Jim Bellino doesn’t believe Tamra Judge was joking when she claimed he was “going to jail” during an appearance on her friend Heather McDonald‘s podcast months ago.
In court documents filed last week, Jim, the husband of Alexis Bellino, claimed the Real Housewives of Orange County star acted maliciously when she suggested he was a “shady” businessman on the Juicy Scoop podcast.
According to Radar Online, Jim’s attorneys said Tamra was not stating “mere opinion or a joke or ‘irreverent social commentary,’ but a simple, straightforward and provably false assertion of fact that is actionable as defamation.”
Jim’s attorneys went on to say Tamra’s argument of her comment being a joke doesn’t hold up because she also suggested Jim had participated in criminal activity.
“If Ms. Judge believes it is ‘true’ that Mr. Bellino is ‘shady’, then logic dictates that the statement can not only be proven to be true, as Ms. Judge contends, but also be proven to be false,” Geoffrey A. Neri wrote in the affidavit. “Either way, it must be a factual assertion. Thus, Ms. Judge’s own briefing undermines her own position on this motion and dispels any notion that she was merely expressing an ‘opinion,’ rather than a fact, when she stated that Mr.Bellino is a ‘shady mothaf****r.’”
Jim is currently suing Tamra and her co-star, Shannon Beador, who allegedly claimed guests were paralyzed at one of the trampoline parks he owns, for $1 million. However, according to the ladies, they had a right to share their opinions about Jim because he is a “public figure.”
In response to Jim’s lawsuit agains them, both Tamra and Shannon have filed motions to have the case dismissed.
In the documents filed last week, Jim’s attorneys said it is important to the case for Jim to obtain texts and other communications between Tamra, Shannon, and Heather that were exchanged prior to their podcast appearance and requested an order for those messages to be shared.
In other news, Shannon recently filed a response to Jim’s lawsuit against her, complaining that Jim has been making useless legal requests in order to get her to spend more money to defend herself against his lawsuit.
In Shannon’s documents, via The Blast, she requested a judge drop Jim’s request to have Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley called in to testify against her. She also said she doesn’t want her private text messages and emails presented to Jim at any point.
According to Shannon, she’ll have to spend tens of thousands of dollars if Gretchen and Slade are brought into the case and noted she does not believe the couple “will be able to provide any admissible evidence of any ‘anger’ or ‘ill will’ that Ms. Beador harbors against the Bellinos.”
While Shannon and Jim have both appeared on The Real Housewives of Orange County, they were never featured at the same time.
As for her comments on Juicy Scoop about Jim and his business, Shannon claimed she said nothing that wasn’t already public knowledge.
“The trampoline park and its legal troubles have already been the subject of public interest and press. Ms. Beador was simply repeating something she had heard,” her documents explained.
Shannon went on to accuse Jim of trying “to induce financial strain” on her by requesting her text messages and emails and said she wants a judge to deny his request.
The Real Housewives of Orange County season 13 airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.
Photos Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo, Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com
