Didn’t see it coming. Shannon Beador thought everything in her relationship with John Janssen was going well — until filming wrapped on season 17 of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
“My relationship is always a topic of what’s going on, so at the end of the season we did film a dinner, [and production said], ‘Let’s put a button on where you stand, let’s get that beat,’” Beador, 58, said during SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live on Thursday, January 12. “John and I filmed together. I got teary-eyed with the words he was saying and I thought, ‘We are going to get there.’ I thought, ‘Whatever the next step is, we’re going to take it.’”
The Bravo star explained that she remembered “saying very kind things” as she and Janssen, 59, discussed where their relationship was headed while in front of the cameras. “So for that reason, that’s why I felt blindsided [by the breakup],” she said.
Beador confirmed on Wednesday, January 11, that she and the insurance agent ended their relationship in November 2022 after nearly four years together.
“I was hopeful this was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I wanted it to work out. I’ve never loved anyone like I’ve loved John,” she said in a statement to People. “But clearly, he didn’t feel the same way.”
Janssen, for his part, told the magazine that “it doesn’t make sense to be together if you don’t believe” in the relationship anymore.
“I’ve been in pain over it. It’s sad because I love Shannon very much. I have loved her more deeply than any woman in my life,” he said. “She’s one of a kind; so funny and generous and full of life and adventurous. We have a connection that’s unlike anything I’ve ever had. And I know that for as long as I live, I’ll never meet anyone like her again. But that doesn’t mean we’re right for each other for the rest of our lives.”
Months earlier, Jeff Lewis — who has been close with Beador “for years” — made waves for predicting that the TV personality and her beau wouldn’t last.
“Do you believe Shannon and John Janssen are meant to last forever?” Andy Cohen asked Lewis, 52, during an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in July 2022, to which Lewis replied, “God. … No, I don’t.”
While the controversial remarks initially caused a rift between the two longtime friends, the California native shared his reasons behind his comments during Thursday’s SiriusXM show.
“A lot of times, Shannon would open up to me because she knew I understood,” he explained. “I knew that you were suffering, I knew that you weren’t completely happy. And that’s why I was questioning if there would be a future.”
While Lewis noted that he “didn’t know what would happen” between the pair, alluding to a potential reconciliation in the future, the Girlfriends Guide to Divorce alum quickly replied, “We know [what’s going to happen]. It’s over, Jeff.”
She added, “The last time I spoke to John was the beginning of December. So I’ve never gone for this amount of time without speaking to him. It’s a big deal.”
After confirming her breakup, Beador headed out for a night on the town with Lewis to celebrate her newly single status – something she didn’t realize she needed.
“I don’t want to start crying,*** but yesterday was a really hard day for me and I couldn’t stop crying. And so, I want to thank you, one of my closest dearest friends, for forcing me to go out because I really had a good time,” she told the interior designer on Thursday. “And I don’t know how I would have handled things had I just been sitting at home.
