Alexis Bellino and John Janssen.Photo:Nydia Alvarez

Alexis Bellino and John Janssen

Nydia Alvarez

Alexis Bellinohas a new romance in her life, and it’s someone who will be familiar toReal Housewives of Orange Countyviewers.

PEOPLE can confirm the reality star is officially datingJohn Janssen, the ex-boyfriend ofShannon Storms Beador.

The two met through mutual friends last month at Orange County eateryThe Quiet Woman, one of Storms Beador’s frequent stomping grounds and the location of one of the most infamous moments inRHOChistory. They’ve been going strong ever since.

“Currently, they’re not using labels like boyfriend or girlfriend, but they’ve been spending a lot of time together and have been enjoying learning about each other,” a source close to the pair tells PEOPLE.

Shannon Beador and John Janssen at BravoCon 2019.Astrid Stawiarz/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

BRAVOCON – “BravoCon Press Room in New York City on Saturday, November 16, 2019” – Pictured: (l-r) Shannon Storms Beador and John Janssen

Bellino, 46, and Janssen, 61, are both recently out of relationships.

In September, PEOPLE confirmed Bellino and her fiancé Andy Bohn had split, ending their engagement three years after heproposedin December 2020. Last November, meanwhile, Janssen pulled the plug on his romance with Storms Beador, a week after filming wrapped on season 17 of the hitBravoseries. The two remained friends but stopped speaking in late September,not long after her she was arrested for a DUI.

Difficult times have bonded Bellino and Janssen, according to the source. “The two have been supportive companions as they navigate newly single life,” the insider says. “This common background paired with a mutual attraction has made it easy for Alexis and John to form a natural connection.”

Their romance comes as rumors have been spreading about a possibleRHOCreturn for Bellino for the show’s upcoming 18th season, which begins filming in January. The mother of three left the series after season 8, capping off a four-season run on the show.

Alexis Bellino and Shannon Storms Beador.Amanda Edwards/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Alexis Bellino and Shannon Beador

Amanda Edwards/Getty; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Bravo doesn’t comment on casting and did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for confirmation, butEmily Simpson— who is returning as a Housewife next season, per a source — toldPage Sixlate last month that she’d like to see Bellino come back to rile up Storms Beador.

Storms Beador has yet to comment on the pairing, though PEOPLE has reached out to a rep for the star for comment. She and Bellino have never crossed paths onRHOC, but Storms Beador has history with the alum’s ex-husband Jim Bellino, whosuedher andTamra Judgefor defamation in 2018.

As PEOPLE reported in October 2020,Storms Beador won the case, though has since said she lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process of defending herself. Years later, and hours before she was arrested for her DUI in September, Storms Beador reportedly spotted Alexis at a restaurant in Orange County.

“I witnessed her shouting obscenities at me from across a restaurant, immediately prior to her very unfortunate arrest,” Alexis toldPage Sixlast month, stressing that that incident was odd because “Shannon Beador and I have never worked together or interacted.”

Alexis and Jim Bellino.Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

alexis-jim-bellino-2

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She went on to note that Storms Beador’s alleged outburst has nothing to do with Janssen, as the two hadn’t ever spoken yet.

“I look forward to hanging out with my new friend,” she said.

source: people.com