Ashlee Holmes Says Lexi Ioannou Used Manzo Family Drama for Clout and Exposes Her Lies!
Ashlee Holmes Says Lexi Ioannou Used Manzo Family Drama for Clout and Exposes Her Lies!
Ashlee Holmes is fiercely defending the Manzo family against recent accusations made by Lexi Ioannou — and she’s not holding back.
The 34 year old took to Instagram on May 28 to address Lexi’s emotional claims on Gia Giudice’s podcast, where Lexi accused Caroline Manzo and her daughter Lauren of failing to help recover childhood belongings left behind after Lexi’s stepfather, Tommy Manzo, reportedly forced her and her mother, Dina Manzo, out of their home.
“Let me tell you something about my family,” Ashlee wrote alongside throwback clips featuring the Manzos.
“They might not be my blood, but they are the people who opened their home when I had nowhere else to go — more than once. They’ve helped me back up when I’ve felt lost, also more than once.”’
Ashlee praised the Manzo family’s support, adding, “They answer phone calls. They show up when needed. Those people being trashed publicly right now — I’ve watched them cry. I’ve watched them care.” Ashlee also alleged that Lexi’s public remarks were timed to benefit her business ventures. “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,” she wrote.
“I saw how much it hurt her and the whole family.”
According to Ashlee, despite the harsh headlines, the Manzos made quiet efforts to retrieve Lexi’s childhood belongings during a garage sale. “They even offered to buy the items back. And they didn’t do it for attention,” she noted. “There were no cameras. No podcasts. No brand launches. Just quiet love.” She continued, “For a decade, they’ve 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.”
Ashlee then accused Lexi of “another retelling” for attention, calling her version of events “lies.” In her caption, Ashlee reiterated that her comments were not a defense of Tommy Manzo — who has faced multiple accusations of violence against Dina and her husband Dave Cantin — but rather a reflection of her personal experience.
“Lexi has straight up lied. Again. And as a witness to everything that day, and to other awful things that have happened — I spoke out,” she wrote. “Hope she gets those shoe sales though.” Ashlee also confirmed that Caroline Manzo plans to publicly address the situation soon.
Despite the post being meant as clarification, Ashlee faced pushback in the comments. One follower told her, “Your positive experience with your family does not negate their experience.”
Ashlee replied, “When there are a multitude of lies and misrepresentations involved… yeah it sort of does… especially when they’re trying to capitalize on it.”
\When another commenter criticized her for defending the Manzos and claimed they stood by Tommy until the end, Ashlee shot back, “Yeah none of that is true… they haven’t had a relationship with Tommy longgggg before his sentencing.”
Ashlee concluded by shutting down critics who said she wasn’t involved: “I was actually there… Who are you? lol.”
Stay Connected With All About The Tea: Twitter Ι Instagram Ι YouTube Ι Facebook Ι Send Us Tips
Olivia Davis is a Staff Writer at All About The Tea. Olivia’s hobbies include binging Netflix series, and watching Housewives on Bravo. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in History.