From left to right: Lala Kent, Katie Maloney, and Ariana Madix/Photo credit: Bravo
Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent has drawn ire from Bravo fans after she seemingly tried to throw a monkey wrench in her co-stars Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix’s friendship.
In part one of the three-part reunion special, the host, Andy Cohen, asked Kent why she and Maloney are now distant. Kent credits the difference in Maloney’s behavior off-screen as a contributing factor to their distance.
The LaLa Beauty divulged that she was confused at Maloney and Madix’s on-screen closeness when Maloney had complained to her about Madix when the cameras weren’t rolling.
“You and I are truth-tellers,” Kent said during the reunion episode. “We say s**t how it is. So why, when the cameras go up, am I suddenly the enemy when I’m talking about the same s**t we’ve spoken about on the phone?”
Kent suggested that Maloney only strongly supported Madix on-air because she wanted to be on her good side since she’s become a “fan favorite” following Scandavol. Last season, Madix’s ex-boyfriend Tom Sandavol was involved in a cheating scandal with her former friend and Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss.
Maloney denied Kent’s assumption, telling her, “I came to you because I didn’t want to go to her with the f**king drama. I didn’t want to guilt her.”
She added: “I went to one of my other friends to vent about it, but if you’re not someone I can confide in with that s**t then I’ll go to somebody else. I didn’t want to take it to her.”
Kent was slammed on X, formerly known as Twitter, for seemingly trying to interfere with Maloney and Madix’s friendship.
“Lala can try as hard as she may to throw Katie under the bus or try to f**k up Katie and Ariana’s friendship with this weird a** reveal about a private convo where a friend came to vent,” one user criticizes. “but when/if Ariana watches the season, it’ll be VERY clear who was on her side.”
“Lala trying to turn Katie and Ariana against each other by airing a private convo is despicable, what a trash person. Everyone vents sometimes, to publicly try to use it to your benefit is foul, middle school s**t. And the way the Toms were smirking. End her, Katie,” a critic admonishes in support of Maloney.
“Katie vented to Lala, in private, about not knowing beforehand that Ariana had Chicago & how it might affect the sandwich shop, which is valid. Being a friend means being trustworthy, Katie didn’t make this public, Lala did. Lala is no one’s friend,” another user criticizes Kent’s actions.
This is only part one of the reunion special. Be sure to catch the rest to see how it all plays out in the upcoming parts of the three-part reunion special. Part 2 is set to air on May 21, and Part 3 will air on May 28.