Shannon Beador’s ex-boyfriend, John Janssen, is coming out swinging against the Real Housewives of Orange County star amid his $75k lawsuit.
John Janssen slams Shannon Beador’s financial history in a court filing amid the narrative that the Real Housewives of Orange County star was the breadwinner in their years-long relationship.
“Although they no longer dated, the two remained friends for a period of time. As friends, Mr. Janssen would often help Defendant in various capacities, and vice versa,” the suit read, per Radar Online. “The TV show [RHOC] portrayed Mr. Janssen as financially dependent on Defendant, when in reality Mr. Janssen had a successful business career, and it was Defendant who turned to Mr. Janssen for financial support.”
Shannon Beador and John Janssen dated “for a few years” before their “relationship ended in 2022,” John explained in his court filing.
As AllAboutTRH previously reported, John is suing Shannon after she reportedly borrowed $75k for a facelift and failed to repay the loan.
On Wednesday, March 20, John filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court against Shannon “for breach of oral contract and promissory fraud, among other things, to recover $75,000 he claims she failed to repay him.”
John alleges that the RHOC star “turned to him for financial support in early 2022, borrowing $40,000 via wire transfer on Jan. 23, 2022 for a facelift procedure. Then, on May 20, 2023, he gave her another $35,000 via personal check.”
In the court filing, the OC businessman claims that Shannon agreed to pay back both loans with interest. However, when he attempted to collect the payments in 2023 and 2024, the reality star failed to do so.
As a result, John is “seeking the full amount, plus accrued interest, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees.”
The longtime Real Housewives of Orange County star responded to her ex’s lawsuit in a statement to PEOPLE.
“I am shocked and disappointed that John has a filed a lawsuit. My attorney has been in constant communication with his counsel. I agreed to pay John what he wanted because I knew that attorneys fees would surpass the amount sought, but more importantly to eliminate the negative emotional components that come with a lawsuit. It is important that I continue to focus on the positive aspects of my life and move forward,” the statement read.
“John declined the offer because he refused to sign a mutual non-disparagement agreement. I was hoping that if I met his baseless demand we could at least use this as an opportunity to bring complete closure to this chapter in my life,” the statement concluded.
According to John’s attorneys, Shannon has tried to claim that the $75k loan was a “gift” which they can prove was not the case at all.
“Ms. Beador’s defense that Mr. Janssen paid her the $75,000 as a ‘gift’ is completely meritless, which their e-mails and text messages will show,” Edson K. McClellan, Rutan & Tucker LLP told PEOPLE last month. “Mr. Janssen is saddened that Ms. Beador’s unwillingness to repay the loans made it necessary to file this lawsuit.”
Shannon and John split in late 2022 after three and a half years of dating. The break-up came just days after Shannon wrapped filming for season 17 of the Real Housewives of Orange County, as John didn’t want to dump her on camera. The two initially remained friends post-breakup; however, that all changed when John began dating Real Housewives of Orange County alum Alexis Bellino in November 2023.
This drama is sure to play out on season 18 of RHOC, which is currently filming.
The Real Housewives of Orange County will return for season 18 in mid-to-late 2024.
