Jim Bellino addressed claims that he and Alexis Bellino seem to never have their children while appearing on a podcast on Sunday.
As he also said he’d love to appear alongside Tamra Judge, 57, on an episode of Watch What Happens Live, claimed he was paying Alexis, 47, “too much” in support, and shared his thoughts about her potential return to The Real Housewives of Orange County, Jim, 62, revealed where his “Jimmy B.” nickname came about and shaded a custody “lie.”
“That’s a lie,” Jim declared on the November 10 episode of the Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef podcast after being asked about claims of not seeing his three kids. “First of all, my son’s in college right now … I saw him today. My twins are staying with me tonight for two days. We have 50/50 custody and as you know, my kids will be 17 next month. They can stay wherever they want.”
“I don’t agree with a lot of the things that [Alexis] does but we’re amicable,” he continued. “We have a great parenting relationship. We respect each other as parents. Our kids stay where they want to stay.”
After first stating that he does not like Eddie Judge, 51, Jim seemed to have a thing or two to say to Tamra, who he previously sued for defamation, as well.
“Somebody asked if I would ever go back to the Real Housewives of Orange County and I said, ’No, but put me on Watch What Happens Live with Tamra because it’s a lot that could happen,” he teased.
As for the possibility of filming alongside Alexis on RHOC, if that would help her storyline, Jim declined.
“No. Why do I want Alexis to get paid? I already pay her too much money. She doesn’t need any more money,” he shared during another segment of the Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef podcast.
That said, he wasn’t completely against Alexis making a full-time return to the show, although he noted that he wouldn’t go back if it were up to him.
“I don’t think anybody should go on as a friend. You don’t make money, first of all. So no. If she goes back as a full housewife … To go through what Alexis went through this year, I wouldn’t go back but I think, I have my own feelings about how she was edited and how she behaved,” he explained.
According to Jim, Alexis’ actions and her edit, which she blamed for her negative portrayal, was “a perfect match” for the show.
Also on the podcast, Jim was asked which came first, Jimmy B. or Johnny J., which is what Alexis calls fiance John Janssen, 62.
“She never named me Jimmy B. She always called me Jim,” he revealed. “How Jimmy B came about, I have a restaurant in Palm Springs and somebody had suggested that I name it after myself and I’m like, ‘I don’t really want to do that. I wanted to do a steakhouse.’ But then realizing from the show, I’m pretty well known in Palm Springs from my restaurant and other things, I graduated from Palm Springs High School, that I called it Jimmy B’s.”
“I was divorced for five years before — she’s never called me that,” he added.
