I can’t help but feel that the Real Housewives of New Jersey really missed out on an opportunity to shine. The lack of cameras surrounding the ongoing Manzo feud has left fans disappointed. With the last few seasons lacking any real storyline, the public bickering could have really revived the franchise.
Lexi Ioannou speaks out against the Manzo family
Dina Cantin’s daughter, Lexi Ioannou, is not holding back about her extended family. During the early years of RHONJ, viewers watched as she and the Manzo cousins grew up together. But after Dina’s divorce from Tommy Manzo, it all fell apart. Recently, Lexi spoke out on Causal Chaos. The 29-year-old noted, “I was living with them from ages four to seven. Lauren was there when I shaved my legs for the first time. She dropped me off at a boy’s house for the first time for my first kiss. Albie and Christopher were my brothers, my protectors, and now we’re complete strangers.”
Lexi added, “I’m sure if you asked them, they did everything to their best ability, but if you ask me, it wasn’t nearly enough. They disappointed me again.” She had some hard words for Caroline Manzo and her family, stating, “I would ask them to make phone calls to people, and they wouldn’t make them … I like to think they care. They’re my family. But I think they care about themselves more and keeping their own peace more than fighting for mine.”
Lauren Manzo claps back at Lexi Ioannou’s accusations
However, instead of letting sleeping dogs lie, Lauren Manzo has chosen to fight back against Lexi’s accusations. The daughter of Caroline took to her TikTok to share her personal thoughts on the issue. The mother of one started off by saying, “I do love my cousin Lexi so much, and I have a soft spot for her. We were her siblings.” Lexi has claimed over and over again that she asked Caroline and Lauren to help her recover priceless heirlooms from Tommy’s house after he went to jail. But according to Lexi, they didn’t do enough.
Since those claims, Lauren has received considerable backlash. She noted in her video that she and her mother “did not have a relationship with him prior to his arrest” except for the letter of character support Caroline wrote for Tommy. Lauren claimed that she had her mother tried to help Lexi recover her stuff. Upon arriving at the garage sale, Lauren shared she was not allowed in the home. The people in control — who she called “not good people” refused her entry. According to Lauren, her mother was willing to “buy everything” but was “met with a lot of resistance.”
Ashlee Holmes accuses Lexi Ioannou of misrepresentation
There isn’t a Real Housewives of New Jersey fight that Ashlee Holmes isn’t willing to be a part of. The former Bravoleb took to her Instagram to post a scathing retort to Lexi’s own feelings and experiences with the Manzos. Ashlee’s voice can be heard over a video. It started by her saying, “Let me tell you something about my family: They might not be my blood, but they are the people who opened their home when I had nowhere else to go, more than once. They’ve helped me back up when I’ve felt lost, also more than once. They make holidays feel special for all the kids. They answer phone calls, they show up when needed.” The clips include several Manzo home videos.
She continued, “Those people being trashed publicly right now, I’ve watched them cry. I’ve watched them care. I’ve watched them fight for one another.” Adding, “When that blog post came out the night before a certain Home Goods launch — the one meant to tear them down, filled with misrepresentations — I was living in my aunt’s home at the time. I saw how much it hurt her and the whole family.” Ashlee added, “They tried everything they could to get these items back. They fought as hard as they could. They even offered to buy the items back.”
The Manzos won’t recover from this
“And they didn’t do it for attention. There were no cameras. No podcasts. No brand launches. Just quiet love. For a decade, they’ve been painted as villains while carrying the wreckage of someone else’s pain while coping with their own. Their silence was not guilt. It was grace.” With all the family members up in arms, it is such a shame Bravo couldn’t be there to capture the feud. It seems like a wasted opportunity.
