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Credit: Seth Browarnik/INSTARimages
Alexia Nepola‘s ex-husband, Todd Nepola, went on a lengthy rant against Real Housewives of Miami producers in a video shared to his Instagram page on Friday.
On the heels of Alexia, 58, declaring that they hadn’t spoken for a month and a half, and suggesting she was happy to be “free,” Todd, 52, took aim at producers, accusing Bravo of slander and defamation as he spoke of an impending court battle and revealed what pushed him over the edge when it came to his portrayal on the show.
“Enough is enough,” Todd wrote in the caption of his August 15 post on Instagram. “Your lies, bullying, and behind-the-scenes extortion tactics have gone too far.”
According to Todd, he tried to take the high road, despite “wildly false and deeply manipulated” claims that “crossed a line.”
In addition to slamming producers for focusing their seventh season on the attacks aimed at Guerdy Abraira, 47, who he noted was a “cancer survivor,” Todd said his character was targeted with accusations of not caring about Alexia’s youngest son, Frankie, who suffers from a brain injury stemming from a car crash he was involved in years ago. This, he explained, “hit a nerve.”
“You’ve allowed gang-style pile-ons, physical violence, gaslighting, microaggressions, and racially charged comments to go unchecked,” he continued. “You’ve enabled cruelty, encouraged hate, and turned mean-spiritedness into entertainment.”
He also slammed the Bravo “brand” and took aim at its ratings.
In his accompanying video, Todd declared, “The biggest mistake I’ve made in my adult life was agreeing to participate in the Real Housewives of Miami.”
“I was not one who really wanted to give up my privacy and become a reality star. That was never for me, and I certainly never enjoyed filming, and I’m sure that’s obvious to anyone who ever watched the show. But the final straw, the breaking point, came when lies started being told,” he explained.
One major issue Todd had with production was the sharing of Adriana De Moura‘s suggestion that he was struggling financially and couldn’t pay rent.
“It was a real blow to me, and I couldn’t believe people would make these kinds of lies up. I was very mad at her for lying on TV … and I was madder at Alexia for getting me involved in this mess. But I was the most mad at producers, who knew the story wasn’t true,” he went on.
At the time Adriana’s claim was made, Todd was not only not struggling, but he had “just bought a $24 million shopping center.”
“I realized I couldn’t live in this world anymore, and the woman I loved couldn’t live without it. So I had to make a decision to leave,” he stated.
While Todd was led to believe that if he continued to participate in the show, he’d receive an apology from Adriana, none came. Instead, producers dealt him with additional “slander and defamation of character” as his relationship with Frankie was criticised.
“There’s not a person on this Earth that’s done as much for him, other than his parents, than me,” Todd insisted, sharing that he spent time with Frankie and provided for him by putting a roof over his head and designer clothes on his back.
Todd also spoke of his once-strained relationship with Alexia’s older son, Peter, saying that they made amends and that he assured Peter he’d always “be there for him.”
While Todd noted that Peter was also used by producers, he suspected he only agreed to paint a false picture of him “for the paycheck.”
As the clip continued, Todd said he was heartbroken that Alexia didn’t warn him and that she “allowed this to happen,” as he confirmed they reconciled in January and were “doing great for months.”
As the video came to an end, Todd told producers he was taking their “a**es to court.”
“You’re gonna have a courtroom to perform in, and you’re not going to have to convince the public you’re gonna have to convince a real judge and a real jury if you had the right to use me on TV and lie about me on TV when you knew it was a lie,” he stated. “[And] I’m gonna win a lot of money, and when I do, I’m gonna give it to groups that work with people that are bullied, cyberbullied, bullied in person, attacked online by people like you who hide in these rooms and destroy lives.”
Todd’s post came just days after Alexia revealed she cut off communication with him during an August 13 interview with Access Hollywood’s Housewives Nightcap.
“We’re not talking. It was my decision to go no contact. Zero contact. I really do believe in it. So far, it’s working. It’s been like, over 45 days. It is great and it’s the only way,” Alexia shared.
According to Alexia, she hopes to be an inspiration to other women who’ve seen her and Todd’s relationship play out on RHOM.
“If I could turn my pain into purpose or continue to be inspiring in any way, maybe, that’s not what I wanted my story to be. He literally handed me my story, and as you can see, I didn’t really want to share it. I was really protective, like I said, but I had to do what was best for me. I had no other option. I gave everything I could give,” she noted.
Alexia was even going to leave RHOM.
“I was even gonna quit the show for him. So it’s been a journey. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and right now I’m just focusing on my kids and just my family and myself. I have peace. I’m happy. I feel free and I’m just excited about my next chapter, whatever it may be,” she concluded.
The Real Housewives of Miami season seven airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.
