badbolocolo

I can believe Dina thought she could get away with having Lexie on the show. It was the second reality show for the poor kid. She probably used some excuse like being the custodial parent gave her the right to make decisions for Lexie. From Danielle's story, I get the feeling that the family was upset to see her on yet another show and got desperate enough to ask. Dina shaming herself on "My Big Fat Wedding" was one thing, dragging Lexie along for the ride had to be another. Teresa's table flipping scene on RHONJ probably didn't help.

I also think she signed whatever Joe told her to sign, but I think she knew what she was doing. I don't buy that she was completely clueless. He's not working, she's not working, she can spend like a drunken sailor. I don't think she's so stupid she didn't realize that signing a boatload of mortgage papers, each claiming she was making tons of money didn't set off some sort of warning bells. I'm in complete agreement with those who say that s they fraudulently stole and then act as if they are entitled to the money. They couldn't be bothered to take some of that stolen loot and make life comfortable for the people paying them rent - not posh, but just basic - safe heat, electricity, etc. From the court records, they couldn't have been bothered to pay back their creditors, either. I wonder what Teresa's monthly shopping bills were in that same period of time. On WWHL, when they were defending themselves, Joe let it slip that Teresa told him she needed new clothes because she couldn't be filmed wearing the same outfits over and over. High end cars, designer shoes and clothes.. it makes me ill that she's trying to convince the public that everything she does is for the love of her family.

Teresa spent a lot of time claiming every story about her bankruptcy was either a lie or exaggerated. In the in, she lied and exaggerated. It was all true. I can't think of a thing she denied that turned out to be wrong.

I agree. Teresa wold never walk away from this show and if she wanted to avoid conflict, she could have easily done it by making peace with her family off camera and moving on. Teresa gave worse than she got, IMO. She found a way to be confrontation and dishonest with everyone around her. I think Teresa does a good job of trying to paint herself innocent of something. I just don't buy it given her actions.

Hi Fuzzybear. If I remember correctly, Lexi's father lives in NJ. He is originally from Greece and is now remarried. He and is wife run his spa in Wayne, NJ. He takes Lexi to Greece every summer (if I remember the trip to Greece, accurately) to visit his family. I don't know how much of his family is in NJ, but he, his wife, and sister are supposed to be - which I guess allows Danielle to claim she has been close to his sister all these years. Not sure that I believe the Manzo sisters story. Who would have tipped Danielle off that the father didn't sign a release? I can't see a Bravo producer doing it because of the legal implications for the network. They didn't use it for storyline purposes because no one would name the horrible thing Danielle did and it even took her more than a season to realize what they were talking about (initially she thought it was that lawyer and payment B.S. but that amount of anger seemed disproportionate to the outrage the Manzo women expressed). If Dina did nothing wrong, I would think they could shout from the rooftops about her innocence and the awful evil bad bad thing Danielle attempted to accomplish. They pointed a finger and remained mum. If Dina was as hungry for fame as her reality show hopping seemed to suggest, I can imagine she was furious that Caroline continued on and dared to put her husband and children, first, and not Dina. The Brownstone was getting lots of free publicity and her children were getting tons of offers they most likely wouldn't have had otherwise. I would think it was unreasonable to want my sibling to walk away.

I think Heather saw herself as the pearl before swine, this season, and was stunned to learn that the swine don't recognize or care about pearls. Shannon came along and ruined her move to be the Queen Bee, it seems. The women immediately gravitated toward Shannon. She has money, a huge home, a rich husband, and is connected in the community and she doesn't treat Vicki and Tamra like they are meant to be her sidekicks in life (although Shannon should have kept more of a distance from Tamra). Shannon easily invites everyone into her home. She makes them feel welcomed (minus the marital discord). She cooks for them and treats them like people. Heather was sunk from the beginning.

If Danielle is to be believed, she has "confirmed" that Dina forged her ex's signature. She did not seek out her ex, as the Manzo sisters seemed to imply. She was friends with the ex's sister who asked her if she had to have her ex's signature to have her girls on the show. The father was apparently not happy to see Lexi on the show and Danielle told the exSIL who to talk to on the show... Dina dumped her sister after she left the show season 2 -- while Caroline and Teresa were still "pals". I believe the story is true that Dina was peeved that Caroline didn't leave, or even threaten to leave when she was let go. Caroline let that whack "designer" destroy her home (or I would see it as aesthetically destroyed if I was in Caroline's shoes). She gave Dina and Lexi a place to live after her divorce. She put Dina in Tommy's path (and helped guilt/browbeat him to the altar?). I think Dina is loyal to Dina.

The more I think of the ungodly mess Dina made of Caroline's home in the name of "decorating it" the more of a heel I think Dina is for the way she treats her family and sides with Teresa. In my book, birds of a feather! ETA: Caroline and Jacq seem to be the only two housewives who didn't spend outrageously, not even in the first season. Danielle was broke, by her own admission, and couldn't spend wildly. Dina and Teresa seemed to love to spend or talk about spending. Dina's phony househunt? Sheesh. Teresa's unlimited spending? Pathetic.

Wow! Great memory! I forgot all about that alleged 10K a month they were claiming. If it's not true, what a despicable thing to do to put a family member at risk over something like that.