After many months, I am finally breaking my silence.

It’s unfortunate that I have to speak out on matters that I have attempted to keep private, and that others continue to attempt to portray me and my family in a false light. These past few months have been a very difficult time for me and my family. Divorce is never an easy decision to make, and the fact that our three children are affected by the failure and breakdown of the relationship with my wife saddens us both deeply.

First off, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our family and friends, who have been there for us during this transition. I would also like to thank my legal team, attorney Geoff Neri and his firm, for their support dealing with the disgusting actions and statements of Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador. Many questions have been asked. The purpose of this blog post is to state the facts regarding this case and to bring everyone up to speed on what has transpired since.

My family and I have sadly been the target of slanderous statements made by Tamra Judge that date back to 2011, when she publicly called me a “Faux Christian,” despite the fact that I hold a degree in theology. I find it preposterous for her to make such statements about me when she has chosen to make her supposed Christianity a plotline for a reality show by getting baptized in a swimming pool and then still continuing to act in a debaucherous manner for television. In my opinion, these acts seem to be coming from an extremely fame-hungry individual who is desperate for a storyline and frantically trying to keep her reality TV job by somehow remaining relevant.

In 2012, completely unprovoked, Tamra Judge called me a “cocaine dealer,” which is ironic, considering I have never in my life taken any illegal substance of any kind. Once again, this was a desperate comment made publicly to harm me personally with zero regard as to how this would affect me, my work, my wife, or our small children.

These destructive comments seem to be Tamra Judge’s principle weapon of choice to use against whomever she decides to target. She has admitted to making up lies and has targeted her venomous comments toward every single cast member she has ever worked with on The Real Housewives of Orange County. She has publicly used that same vile and venomous commentary on her previous husbands, her children, and fans of the show. In my opinion, she will say and do anything to try and keep her name spinning in the public eye by causing some sort of controversy.

Her harassment and degradation of me continued despite legal warnings to cease and desist; it continued despite pleas asking her to stop and mind her own business, even after it was established that what Tamra was saying about me was having a negative and damaging impact on my family, and my personal and professional life. In addition, all of her deeply harmful words were not merely reserved for viewers of Bravo, as she has made all manner of hate-filled comments about me on social media, on talk radio, and during interviews on other television networks.

In June of 2018, she crossed the line once again, and I felt forced into protecting my family and my reputation by filing a legal action against her and Shannon Beador for their slanderous comments.

After filing for divorce from Alexis on June 21, 2018, which was already the most painful and difficult experience of my life, I learned that there were vicious statements spreading about me, statements made by Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador during a podcast taping of Heather MacDonald’s “Juicy Scoop” podcast. In watching the video footage of the show, recorded in front of a studio audience of over 300 people, it is obvious that this segment was a premeditated setup and attack orchestrated by Heather McDonald and Tamra Judge. Tamra even admits on the video that she and Heather McDonald exchanged numerous text messages discussing me and my family before deciding to make all of that fodder for Heather’s show.

With a large movie screen image of me and my ex-wife with a tear between us on display behind them, Tamra Judge says to the audience, and this is a direct quote:

Jim Bellino, “He’s going to go to jail. Yeah, he’s a shady motherfucker!”

[Obviously, these statements made by Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, and Heather MacDonald were lies, which is why I sued them.]

Tamra, Shannon, and Heather decided it would be self-promoting to use my very sad personal family situation for their personal, financial, and celebrity gain. I knew when I heard it that if I didn’t take legal action, there would be no end to their depravity — after taking years of verbal abuse and slander from Judge, this was truly the last straw. This, I knew, would be a defining moment — I chose to react and defend myself. If I were to have retreated, the abuse would have continued on and on as it has for years.

Tamra’s longstanding abuse of the reality TV platform is so disgusting to me. In my opinion, she has used Bravo TV and The Real Housewives of Orange County TV series to get away with all manner of manipulation, bullying, and abuse, all without facing any consequences from Bravo or her uninformed cult following.

Tamra, using the power you wield as a public figure and as woman to try to emasculate and reduce a man for whom you have exhibited nothing but pure, unadulterated contempt is sad and desperate on your part. I am a Christian father who was clearly devoted to his wife and children. All of this coming from a woman whose own life is nothing if not the portrait of failed marriages and failed child-rearing.

I hope this blog is helpful in answering the questions that have been asked, and it is also my hope that you, as the reader of this blog, now have a better understanding of my position and the reason I felt it was necessary to bring legal action against Tamra Barney Judge and Shannon Beador.

In closing, I know many of you feel the same way I do about Tamra Judge, and some of you have also been victims. I am committed and resolved to stand up for myself and the many others who have been forced to endure Tamra Judge’s malicious attacks for such a long time. It may take years to rehabilitate my reputation, both personally and professionally, and undo the damage done, but I am not going to give up. I will do whatever it takes to clear my name, protect my family, and be vindicated. I wish all of you the best, encourage you not to give in to bullies, and appreciate all the support I have received during these trying times.

