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The Real Housewives of Orange County reunion concludes, but not before John‘s interview footage comes out. Alexis continues to defend her man, but Tamra realizes that she is on the wrong side of history with Shannon. It’s not until AFTER the reunion that the whole story emerges, causing the group to rally around Shannon for support.
Alexis is delulu, claiming to be have been on TV for fifteen years- a real TV star- and Shannon suggests they pull up Alexis’s IMDB to check. Alexis refers to Shannon as “bitter” and wonders why Shannon continuously talks about John. Andy reminds Alexis that Shannon talks about him because he is suing her.
When it comes to the way John treats women, Gina can also vouch that she heard about an ugly side of him. Alexis claimed that John was “hangry,” which would explain why he was so short with her. Alexis continues to defend her man, just like Shannon used to do in seasons’ past. Andy points out that it seems like Shannon confided things about John to all of the women, but did not want them to say it on the show.
Shannon reminds everyone that the only negative thing she said about John was that she paid for everything; however, Alexis claims they did forensic accounting and can prove that John spent $350,000 during the relationship. Is she John’s fiancé or his accountant? If John spent all of that on Shannon, Andy ponders why John did not sue Shannon for more.
Nothing Alexis says makes sense. Loans cannot be paid back in legal plans and the petty engagement photos with the lemons and Ferragamo shoes was CLEARLY a dig at Shannon. Heather feels like John still wants to be in the spotlight based on his dating and legal choices.
On cue, John’s interview footage gets shown. In it, he claims he was single for a YEAR before he met Alexis and Shannon is aghast. Although they did briefly break up the day before Thanksgiving in 2022, they were back together up until 10 days after the DUI. Alexis refers to Shannon and Emily as the bullies, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, which naturally sets Emily off. Emily calls Alexis the “dumbest girl” she has ever met, but it’s interesting to find out it was Emily who brought Alexis on the show. Did anyone else catch her whispering about that to Tamra?!
No one understands what Shannon is doing to ruin John’s reputation and Alexis stutters though an explanation, desperately trying to defend Johnny J. Even Andy yells that Shannon has moved on- she is certainly not obsessed with John!
I thought this was a reunion- not court…In the clip of John, he states that Shannon needed money to pay her bills ($40,00 worth) AND that he sent her a promissory note (AFTER he gave her the money, but that’s not how it works). John made sure to state they had a “volatile” relationship.
Emily cannot understand why John wouldn’t accept Shannon’s full offer with the non-disparagement agreement. And everyone, even Jenn and Katie, Alexis’s besties, admits that the timing of the lawsuit is VERY strange. Why did John wait to sue Shannon just as the cameras went back up? John claims it had to do with the statute of limitations, but it is interesting that John never asked Shannon to pay him any amount back.
Regarding the videos of Shannon on the night of her DUI, John claims he has no intentions of anyone ever seeing them (since that would be extortion), yet he still has said videos in his possession. John offers to let Shannon see the videos (with Alexis in the room) and claims, “If she [Shannon] wants to see what a monster looks like, she can view those videos.” Alexis regrets the timing of bringing the videos up, but she refuses to apologize for defending her man.
Shannon makes it clear that the videos John is threatening are disparaging, as well as the false statements he said about her in his clip. He should have agreed upon a mutual non-disparagement agreement and anyway, now that filming is over, what’s the problem? Alexis wants to coexist with Shannon- LOL- and Andy wishes Alexis good luck with the wedding planning.
After Alexis leaves the stage, Emily states, “every trash can needs a lid and John Janssen found his,” referring to Alexis. Emily can’t get over how Jenn could be friends with Alexis, who displays the ultimate mean girl behavior. Jenn reminds everyone that she just met Alexis and has told Alexis that she needs to bow out of this law suit stuff. Emily cannot understand why everyone is complicit with Alexis’s consistently bad behavior.
Andy mentions that Tamra quietly defended Shannon a few times over the course of the Alexis catastrophe. Shannon appreciates Tamra’s support and hugs her, falling back into the “let’s move on” cycle again. Jenn knows Tamra’s schtick and calls it BS. Shannon is finally proud of the person she has become and who she will continue to become.
Andy feels like the reunion has ended better than he expected and discusses Shannon finding lifelines within the group to support her. Tamra feels happy to be able to move forward with Shannon and admits to not liking what she saw of herself on the show this year. Emily and Gina are good with everyone; Heather is appreciative of the way they are all about to talk to each other, yes even with Katie.
As a parting gift, the NFL provided the ladies with personalized jerseys for their next flag football game (here’s to hoping we will never have to see them playing that again, though). Heather leads the toast to the historic season ending. The end…
Until 36 hours later…Heather has waited 7 months to drop this information about John. Heather claims that she was not withholding information, but is now ready to address it with Tamra, Gina, Emily, and Shannon.
The night of the finale party, Tamra, Eddie, Heather, Terry, Alexis, and John went to dinner. John told Heather that he heard Shannon’s crash, something Shannon has wondered about for a long time. According to Tamra, when John took off to check on Shannon after the crash, his daughter stopped him since they were in the midst of a messy argument.
John admitted it was not a good night and allegedly claimed that Shannon punched him.
A rocked Shannon cannot remember what she did that night and worries about how bad THE video could be. Gina reminds Shannon that no matter what happens, Shannon will take responsibility for it, just like she has done this past year. Tamra sucks Shannon back in by saying she was only coming “from a place of love” and claims she wasn’t friends with Alexis just to get back at Shannon. I’m not buying it, but Shannon is willing to move forward. Shannon feels love around her and hopefully she heeds Gina’s advice to get better taste in men. Amen to that!
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS RHOC SEASON 18 REUNION FINALE?
