Tamra Judge and Heather Dubrow after feeling hurt by what they said to Shannon Storms Beador in the season finale.

"I didn't know after that scene, how do I fit in?" Alexis explained. "I still thought there might be a way they can make it work for everybody to come back. But you know, the cards played the way they did."

"How do they bring someone back who is not a fan favorite vs. the fan favorite?" she noted, referencing Storms Beador. "And I get that."

Bellino made her debut on RHOC Season 4 and left after Season 8. She then made her return to the series after a 10 year absence for Season 17.

While it was a welcome return at first, fans turned on the mother of three as she began to cause friction with Storms Beador.

Her exit comes after Alexis' ex-husband Jim Bellino sued Storms Beador for defamation in 2018 -- however Storms Beador won the case in October 2020. Alexis is currently engaged to Beador's ex-boyfriend, John Janssen.