In the wake of an emotional podcast appearance by Lexi Ioannou—daughter of Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Dina Manzo—Ashlee Holmes, daughter of Jacqueline Laurita, is speaking out. For the first time, she’s publicly defending the Manzo family in the face of mounting allegations and growing public scrutiny.

Lexi recently joined Gia Giudice on her podcast to discuss the painful rift between her mother, Dina, and Caroline Manzo’s side of the family. The focal point of her heartbreak? The silence she experienced when she reached out to her cousins for help—particularly in the aftermath of Dina’s ex-husband, Tommy Manzo, being convicted in a 2017 home invasion.

“I was on my knees begging for help,” Lexi shared. “I didn’t even want to get into the betrayal that I had dealt with from them… I just stopped hearing from them. It’s like they just didn’t even care.”

Ashlee Holmes, however, says there’s another side to this story—and that side is coming soon. She recently took to Instagram, sharing a heartfelt video filled with memories alongside the Manzo family. The caption teased more to come:

“A lot of you have the same questions. My aunt (and other family) will be addressing them all soon.”

But Ashlee Holmes didn’t stop there. She penned an emotionally charged message, defending the family that, as she puts it, “may not be my blood—but they are my family.”

“Let me tell you something about my family. They may not be my blood—but they are the people who open their home when I had nowhere else to go. More than once. They’ve helped me back up when I felt lost. Also more than once.

They make holidays feel special for all the kids. They answer phone calls. They show up when needed.

Those people being trashed publicly—I’ve watched them cry, I’ve watched them care. I’ve watched them fight for one another.

When that blog post came out the night before a certain home goods launch—the one meant to tear them down, filled with misrepresentations—I was living in my aunt’s home at the time. I saw how much it hurt her and the whole family.

I saw the disrespect toward her and toward my Aunt Cookie—who wasn’t even at the trial in question and has stayed silent this whole time.

And the next day, after being dragged through the mud, they went to a garage sale—one selling belongings that weren’t even theirs—and they tried everything they could to get those items back.

They fought as hard as they could. They even offered to buy the items back. And they didn’t do it for attention.

There were no cameras. No podcasts. No brand launches. Just quiet love.”

Ashlee also directly addresses the timing and perceived motives behind the public recounting of events, hinting at what she feels is a media strategy tied to personal branding.

“Now nearly seven months later, here we are again. Another retelling. Another platform. More headlines. Conveniently timed alongside a shoe launch.

And while the narrative keeps shifting for visibility and clicks, their silence has been twisted into guilt.

For a decade, they have been painted as villains while carrying the wreckage of someone else’s pain—while coping with their own.

Their silence was not guilt. It was grace.”

@allabouttrh_podcast Jacqueline Laurita’s Daughter Ashlee Breaks Silence, Defends the Manzos Against Dina’s Daughter’s Allegations — Promises Their Side of the Story Is Coming Soon #RHONJ #realhousewivesofnewjersey #bravotv #carolinemanzo #laurenmanzo #realhousewives #newjersey #bravotv #dinamanzo #dinacantin ? original sound – allabouttrh_podcast

She ends her statement with a quiet power, insisting her words are not meant to retaliate—but to offer clarity.

“This isn’t my story to tell, but I’ve witnessed enough. I stayed silent when that blog post came out, even though it was hard.

But this time—I have to speak because I was there that day. I watched it unfold. And these are just lies.

And I feel convicted to speak up for the people who have taken such good care of me.

My aunt Caroline, Lauren—all of them—they don’t live through the lens of a curated Instagram feed. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s messy.

And they’ve maintained boundaries in what they choose to share. And honestly, some should be grateful for that.

So you can wear the costume. You can call yourself the bear. I’m not here to fight you.

This isn’t retaliation. It’s clarification.

I won’t entertain shadows that call themselves light.”

This family drama seems unfortunately far from over.