Chanel West Coast is ready to embrace the ridiculousness ahead. Hours after confirming her departure from MTV's Ridiculousness after 12 years, the TV personality shared what to expect as she...There are a million ways to get over a bad breakup. Of course, you could adopt a dog, take a glamorous vacation, or start dating a hunky cast member from Summer House. But, when you’re Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix and going through the breakup of a lifetime, you have to get creative with how you get over the split.
In the last few weeks, the world learned that Ariana’s partner of nine years, Tom Sandoval, had been cheating on her with their friend Raquel Leviss. Naturally, a breakup of this magnitude calls for a big pivot. According to Deadline, Ariana’s pivoting into a new acting role.
Despite the ongoing headlines about Scandoval, the outlet announced that Ariana has been cast in a Lifetime movie called Buying Back My Daughter. Ariana will star alongside Meagan Good.
Luckily, the film has nothing to do with a cheating husband. Buying Back My Daughter follows a mom whose teenage daughter goes missing after being sex trafficked on an escort website. Ariana will play a cop named Karen, who’s helping the mom investigate the case of the missing teen. Her character takes a special interest in the case due to a connection to the missing teen’s story.
Although she’s gearing up for the Lifetime movie, Ariana also recently filmed the Season 10 reunion of Pump Rules. At the reunion, she came face-to-face with her ex and his mistress, which was surely no easy task. Thankfully, Ariana had the perfect revenge dress to make Sandoval realize how badly he messed up. Her co-star Scheana Shay said that Ariana has a “crazy sense of empowerment” following the heartbreak. It sounds like that will be on full display during the reunion. Hopefully, she channeled Karen the Cop to grill Tom and Raquel.
According to the publication, Buying Back My Daughter is currently filming. That means Ariana has plenty to focus on while Tom and Raquel work on repairing their public image. There’s no word on when Ariana’s movie will air on Lifetime, but be ready to set your DVR as soon as the airdate is announced.
TELL US – WILL YOU BE WATCHING ARIANA’S LIFETIME MOVIE? DO YOU THINK THE SCANDOVAL HEADLINES HELPED HER LAND THE ROLE?
[Photo Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images]
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Katie Maloney never misses an opportunity to make herself heard on social media. She called her Vanderpump Rules co-star Scheana Shay a troll.
According to Us Weekly, the Season 10 mid-season trailer dropped on March 20, 2023. Most highly anticipated was Tom Sandoval’s interaction with his illicit lover Raquel Leviss. In another clip, Ariana Madix tells her ex-boyfriend “to die” after finding out about his trysts.
Bravo’s official Instagram account captioned the video, “How many times have you watched the #PumpRules Mid-Season trailer??” Katie’s comment got her some heat from VPR fans. She commented that the season was “so good.”
A fan called Katie out for the callous response. They wrote, “The rest of the season is so good?’ @musickillskate seeing your friend go through something traumatic is good..? ..Entertaining? Sad.”
Naturally, Katie came back strong and made it all about her. She replied, “If anyone had a traumatic ‘rest of the season’ it’s me. You have to remember the scandoval stuff just happened. Our season filmed over the summer. But I can objectively say it’s a great season.”
Bravo wouldn’t miss the opportunity to capitalize on the trainwreck that is Scandoval. Of course, viewers want the drama, despite the emotional fallout. It was previously revealed to Us Weekly that cameras rushed to film as soon as news of Tom and Raquel’s affair broke.
“The cameras haven’t stopped rolling since Wednesday night. It’s not an understatement to say this will be the most explosive season of Vanderpump Rules ever,” a source said at the time.
Katie shared her opinion on the matter when she appeared on Watch What Happens Live. She told host Andy Cohen, “I wasn’t shocked, but the details were shocking. I wasn’t shocked that it was Raquel.”
Katie had her own beef with Raquel. The former beauty pageant contestant hooked up with Tom Schwartz at Scheana’s destination wedding over the summer.
“You deserve … what’s coming to you right now,” Katie opined during Lala Kent’s podcast Give Them Lala. Katie referenced Raquel’s kiss with her ex-husband. She added, “I gave you every opportunity. I was so kind to you when I didn’t have to be, but I was. The fact that you didn’t really step [up] or appreciate that or recognize that and you walked all over that and took a giant dump on it, you’re an idiot.”
In response to backlash for the affair, Raquel issued an apology via Instagram earlier this month. She wrote, “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”
About a week later, Ariana posted a statement on her social media. She wrote, “Hi. where to begin? i want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks. When i have felt like i couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement.”
Ariana concluded, “So many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. i am so f—king lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope i can repay every single person for the love you have shown me. what doesn’t kill me better run.”
Bravo knows what fans want. Saying Season 10 is “good” viewing can’t be equated with an opinion on what went down. Katie wasn’t wrong. She and Lala had Raquel figured out early on.
TELL US- WAS KATIE WRONG TO CALL SEASON 10 “GOOD”? WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING? SHOULD BRAVO HAVE FILMED THE FALLOUT FROM SCANDOVAL?
[Photo Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Bravo via Getty Images]
The post Katie Maloney Defends Calling Season 10 Of Vanderpump Rules “So Good” Amid Scandoval appeared first on Reality Tea.
It’s The Bachelor finale! We made it! Who will become the future Mrs. Zach Shallcross? Who will go home in tears? Does anybody even care at this point? Apparently, even the last two women standing, Gabi Elnicki and Kaity Biggar, are “questioning everything.” As host Jesse Palmer told us, “Buckle up, cause anything can happen!”
Oh, look! Sean Lowe and his lovely wife Catherine Giudici Lowe were in the audience as proof that sometimes this show actually works!
The first person welcomed to the stage with Jesse was Ariel Frenkel, Zach’s most recent reject. Uh-oh! Ariel had no idea of the Fantasy Suite drama until she saw it on TV when everyone else did. I guess Zach didn’t have that talk with everyone then.
When Ariel was joined on the couch by Zach, she called him out for leaving her “in the dark” and not being honest with her. “Why were the other women given grace and honesty . . . when I wasn’t given that same respect?” Ariel asked.
Zach expressed a lot of “regret” about how he handled “that week” (you mean “Sex Week,” right, Zach?). He admitted that he should have had a conversation with Ariel and apologized to her.
“By taking sex off the table, you made the entire week about sex,” Ariel told him, “And it didn’t need to be like that.”
By attempting to make things less messy, he made things much more messy and complicated than they should have been. He confessed that by setting the rules for the week, he hurt others and he regrets that.
Ariel really nailed Zach about taking away “her agency.” They should have made a decision “as a couple” about whether or not to be intimate in the Fantasy Suite. By making that decision for her, he didn’t give them the chance to discuss it and come to a decision together. “You would have found out that I was on the same page as you,” she told him.
In the end, Ariel was grateful for the time she and Zach had together. She said it made her look forward to having a relationship in the future, hopefully without all the other women.
Back in Thailand, Zach’s family had arrived and were waiting to see him. Zach admitted to his family that in trying to make things less complicated, he actually made a mess of things that ended up biting him “in the ass.”
Despite having narrowed the field to his final two women, Zach confessed that it’s “not a clear path.” He was still not sure which of the women would be his final choice, but Gabi would be meeting the ‘rents first.
While getting ready for their date, Gabi expressed mixed feelings about her relationship with Zach. Even though he’d told her he didn’t have any regrets about getting intimate with her on their overnight date, at the Rose Ceremony all his talk about “regret, disappointment [and] failure” had caused her major insecurity.
Though he said he didn’t regret anything, Gabi suspected “there’s some regret there.” Before meeting Zach’s family, she needed to have a conversation with him. And if it didn’t go well, she said she probably wouldn’t be meeting them.
When Zach had expressed so much negativity at the Rose Ceremony, Gabi worried whether that “negativity” included her. She was feeling like she’d been an accessory to a crime, and it weighed heavily on her.
Zach reassured Gabi that he had no regrets about their relationship and even told her he was “feeling love” after their overnight. So Gabi was happy and smiling again. Let’s go meet Mom and Dad!
Gabi’s own parents were engaged after only a month, so the Vermont native knows it can happen. Zach’s dad pulled her aside for a private chat.
Zach’s dad Jim told Gabi that he and his wife’s marriage grew stronger by facing adversity, rather than just “having a great time.” Zach had not been expected to live when he was born, and his parents got through it as a couple. Gabi told him she was ready to face hard times, as well as good, with his son.
Gabi loved Zach’s family and could see herself being a part of the Shallcross family. Afterward, she admitted that she is in love with Zach, even though she doesn’t know “what happens after this.” Gabi felt ready to start her life with Zach, and he was really happy. “You’re awesome!” he told her. As she was kissing him goodbye in the van, Gabi told him, “Love you!” So that went well.
Having a cup of coffee on her balcony, Kaity was deep in thought about Zach also having feelings for Gabi, especially since they’d been intimate on their overnight date. Worrying that Zach could be falling in love with Gabi, Kaity was being very “cautious” with her own heart.
When they walked in to meet Jim and Megan, Zach felt confident that Kaity would be great with his family. He’d had a strong connection with her from the start and couldn’t wait for them to meet her. As soon as they sat down, Zach’s dad joked, “Tell us everything right now!”
Overall, Zach’s mom wanted him to have a “best friend,” whether it was Gabi or Kaity. Megan took Kaity outside to have a talk and get to know her a little better. Getting right to the point, she asked the travel nurse how she was dealing with not being the only woman Zach was dating. Kaity got a little teary thinking about possibly not being Zach’s final pick.
A few minutes later, Zach’s sister twisted the knife a little more by asking, “Are you prepared if it does go the other way?”
“Like if it goes sour?” Kaity finished for her. “It would be heartbreaking and very tough. I honestly didn’t think that I could find somebody so amazing. I just want him to be happy and to follow his heart.” And pick me, she added in her head. Not having had a “traditional” family herself, Kaity was picturing herself being a part of Zach’s family, and she was excited about the future.
During their time together, Zach’s dad told Kaity that he hadn’t had the greatest role model of a father, but the “lack of having something turned out to be my greatest strength.” Kaity wanted Jim to be her dad at that moment and told him she was in love with his son.
After meeting his family, Kaity told Zach, “They were amazing. I’m so in love with you. Hearing your family talk about you just made me even more in love with you, and I’m very, very happy.”
I don’t know. I think Kaity just seems needy. Gabi seems more confident, but maybe it’s just that I like Gabi better for some reason. And it’s really going to piss me off if Zach had sex with her and doesn’t pick her at the end.
Gosh, Thailand is beautiful! I would love to go there someday. As Zach walked through a bamboo forest, he admitted to still being “torn” between the two remaining women, even though he expected to be engaged to one of them in the next few days. Better make up your mind, Zach. Tick tock!
When Kaity met him on the path, Zach told her they were going for a “little hike” through the forest. Even though she was nervous about being his final choice, Kaity still felt Zach was a good fit for her, and she loved his family.
They ended their hike with a swim in a pond at the base of a waterfall. Gorgeous! “I’m very happy with you,” the registered nurse purred in Zach’s ear. All Kaity wanted was a life with Zach. “Going into tonight . . . I’m just going to soak in every second with him,” she said.
As they had one final evening together before the proposal, I was struck by just how weird this show really is. In a normal relationship, a couple would be happy and comfortable with each other just days before an engagement. But in this environment, everyone seems to be freaking out and terrified of what’s coming. Rather than being sure of their love and looking forward to the future, Kaity and Gabi were both thinking, “What if he dumps me?” What a sad prelude to what’s supposed to be a magical time of your life.
RELATED: Bachelor Zach Shallcross and Rachel Recchia Call A Truce On Their Feud
As Zach walked to meet Gabi, he was remembering how awesome his “Last Chance Date” with Kaity was the day before. Is it okay to be thinking about one girl when you’re on the way to meet another? See what I’m talking about? This show is wack. And he still doesn’t know which one he wants to marry!
As Gabi arrived, Zach told her they were going on a “very special date.” They were going horseback riding! Fun! But while Gabi had ridden a horse before, Zach admitted to it being his first time.
Where Kaity was a tearful, anxious wreck, Gabi said Zach made her feel “warm and fuzzy and happy and giddy. He makes me feel safe.”
As they rode the horses onto a beach, Zach said, “I love my time with Gabi. She’s so funny, quirky, silly and she puts the biggest smile on my face. She gives me butterflies!”
For her part, Gabi thought it had been a natural progression for her and Zach. “He gets me,” she said. “And I get him. We’re in a really good spot.”
Everything was going great until Gabi asked Zach how he was feeling. He bluntly admitted he was still torn about the decision he was going to make in a couple of days. And with that, all of Gabi’s optimism and confidence disappeared. Poof! Poor Gabi was back in her head and feeling like she’d “never be enough.”
As she was lighting candles in anticipation of Zach’s arrival, Gabi recapped her day for us. “After the date today, I’m a mix of emotions.” Zach’s admission of having a “very tough decision to make” had sent Gabi into a tailspin, but she’d managed to pull herself out of her slump and was excited to see him again.
Gabi told Zach how much she loved his family, and that she’d been so happy and in love with him after meeting them. But on the other hand, it was tough for her to think, “What if I’m not the one?” Even though she knew it was tough for Zach, it was “really scary” for her, too.
Zach assured her he was “trying really hard to figure this out.” He knew it wasn’t fair, but he was doing his best. “I’m so torn . . . my heart’s being tugged in two [directions].” But he assured Gabi that he was taking his decision very seriously.
Nevertheless, Gabi was feeling insecure because she didn’t get the reassurance she was hoping for. “He can say he’s falling in love,” she whispered sadly, “but if his heart is in two places, he’s also falling in love with Kaity. He has to make a tough decision between two incredible people, but he leaves with a full heart. One of us [will leave] with a heart broken.”
After the break, Sean and Catherine made their way to the stage. Jesse asked Sean, “How do you think Zach’s handled being the Bachelor this season?”
Sean blurted out, “Not well, Jesse.” Preach, Reverand Lowe! “I know his heart’s torn in two different directions. I mean, honesty is crucial in any relationship but, dude, you’re being way too honest with her right now.” All joking aside, Sean finally admitted Zach was doing really well, under the circumstances.
Having been in their position, Catherine understood what the two women were going through. “The final two are consumed with trying to figure out their future,” she said, “But it’s really not in their hands. It’s a humongous challenge for both of them to know . . . you’re either going to be dumped or you’re gonna spend the rest of your life with somebody. It’s really hard.”
Uh-oh. Going into the final segment, Jesse warned us, “Brace yourselves, ’cause this is a rough one.” My stomach hurts.
I guess Neil Lane couldn’t make it to Thailand, but he sent some nice rocks for Zach to choose from. And Jesse was there to guide him in his choice of a ring, not which woman to give it to.
After choosing a ring, Zach claimed, “This is the biggest day of my life. I’m proposing to my best friend, and this is the start of the rest of our lives. But it’s also the day I’ll have to break someone’s heart.” I hate this part. Has he even made his decision yet? Flip a coin, already!
The two women were riding toward the proposal site in their vans. Who would step out of the black van first? Oh no!!! It’s Gabi! I recognized the hem of her bright yellow dress as she stepped out. Okay, I already don’t want to watch the rest of this show.
When Jesse greeted her and asked her how she was feeling, Gabi solemnly told him, “I think I know what’s about to happen.” Jesse wished her the best of luck and sent her off to meet her fate.
“Gabi,” Zach began, “we started this journey as strangers.” He listed all the things they’d been through over the past few weeks, summing up with, “There’s so much I love and adore about you . . . but . . . ”
And there it was. You could see all of the air go out of her. “I know,” she said. “You don’t have to say it.”
Even though Zach tried to continue his speech, Gabi interrupted him, “I don’t want to hear it.” Every time he tried to tell her “you deserve a man who picks you first every day,” she insisted that he just stop. “I’ll be okay. I want you to be happy. Kaity is a really special person, and she’s really lucky. So good luck . . . goodbye.”
“I’m sorry,” Zach said, but Gabi told him, “I don’t want an apology and I don’t need it. I really do wish nothing but the best for you.” She was done with him. She didn’t want an apology or for him to say anything just to make himself feel better or less guilty.
“It’s okay,” Gabi assured him. “I’ll find love somewhere, somehow. It’s okay.” And with that, Gabi opened her own damn car door, climbed in, and yanked off her fancy-ass shoes. You’re an ass, Zach. You slept with the girl and then kicked her to the curb, just like I hoped you wouldn’t.
Riding away from the scene of the ambush, Gabi said, “That was f***ing humiliating. I’ve been strung along now this entire f***ing time, and for what? Why am I so hard to love? I just want to go home.” Meanwhile, Zach sobbed alone in the parking lot.
Next, we saw Gabi in the studio, wiping away tears. Someone in the audience shouted, “We love you, Gabi!”
When Jesse asked her how she was feeling after “watching that back,” Gabi took her time answering. “I know I’m strong for going through that, but it’s honestly worse watching it back. It just hurts, because I had a little bit of hope going into that day. I never thought that someone who said they were falling in love with me would make me go through that.”
Explaining that she’d spent all morning preparing a speech, going through “hours and hours of interviews,” getting ready and waiting, Gabi had told herself, “Zach would never make you go through this [for nothing].” She didn’t think someone who cared for her would put her through all of that “stress and anxiety” just to humiliate her. Oh, but he did.
After telling her that all of Bachelor Nation felt her pain and they had never seen such an outpouring of love and support as she was getting on social media, Jesse asked, “How hard was that goodbye for you?”
Gabi said, “It was harder than any goodbye I’ve ever had to go through because it’s goodbye forever. It’s not goodbye and maybe we’ll run into each other. It’s goodbye.” Even though she admitted she had expected those words were coming, part of her had hoped that maybe it would be her. “And when he didn’t [choose me], I kind of kicked myself. But I also prepared myself, because I did know in my gut.”
But knowing it was coming didn’t make the rejection and the heartbreak any easier. Sadly, Gabi said, “I had chosen him, and he didn’t choose me back.”
Regarding what happened between them during Fantasy Suites week, Gabi added, “It’s extremely violating that the entire nation knows everything.”
After Jesse welcomed Zach to the stage, he walked out and gave Gabi a stiff hug. “Gabi,” Jesse asked, “what would you like to say to Zach?”
Gabi admitted to having a lot of emotions she didn’t even know she had until she watched it back. “I’m sad, I’m hurt,” she said. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Hoping to get more specific about those emotions she was having, Jesse plunged in. “Gabi, what was the most painful part of Zach disclosing publicly, what had happened privately, behind closed doors between the two of you?”
Gabi said that earlier that day on their date when she had told Zach about having been “chosen second” in past relationships, he told her he had her back, and she felt so “supported and protected.” But then she was “disappointed” with how everything in the evening portion was portrayed. They had spent “so much time talking about emotional health, mental health, therapy and how we both connected on that.” But none of that conversation was shown on TV.
When they consensually decided to be intimate, they had agreed “it was just to be between us.” Then when Zach came to her hotel room the next day, Gabi was blindsided. She understood that he was just trying to be honest, though she didn’t know he had told everyone else until she watched the episode on TV.
“So for me to see that on TV,” Gabi sobbed, “I feel ashamed [of] a moment that felt like love to me. It’s very painful. I wish you would have just sent me home and saved me all the pain. I get that it’s a TV show and sex sells, but now I’ve become a narrative. And it’s really painful.”
As usual, Zach went through a litany of excuses for treating Gabi like shit. But in the end, he apologized (again) “from the bottom of my heart.”
Wrapping up, Jesse thanked Gabi for coming and said, “I just know that you are gonna find the love of your life very soon. You’re an amazing person.”
Back in Thailand, Zach had dried his tears and was looking forward to proposing to Kaity. He admitted that “breaking up with Gabi was harder than I could have imagined,” but it was just “the last thing I needed to do” before giving his heart to his “one special person.” Geez, Zach, you make Gabi sound like an obstacle that needed to be kicked to the side of the road before continuing on your merry way. I can’t wait to see the social media reaction to your callousness tomorrow.
While waiting for Kaity to arrive, Zach mused, “I thought about who could I not live without. Who do I want to wake up with every morning? Whose face do I want to see every day? Who do I truly love with all my heart?” Ugh, I hope Gabi’s left the building already.
“Hello, Gorgeous!” Zach greeted Kaity. “You look beautiful.”
“Zach,” Kaity began, “Coming here I didn’t think it could be me. I’ve never experienced unconditional love but then you stepped into my life, and my walls came crumbling down . . . I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and honestly, if it’s not you it’s not anyone.”
“Kaity,” Zach said, “I was faced with a nearly impossible decision, and it’s been really hard.” Always all about you, Zach.
Kaity’s face fell when Zach told her, “I can no longer say ‘I’m falling in love with you’ . . . because I am so in love with you, and you are my world. I love you.” So, after kneeling, he said, “Kaity, will you marry me?”
What do you think she’ll say? I’m on pins and needles. JK! She jumped on it. “Absolutely!!!”
“Look at that rock [that I didn’t have to pay for]!” crowed Zach. I hate when they pick the wrong person. Can you tell I’m disappointed?
Zach and Kaity jumped into a little boat — wait, isn’t that the same launch that took Zach and Gabi out to their pirate ship?! That’s Gabi’s boat, Kaity! — and rode off into the sunset, screaming, “We’re engaged!”
I do have to admit that Kaity looked beautiful when she joined Zach and Jesse on the stage. Someone finally bought her a pair of shoes that don’t look like she stole them out of her grandma’s closet.
After being the first to “publicly congratulate” them, Jesse asked Kaity and Zach, “How great does it feel?”
Kaity said they’ve been “counting down the days,” and Zach added, “Even going to a coffee shop or a restaurant together, just the littlest things, we just can’t wait for.”
Jesse wanted to know when Zach knew Kaity was the one, and he said, “It was at the Last Chance Date. I saw her, and I just knew. I want to spend the rest of my life with this woman.”
When Jesse asked if what happened during Fantasy Week had affected their relationship, Kaity admitted that it had been hard to watch back and that she never wanted to watch that particular episode again, but said, “We came out stronger in the end.”
“What happens next?” Jesse wanted to know. Zach said he’ll be packing up all his stuff, and they’ll be moving in together this summer. “Right now we’re just excited to be together,” Zach added. “We’ve talked about it, and we’re thinking about 2025 for a wedding. We’ll see what happens after that with little ones.”
Jesse commented on how special it had been to see the relationship, not just between Zach and Kaity, but between Ariel, Gabi, and Kaity. They all seemed to care for and support each other.
“I think we were all trauma-bonded,” Kaity joked. “Gabi and Ariel are both amazing, and I’m so thankful to have a friendship with them.”
Before saying goodnight to Bachelor Nation, Jesse treated us to a sneak peek at Charity Lawson’s first night as the new Bachelorette. As they were standing in the driveway of the Bachelor Manson preparing to greet the first limo, Jesse told Charity, “The man you’re about to meet is someone you already know.” Is it Jimmy Kimmel? He loves the Bachelor franchise.
“You both have a history together,” Jesse added. Oh, so not Kimmel then.
And as a handsome (but short) bald, Black man stepped out of the limo, Charity was laughing, “Oh my god!” While I was saying, “Who is that?!” It was her brother, Nehemiah Lawson (thanks for the graphic, Bachelor producers).
In a confessional, Nehemiah explained, “I’m on the lookout, ’cause men can be dogs. I have a plan. It involves a disguise, and it’s gonna help me really find out more about these guys.” Nehemiah is going to make sure everybody’s “here for the right reasons.”
Nehemiah is the Bachelor “Undercover Brother.” I love it! What a fun twist! The Bachelorette premiers June 26th on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF ZACH’S CHOICE? WERE YOU SURPRISED OR DID YOU SEE IT COMING? ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING CHARITY AS THE BACHELORETTE?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin]
The post Bachelor Season 27 Episode 11 Recap: The Finale And After The Final Rose appeared first on Reality Tea.
Having his say. Again. Below Deck Season 10 deckhand Ben Willoughby is responding to claims he ghosted a former lover. Second stew Leigh-Ann Smith made a statement to social media recently that Ben cut all ties with her and has not responded to her requests for an explanation.
It all started with Season 10 cast member Camille Lamb. She caught Ben’s eye and the two started a steamy boat-mance. But Captain Sandy Yawn separated the two lovebirds. The deck/stew was fired mid-season.
Leigh-Ann replaced stew Alissa Humber. Ben quickly recognized her from their Tinder-inspired meeting. It turns out the two had been sexting for the past year.
The deckhand spent the rest of the season trying to remind himself how much he felt for Camille. They even planned a vacation in the Dominican Republic once charters ended to “pursue” their “connection.”
RELATED: Below Deck Season 10 Episode 17 Recap: Farewell Captain Lee
Ultimately, Ben and Leigh-Ann did hook up. But matters stalled afterward. Ben insisted he owed Camille the courtesy of seeing things through with her.
According to Bravo’s The Daily Dish, a Below Deck fan asked Ben for an update on his relationship with Camille. He answered via a March 21, 2023 Instagram post. Their romance was labeled “a spark comparable to that of a primary school crush.” Unsurprisingly, the duo “wasn’t meant to be.”
But according to Leigh-Ann, just three weeks after Ben and Camille parted ways in the Dominican Republic, he “reached out to me to say things ended between them.”
“I happened to be in Miami at the time so we decided to link up,” Leigh-Ann wrote on Instagram. “We decided to rent an apartment and lived together for just over a month in [Florida] … I was there for him as he was getting through his breakup and was a shoulder to lean on. I did everything in my will to put a smile on his face every day even though it was killing my own mental health. We also spoke about working and traveling together and Ben possibly coming to [South Africa] with me.”
Leigh-Ann said Ben both relocated for work and maintained contact for some time. However, he soon “cut all ties with me with no explanation.”
Leigh-Ann said she pursued an explanation from Ben, but he refused to respond. “I’ve reached out to him on numerous occasions to find out what I have done wrong and why I deserve this reaction but yet he fails to reply. There is no reason to treat a person the way he treated me. What did I do to deserve this? After all I did to be a good friend to him,” she explained.
The South African native revealed that she has “come to peace with not getting an answer,” though she worked through some heartache to get to that point.
In an attempt to clarify his perspective, Ben quickly responded on his Instagram Stories. According to him, the romance with Leigh-Ann lacked authenticity.
“I had to cut her out of my life as my mental space was taking a toll. I needed space to actually have my own thoughts, make my own decisions [instead] of someone trying to force me to fall for them,” Ben wrote.
He continued, “I felt like I was gaslighted into thinking I was wrong for loving Camille and that’s not what someone who says they have [your] best interest at heart would do.” Ben concluded, “I followed my heart and am responsible for my own happiness. [Y]ou have to be selfish in those situations.”
No one would think Ben was selfless. Clearly, he needed to do some damage control, though.
Leigh-Ann has not responded to her former lover’s statement. Though she did confirm via Instagram Live last week that she and Ben haven’t spoken.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BEN AND LEIGH-ANN’S RELATIONSHIP? DO YOU BELIEVE HE GHOSTED HER? WHY DOES HE NEED TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF NOW?
[Photo Credit: Larent Bassett/Bravo]
The post Below Deck Star Ben Willoughby Responds To Leigh-Ann Smith’s Claim He “Cut All Ties” With “No Explanation” appeared first on Reality Tea.
