Entertainment TV 'RHOC' 's Noella Bergener Says Estranged Husband Abandoned Their Son as He Denies Her Claims "Ultimately Noella is the mother of my child and I will not publicly disparage her," James Bergener tells PEOPLE exclusively in a statement about his ex Noella's recent claims By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE's digital TV team. While at the brand, she's had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 21, 2021 03:16PM EST Photo: noella bergener/ instagram Noella Bergener called out her estranged husband James Bergener for his alleged wrongdoings since their split — but he is now addressing her claims. James Bergener responded to his ex's allegations through his attorney, telling PEOPLE exclusively in a statement that he won't "publicly disparage" Noella despite her own public declarations against him. "I look forward to addressing all these false accusations in a courtroom," the statement reads. "A judge in Puerto Rico, where I am a resident, has already granted our divorce. Ultimately Noella is the mother of my child and I will not publicly disparage her." A rep for Noella did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. All the Celebrity Couples Who've Called It Quits in 2021 On Instagram Sunday, the Real Housewives of Orange County newcomer, 36, outlined how the pair's correspondence has allegedly worsened after their split. "BRUTAL to relive 😭 5 months ago my husband and partner of 6 years left the house with his toothbrush leaving behind his life, family and home. He ended our marriage with service of divorce papers from Puerto Rico. Which he doesn't qualify for since we are California citizens and nothing untoward happened in our marriage there," she captioned a post, which featured a clip from an upcoming RHOC episode. "We had been arguing since I found out of his tax debts through gossip sites 3 weeks prior and was confused with his push back to selling our vacation home to cover them," she wrote. Noella then claimed that James "has not visited our son or given me any explanation for his departure," adding that he also allegedly "fled the state to evade service." "My cards are still shut off, he hasn't paid a dime in support, he stopped paying for our home and is currently holding up our divorce unless I sign a statement saying that I lied about him, his business partner and his brand," the Bravo reality star continued. "I spoke nothing but the truth and have all the receipts. If anything I really protected my husband by not speaking about his issues but rather focused on my journey in this now divorce. He is the father of my child and want him to be well." RHOC: Newcomer Noella Bergener Breaks Down After Husband Serves Divorce Papers — 'It's a Bad Dream' Noella Bergener. Tommy Garcia/Bravo Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Noella added, "After his departure I made the decision to stay on the show we were primarily doing to promote his brand because frankly it was the only thing getting me out of bed and with the hope that others going through something similar could understand they're not alone. I realize there are three sides to every story. I have asked him to give an explanation through a 3rd party to provide insight which he has repeatedly declined." Concluding the post, she claimed that what she has alleged "are FACTS" and thanked fans for their "continued support and prayers" for her family. "I don't wish to encourage James bashing with this post," she added. "Just providing insight to the hell I am still in ❤️🩹 #rhoc #divorcesucks #ineedclosure." Noella had been with James for six years, though they had only been married since June 2020. Us Weekly reported she filed for legal separation on Aug. 2, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the cause of the separation. But James also served her with divorce papers that same month, according to TMZ. Noella has addressed the divorce on RHOC, detailing to a friend that she needs to "find him in order to turn back on the credit cards and make sure the rent gets paid and in order to move forward with my son's therapy." (This moment was also featured in the clip accompanying her Instagram post on Sunday.) Also addressing the situation on the Dec. 15 episode of RHOC, Noella said she was feeling "completely lost" at the time. "I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think," she said in a confessional. "It's a bad dream. It's just a really, really bad dream." The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Wednesdays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.