Loyal Real Housewives of New Jersey fans will remember Lexi Ioannou. She was Dina Manzo’s only daughter and Caroline Manzo’s niece. However, along the way, Dina and Caroline found themselves in a life-changing feud. And while followers were never privy to the real story, we all knew it was bad when the sisters stopped interacting. Eventually, Dina left the series, but the bad vibes continued. As Lexi grew older, she started speaking out more about how the Manzos and others had wronged her mother. And it seems now she is ready to speak out again. But this time, she is targeting Dolores Catania.
Dina Manzo’s daughter Lexi Ioannou blames family for not helping
It’s almost been a year since Tommy Manzo was found guilty of hiring an alleged mobster to attack Dina and her husband, Dave Cantin, in 2015. Tommy had already pleaded guilty to stalking and harassment. But Lexi is not ready to sweep these crimes under the rug.
While talking to Gia Giudice, she opened up about how hurt she still was by her extended family. She told her friend that Caroline and her family, in particular, had hung them out to dry in their time of need. Lexi shared, “My mom and I lived with Caroline when my parents got divorced. They were basically my siblings. I’m an only child.”
Lexi added, “So it was definitely a massive loss to lose those relationships in the crossfire of what happened with our moms. It was hard.”
The 29-year-old explained, “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.”
In a moving statement, Lexi shared, “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.”
Lexi Ioannou slams RHONJ’s Dolores Catania for character letter in Tommy Manzo trial
Much of the turmoil stemmed from the multiple character reference letters the Manzos wrote on Tommy’s behalf. However, viewers also learned that Dolores chose to write a letter as well.
Lexi explained, “There were character witness letters submitted to the judge on behalf of Tommy to help kind of persuade the judge’s opinion of him. There was, like, [tons] of character letters from Mayors of New Jersey, police officers, my family members, my mom’s friends … Dolores wrote one.”
And let me say I did not see that coming! On the May 26 podcast, she added, “They’re not friends anymore, but they were like best friends. Me and Gabby were best friends growing up.”
As for her take on Caroline, Lexi had a few. She noted, “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.”
She reasoned, “So it’s okay. I needed a reminder of who I was dealing with because as a kid, I saw my mom going through so much pain with her family, and I guess had to understand what it felt like as an adult.”
What has Lexi Ioannou said about the Manzo family?
When asked if there was any chance of a reconciliation, Lexi took a moment before responding. She shared, “I don’t have siblings. She’s been in these relationships that have been difficult, and it’s always just been me and her. She had me really young, and at the end of the day, I will always stand behind her. No matter what. And it’s hard for me to watch her be in so much pain.”
Lexi claimed to be “at peace with those relationships. When I think about it, does it make me sad? Yeah, but I made peace with that a long time ago. It’s the betrayal sometimes that just makes me really angry.”
Lexi did, however, give some insight into Dina and Caroline’s feud. She told Gia, “The show creates a lot of chaos, especially with family dynamics and money, and fame. It can kind of have the ability to bring out the worst in some people, too. My mom fell out with her during that second season, I’m pretty sure.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey is available to stream on Peacock. The show streams on Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LEXI’S INSIGHTS?
