RHOC’s Shannon Beador Alleges ‘Manipulation’ by Alexis Bellino, Suspecting She Attempted to Join the Cast Trip with an ‘Olive Branch’; Alexis Responds to Shannon’s Text, While Heather and Katie Share Their Thoughts

Shannon Beador has finally spoken out about the olive branch floral arrangement that Alexis Bellino sent her, a gesture that was featured on last week’s episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. While Alexis explained her intentions behind the gift and Shannon’s reaction, Heather Dubrow questioned the sincerity of the offering. Meanwhile, Shannon didn’t hold back, calling out Alexis for what she saw as “manipulation.”

During an October 3 interview with Bravo HQ, Shannon, 60, expressed her lack of enthusiasm for Alexis’ gesture. “Alexis sent me flowers with an olive branch in it. Thank you, but I’m not interested in an olive branch. I’m not. So sorry,” she said. “There was so much manipulation behind it. Like, do you think I don’t know what’s going on? You know we have a trip coming up, and I don’t like you, so you send flowers with an olive branch to be cute? I’m not buying it.”

Alexis, 47, insisted her intentions were not to rekindle a friendship with Shannon but rather to reduce some of the tension between them, which has been exacerbated by her relationship with Shannon’s ex-boyfriend, John Janssen, 61, and the lawsuit John has filed against Shannon.

“I’m not asking her to be my friend,” Alexis explained. “There’s no way we could be friends, and I know that. But since we’re in the same circle, I wanted to squash some of the animosity between us. That was my goal with the olive branch. Plus, it was her birthday, so it felt like the perfect opportunity.”

Despite expecting Shannon to toss the floral arrangement in the trash, Alexis was pleasantly surprised to learn that Shannon hadn’t — at least until Shannon texted her, letting her know she wasn’t included in the cast’s trip to London.

“Nothing I did seemed to work in terms of making peace with Shannon,” Alexis admitted.

Heather Dubrow, 55, chimed in, noting that while the flowers were a “nice gesture,” the timing was unfortunate. “It felt suspect to Shannon because of the lawsuit,” she said. “There’s been a lot of miscommunication on both sides. It’s tough being friends with both Shannon and Alexis. I get how they both feel, and it’s hard to blame them. It’s just a difficult situation.”

When asked about Shannon’s blunt text message excluding her from the trip, Alexis admitted it wasn’t her finest moment. “Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. I wouldn’t invite her on a trip with me either. But the way she told me—she didn’t even need to say it. I would have known when I didn’t get the invite,” Alexis shared. “I didn’t handle it well either. It was one of those moments where I acted 16 instead of 47.”

She further explained that ever since she re-entered the group, Shannon has made efforts to push her out, which caused her to react impulsively. “Shannon’s been trying to get me out of the group since I came back, and I had a knee-jerk reaction to that,” Alexis added.

Newcomer Katie Ginella, 40, weighed in on Shannon’s harsh message, suggesting there was a more polite way to handle it. “I grew up with Emily Post manners. In Georgia, you’d say, ‘I’m so sorry, but we don’t have enough space for you,’” she recalled. “We all thought Shannon could have softened the blow a little.”

Heather agreed, adding, “The form was just wrong on both sides. When emotions are running high, it’s hard to think clearly and act smart.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 continues to air Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.