Woman Discovers Her Name Is Featured inWizards of Waverly Place.Now the Internet Thinks the Show Is Based on Her (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Alexis Nido-Russo (left) and Wizards of Waverly Place’s Alex Russo.Photo:Nicolette Nunez; Adam Rose/Disney Channel via Getty

Nicolette Nunez; Adam Rose/Disney Channel via Getty

One woman is uncovering an uncanny connection between her life and a famous Disney Channel show.

It all started a few years ago whenAlexis Nido-Russowalked into a bank and handed her debit card to the teller. That’s when the teller looked up and exclaimed,“Wizards of Waverly Place!You must get that a lot.”

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Alexis Nido-Russo.Nicolette Nunez

Nicolette Nunez

Now a mother and founder of jewelry collectiveLocal Eclectic, Nido-Russo explained that when the show premiered, she was in college and had outgrown that type of programming. As the two continued to talk, the teller began sharing details about the series, including the characters' backstories. Suddenly, the similarities between Russo’s real life and the show’s fictional world began to emerge.

The teller continued, “Well, don’t tell me your dad owns a sub shop.” Russo replied, “No, but he does work in the restaurant business and owns an Italian deli.” The teller then asked, “Don’t tell me you have two brothers.” Nido-Russo responded, “Actually, I do have two brothers.”

The teller pressed on, “Don’t tell me their names are Justin and Max?” Nido-Russo replied, “My brothers are named Joseph and Michael, which also start with a ‘J’ and ‘M.’ It felt like something out of a movie."

After leaving the bank, Nido-Russo recalled thinking, “That’s wild!” She made a TikTok about her experience, and it blew up. Many viewers were surprised that she had never heard of the show or that no one had ever mentioned it to her before. Since then, she tells PEOPLE that when introducing herself, she typically doesn’t use her last name.

“I sometimes feel like I stepped into a wormhole and entered another universe,” she says. “I couldn’t believe that no one had ever mentioned it to me before. It seemed a little bit like magic. My brothers are a lot younger than me; my youngest brother just turned 21, and he would have been the right age to watch that show. It’s strange that no one ever brought it up.”

“Everyone on the Internet was saying, ‘Whoa, that’s insane!’ That made me realize I really needed to research the show more. As I looked into it, I discovered even more similarities that created undeniable parallels between my life and her character.”

Alexis Nido-Russo with her two kids.Alexis Nido-Russo

Alexis Nido-Russo

For example, Nido-Russo notes that Alex is portrayed as half Italian and half Mexican, while she is half Puerto Rican and half Italian. The show takes place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, and Russo is from N.Y.C.’s Astoria, Queens. “Plus, her character has a quirky personality and often finds herself in unusual situations — something that’s very true for me,” she adds.

“WHAT WHAT WHAT?!!! How is this happening ?! A glitch in the matrix? I am so invested. NEED ALL THE DETAILS! Bank girl started this spiral 🌀,” one user commented on herTikTok.

“Omg you are alex russo😂 i love that show growing up,” another person wrote.

While Nido-Russo has never heard from the cast about the speculation, she says the producer of the show commented on one of her TikTok videos, neither confirming nor denying the connection but playing along with it.

“Since I created it … I have a confession. Lol,” Greenwald wrote.

“I called my dad about it,” Nido-Russo says. “He denies knowing anyone who worked for Disney or any writers, but it’s pretty strange how closely her life resembles mine. It’s also crazy because I actually toured with Miley Cyrus during her Best of Both Worlds Tour, which was during the height ofHannah Montana. I did marketing for her fan club, so I was kind of in the Disney world myself.”

She adds that while to this day she can’t bring herself to watchWizards of Waverly Place, maybe she’ll watch thereboot, which premieres with two episodes on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel.

“Alex Russo is the CEO of a jewelry company in this reboot, then we’ve got some explaining to do,” Nido-Russo adds.

source: people.com