Todd Nepola is clapping back at the networks and production company of “The Real Housewives of Miami” for allegedly distorting reality about him.
Nepola, a Hollywood-based commercial real estate investor, filed a defamation lawsuit in Miami federal court on Tuesday against cable network Bravo, its parent company NBC Universal, and Los Angeles-based Purveyors of Pop, which produces the hit television series documenting the everyday drama of seven rich and successful women, some of whom are recent divorcees like Alexia Nepola.
In March, the Nepolas finalized their divorce, but their breakup was among the salacious plotlines in the most recent seventh season of “The Real Housewives of Miami,” which also introduced a new cast member hailing from South Florida’s real estate industry: Shoma Group President Stephanie Shojaee.
Nepola and his attorney, Scott Weiselberg, declined to comment. Spokespersons for Bravo, NBC Universal and Purveyors of Pop did not respond to email requests for comment.
In his complaint, Nepola alleges that “The Real Housewives of Miami” producers knowingly manufactured and amplified an ongoing storyline that falsely depicted him as being in financial distress. The lawsuit asserts that Nepola has a net worth exceeding $100 million, and that he’s never faced financial trouble in his life.
The producers also reused video footage of him from seasons four and five of the show as fodder for seasons six and seven, allegedly without his consent. Nepola had agreed to appear in the previous seasons, which aired in 2022 and 2023, when he and Alexia Nepola were engaged, and included a finale episode in season five showcasing their nuptials.
The alleged on-air defamation occurred across several episodes in seasons six and seven when “The Real Housewives of Miami” cast member Adriana de Moura dished rumors about Nepola in front of the camera. According to the complaint, in one episode, de Moura says, “A little bird told me that Todd and Alexia are having some trouble…and they might have to break their lease and find a cheaper place.”
Nepola alleges that when he confronted producers, “they did not care,” the complaint states. During the time producers aired the episodes intimating that he was struggling, Nepola closed more than $115 million in real estate deals across 11 transactions, the lawsuit states.
In July, an affiliate of Nepola’s Current Capital Group paid $33 million for a Miami Gardens shopping center.
The alleged defamation extends beyond the episodes during season six and seven, as Bravo has re-aired allegedly snippets depicting or mentioning Nepola in a negative light on the network’s social media accounts, “The Real Housewives of Miami” reunion shows and other media platforms, the complaint states.
“The defamatory story lines forged by the RHOM producers are completely devoid from reality,” the lawsuit alleges. “Each new broadcast serves to reignite and revalidate the false narrative, reinforcing the public’s belief in its accuracy and renewing the emotional and reputational harm.”
