“Next Gen NYC” star Gia Giudice is weighing in on the recent drama surrounding former “Real Housewives” star Dina Manzo’s daughter Lexi Ioannou and Bethenny Frankel.
For those who missed the controversy, Ioannou spoke out after the former RHONY star wore a pair of her Nou shoes in a May Instagram post but failed to properly credit her shoe brand. Fans argued that Frankel should have used her platform to spotlight the female entrepreneur behind the brand.
Gia Giudice Supports Lexi Ioannou After Bethenny Frankel Shoe Drama
GettyGia Giudice is sharing her take on the ongoing dispute involving Bethenny Frankel and Lexi Ioannou’s shoe brand. On the June 1 episode of her “Casual Chaos” podcast, Giudice called it “crazy behavior” that Frankel failed to tag Ioannou’s Nou shoe brand after wearing her shoes in an Instagram post, questioning why she wouldn’t support a fellow female entrepreneur, especially the daughter of a former “Real Housewives” star.
“I do have a relationship with her. I am so proud of her. I have the Nou shoes. And I did see all the backlash about what Bethenny Frankel was doing, and I did not appreciate it. Just say where your shoes are from,” Giudice shared with her listeners.
Giudice has a long history with Ioannou, with the two women growing up in front of the cameras on RHONJ. Ioannou’s mom is Dina Manzo, who starred in earlier seasons of the series alongside Giudice’s mother, Teresa Giudice. In fact, Manzo is the godmother of Teresa’s youngest daughter, Audriana Giuidce.
Giudice later said in her podcast that Ioannou’s response to Frankel, which she uploaded on Instagram, reminded her of her strong-willed mother.
“Lexi is so Dina-coded. And she is obviously my aunt Dina’s daughter. And it is just so funny the way that she responded back and was like, ‘Excuse me, now I don’t like you. I used to look up to you, but now I don’t like you,'” Giudice said.
She continued, “Lexi is a young entrepreneur. I mean, God bless her. They’re becoming wildly successful, and the brand is evolving, but just give her the credit. Just give the girl some credit, help her grow her business.”
“It’s crazy behavior,” Gia added. “And then to insult the shoes. Come on. Lexi puts in the work. They’re handmade from Portugal.”
Ioannou Receives Love & Support From Mom Dina Manzo
After Frankel failed to credit Ioannou’s Nou shoe brand, the young businesswoman received overwhelming love and support on Instagram, including from her famous mom.
In the comment section of an Instagram post where Ioannou responded to Frankel’s unwillingness to credit her brand, Manzo shared, “Proud of you for standing up for yourself and the brand you’ve worked so hard to build ❤️.”
Former RHONY star Luann de Lesseps also commented with, “Money can’t buy you class.”
Actress Kristen Chenoweth also chimed in and shared, “I love those shoes. Gonna check them out!” Meanwhile, fans in the comments shared that they would happily purchase a pair of Nou shoes to show their support.
“Love the designs! Added my name to the wait list for the Leopard Ponyhair. ♥️, a comment read. “Just placed my order from your site!!!! Can’t wait!” Another fan shared.
Frankel did respond in a TikTok where she defended her actions and explained that her team linked to another shoe brand because Nou shoes were sold out. In fact, the former Bravo star insisted that she didn’t owe any brand that sent her free products a promotion and even called it a “business lesson” for Ioannou.
“I have stated multiple times, you send me something, I have no obligation to link, like, use, wear, buy, tag. I can do whatever I want,” she shared in her video.
