Lala Kent is feeling “nostalgic” about the drama over Summer House costars Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s new relationship.
“I love it,” Lala, 35, beamed during a Wednesday, May 13, appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “Who would have thought we’d get to relive [‘Scandoval’]? Like, we get to do it twice.”
She likened the social media furore over Amanda and West’s budding romance to the “Scandoval” drama that erupted on Vanderpump Rules in 2023 when Tom Sandoval’s shocking affair with Rachel ‘Raquel’ Leviss was publicly disclosed. (Tom was in a relationship with Ariana Madix at the time but they subsequently split. Earlier this month, Tom and Ariana finally sold their L.A. home three years after breaking up.)
“We’re so lucky,” Lala joked. “I had Lindsay [Hubbard] on the podcast today and obviously she couldn’t reveal everything [about the upcoming reunion]. But she was like, ‘Just wait!’”
Amanda and West, 34 and 31 respectively, stunned the Bravoverse on March 31 when they revealed they were pursuing a “connection” after repeatedly denying they were dating in the past. (The revelation came mere months after Amanda and estranged husband Kyle Cooke announced their separation in January.)
“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” Amanda and West said in a joint statement in March. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”
They went on, “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected,” they continued. “Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”
“As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling. We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless.,” their statement concluded. “We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”
In the weeks since the bombshell announcement, questions have emerged over the exact timeline of Amanda and West getting together — as well as bombshell allegations from West’s ex-girlfriend Ciara Miller that he may have also slept with married Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jenn Fessler. (Jenn has repeatedly denied ever hooking up with West and seemingly has threatened legal action against Ciara. The RHONJ alum has been married to her husband, Jeffrey Fessler, since 1999 and they share two children, son Zachary and daughter Rachel.)
Meanwhile, Lala also touched on where she stands with some of her former Vanderpump Rules costars three years after the “Scandoval” drama. She told host Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Wednesday that she hasn’t spoken to former close friends James Kennedy and Ariana in a few years.
“I haven’t spoken to anybody since that reunion,” she revealed. “Yeah, that’s true.”
Of course, Lala is still in touch with former Vanderpump Rules costars Brittany Cartwright, Tom Schwartz and Kristen Doute because they all appear on Bravo’s VPR spinoff The Valley.
Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs on Bravo Sundays through Thursdays.
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