‘RHOC’ Star Alexis Bellino Says She’s an ‘Independent Woman’ After Divorce Announcement

Alexis Bellino is proclaiming her independence amid a divorce from her husband of 13 years.

The Real Housewives of Orange County alum celebrated Independence Day with her three kids — son James and twin daughters Melania and Mackenna — while not so subtly signaling her freedom in an American flag bikini. Bellino appeared on the Real Housewives of Orange County in 2009 and left in 2013.

“Happy INDEPENDENCE Day friends!” the reality personality captioned a photo of herself looking happy and fit with her hands in the air, as first reported by Bravo. She added hashtags proclaiming her an “independent woman” and noting she was “with [her] kids.”

In June, Alexis and her husband Jim Bellino filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, reported TMZ.

“It is with heavy hearts that we inform the public of our mutual decision to end our marriage — but it’s important to us that you know we made this choice together, with love, and as the best decision for our children’s future,” the couple said in a joint statement.

“We hold one another in the highest regards as spouses, and especially as parents. We have agreed on 50/50 custody of the children, and we ask that you respect our privacy by not theorizing about the reasons for our divorce,” they continued.

The estranged couple added, “In recent days and weeks, there has been a lot of negative discussion about our marriage and why it is ending. Outside of the news of our decision to part ways, there is nothing provocative, alluring, or sordid about the dissolution of our marriage. Quite to the contrary, we strongly support each other just as we have since the beginning of our relationship.”

In the statement, the former partners admitted that they had grown apart during the course of their marriage.

“Our marriage was a good one, but we were never perfect people or spouses — no one is, and in this respect, we were a lot like millions of other married people. And, just like millions of other married people, we simply grew apart over time — there is no ill will or bad blood between us — and maybe that’s why absurd rumors about our marriage and future together began when we filed for divorce,” they wrote.

They finally concluded, “We ultimately want you to feel happy for us, respect our privacy during this difficult time, and pray for our mutual benefit as we weather this storm. To the fans who have supported us since the beginning, we’re grateful for how you cheers us on — we ask that you continue to cheer as our lives and the lives of our children change and ultimately improve as a result of this difficult decision.”

Photo credit: Instagram/Alexis Bellino