Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Miami culminated in a clash between Alexia Nepola and Adriana de Moura. After de Moura suffered a foot injury while on a girls’ trip to the Bahamas, she told Nepola she’d expected her to have more concern over an accident, given her son Frankie’s near-fatal car accident over a decade ago. Needless to say it didn’t go over well with Nepola, as she took to social media to address the conversation after the episode aired.
Alexia Nepola’s son Frankie Rosello survived a horrific car accident in 2011
In August 2011, Frankie Rosello was riding in the passenger seat of a car with a friend when they were involved in a gruesome accident. Rosello was just 13 years old and was on the verge of death. But after a three-month coma, surgery, and lots of physical therapy, Rosello has continued to recover from the car crash.
His mother looked back on the difficult time in a February 2023 Instagram post. “Having a doctor tell me ‘There is no hope for a recovery’ the only thing on my mind was how can I save him,” she said. “I devoted my life to getting him well. Six months in a hospital/rehabilitation center not leaving his sight.”
For her, her faith and love for her child is what helped him bounce back. “I do believe now what the doctors would tell me that my LOVE saved him,” she said.
Alexia Nepola spoke about Adriana de Moura likening her injury to Frankie’s accident
Nepola went on to describe how Rosello’s near-death experience continues to affect her and the rest of their family to this day.
“I will never recover from Frankie’s accident,” Nepola said. “It’s only my wish that he can continue to improve in time, and he can be as ‘normal and productive’ as his limitations allow. I will never accept the loss of my dreams for him, and I will never give up on him or Peter. Our pain is so deep.”
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“What I learned over these past 11 years is that the accident was not just Frankie’s pain, but everyone’s and we still carry this pain in our everyday life. My entire family has lived with this pain, and it has altered the course of our lives,” she continued. “From close family to friends and strangers I have never known before, everyone feels for the situation and always tries to help [and] offer their sorrow.”
When it came to de Moura bringing up the accident after dealing with an injury on a trip with the Housewives, Nepola wasn’t having it. She reiterated her stance in her social media post.
“I am doing this post today because a topic on our show addresses Frankie and I want the truth to be told from my voice. In doing so, you’ve all witnessed some of my most vulnerable — and while I’m in a much better place, a huge part of my heart continues to ache,” Nepola said. “Frankie’s accident changed my life. I’ve shared my journey with Frankie on RHOM for years as much as I can emotionally, in hopes of inspiring others going through similar situations to remain positive and optimistic. For anyone to use Frankie’s accident to compare or ‘connect’ their level of pain and suffering to what Frankie has endured is wrong ESPECIALLY when referring to a FAKE INJURY.”
“I have survived heartaches of all kinds,” she ended the post. “I hope to inspire all people to believe that remaining positive will eventually lead to a happy and healthy future.”
Alexia has worked to help Frankie become more independent
Over a decade later, Rosello is now in his 20s and appears on The Real Housewives of Miami with his mom. Season 5 of the show documents Nepola working to make Rosello a more independent adult.
Part of this work includes partnering with the Miami-based De Moya Foundation dedicated to employment opportunities for young adults with unique abilities.
