The fallout from Summer House‘s “Scamanda” is wide and far, specifically between the show’s stars and close friends Amanda Batula and Ciara Miller.
On Tuesday, March 31, Summer House stars Amanda, 34, and West Wilson, 31, shared joint Instagram stories confirming their romance after weeks of online speculation. Their confirmation stirred up drama due to Amanda’s recent separation from her husband of 10-years and fellow reality TV star, Kyle Cooke, and West’s past relationship with Ciara.
In the days since Amanda and West’s joint statement, the Summer House cast members have shared their opinions on social media. All except Ciara, who has yet to post anything to social media yet. But, eagle-eyed fans noticed that she unfollowed both Amanda and West after the statement was shared.
While neither Ciara or Amanda have commented on the status of their friendship, it seems apparent that the dynamics are shifting. To better understand what a friendship breakup feels like, HELLO! spoke to Jennifer Teplin, the Founder and Clinical Director of Manhattan Wellness and Emily Fiorelli, a Senior Therapist at Manhattan Wellness.
“When a close friend chooses to be with someone who hurt you, it’s not just a friendship loss – it’s a double wound,” Jennifer explained. “You’re grieving the relationship that caused you pain and now also grieving the person you thought was in your corner. The layered loss can feel destabilizing because it shakes your sense of who is safe and who really sees you.”
For Emily, Amanda’s decision was simple. “Amanda making this choice is a blatant breach of trust between her and Ciara, who confided in each other about their romantic hardships with the understanding that they were in support of each other, not their respective ex-partners,” she told HELLO!.
Ciara showing up for Amanda over the years
Continuously throughout their friendship, Ciara has shown up for Amanda. During season seven of Summer House, the reality TV star supported Amanda through a fertility scare. After Amanda opened up about an 18-month absence of her period, Ciara, who is also a nurse, urged her to go to a doctor.
© InstagramIn an act of solidarity, Ciara took a fertility test with Amanda, and learned that she might experience menopause early and has fewer eggs for someone her age. At the time, Amanda told Ciara: “Here’s the thing, we’re going through [expletive] together.”
And last summer, while Amanda was on the brink of divorce from Kyle, Ciara stuck by her side. In a March 2026 interview with Marie Claire, Amanda said: “It would have been a very difficult summer to get through without Ciara.”
She continued: “She is one of the kindest, most loving, loyal friends I’ve ever had. She sends me texts out of the blue, reminding me how strong, powerful, smart, and kind I am — I don’t think she even realizes how much I need those texts.”
© InstagramHow to deal with a violation of trust in a friendship
While we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors, it seems that Ciara is responding to the situation with silence. And, as Jennifer told HELLO!, this may be the healthiest choice.
“Choosing silence isn’t the same as shutting down,” she explained. “When you’re in the early stages of a painful situation, especially one playing out publicly, going quiet is a way of protecting your inner world before you have fully processed what’s happening.”
Jennifer went on: “I see the unfollow as a boundary – it’s saying, ‘I need to stop taking in information that is hurting me.’ It’s not avoidance, it’s emotional triage. At some point I suspect Ciara will collect her thoughts fully and feel an urge to speak out – but for now let’s give her time to digest, regroup and take care of herself.”
© InstagramJennifer added that if Ciara were one of her clients, she “would recommend she get ruthlessly intentional about her inputs.” She told HELLO!: “I’d encourage her to create as much of a controlled environment for her healing as she could, even if the outside world is not cooperating.”
Emily noted that friendship issues are “a consistent topic in therapy.” She went on: “As we grow and change so do our relationships, and some quality friendships last the test of time (and boys) and some don’t. More often than not we are helping clients pick up the pieces and understand why some relationships don’t last, and how to move forward intentionally while leaning into relationships that align with their values.”
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