When Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke announced their separation on January 18, it seemed clear to a fandom obsessed with taking sides that there was only one person to stand behind. Summer House fans celebrated their breakup with TikTok edits of Batula and Cooke’s many arguments set to the chorus of Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” showing clips of Batula in tears over Cooke’s name-calling set to the lyrics, “She got away.”
For 10 years, fans of the New York-based Bravo reality show watched Batula, 34, move through the stages of her relationship with Cooke, the show’s Peter Pan, while pushing past the concerns aired by the audience, fellow cast members, and her own parents. Cooke, 43, remained unfazed by such worries, chugging cans of his alcoholic beverage brand Loverboy in Hamptons bars and coming home late to Batula before wondering why she wasn’t ready to have kids with him. About a year before their breakup, Cooke launched a career as a DJ, and in a particularly egregious moment seen in a recent episode, Cooke called his wife a “f-cking dumb-ss b-tch” mere months before they ended things.
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Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula attend Bravo’s “Summer House” Season 10 at 92NY on January 28, 2026 in New York City.
Summer House viewers happily rooted for Batula when the former couple released a joint statement on Instagram at the start of the year, and even more in March when Batula told Marie Claire that she was ready for a casual romance. “I want to have fun with someone my age or younger, since I’ve always dated older. For now, while I heal, I just want to flirt and make out. To be taken on dates, and just enjoy being hot and happy,” she explained.
The perception among many Summer House fans was that Batula, who was one-third of a girl group with the show’s most beloved cast members, Paige DeSorbo and Ciara Miller, was held back by her relationship with Kyle. A divorce, Batula’s deepening friendship with Miller, and the promise of a fun, flirty romance seemed to usher in a new era. What fans got instead was the show’s biggest scandal in its 10-season run.
On March 31, after weeks of speculation and several denials, Batula confirmed rumors that she was romantically involved with fellow cast member West Wilson. In addition to being a friend of hers and her estranged husband, Wilson is an ex (and possibly a recently rekindled) flame of Miller, who Batula described to Marie Claire as “one of the kindest, most loving, loyal friends I’ve ever had.”
Ciara Miller at Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors” Season 2 held at The New York Historical on March 30, 2026 in New York, New York.
“Our connection grew out of a genuine, long-standing friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care,” Wilson and Batula said in the joint message, posted on their Instagram Stories. “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.”
According to DeuxMoi blind items, Reddit threads, and fan sightings, the pair’s “connection” was as casual and flirty as Batula wanted her first post-divorce relationship to be, but given its rippling impacts on Wilson and Batula’s wider personal lives and the internet backlash that ensued after their announcement, it may not be the fun romance she was chasing.
“So many post-divorce relationships aren’t really about love, they’re about relief, distraction, revenge or proving ‘I’ve still got it,’” says Jackie Dorman, a relationship expert and author of Modern Dating Sucks. “But until you break the cycle, you’ll keep ending up in the same situations: lather, rinse, repeat.”
A carefree romance after a harrowing breakup is an art form that only comes after doing the inner work. “As someone who’s been through divorce and works with divorced women every day, I can tell you this: You don’t just end a marriage, you either end the cycle or you keep repeating it,” says Dorman.
The instinct many fall victim to, Dorman says, is returning to what feels familiar. “If they were in chaos, they’ll find chaos. If they felt unseen, they’ll chase validation. If they over-functioned, they’ll find someone who under-functions, but maybe in a different way than their ex,” Dorman explains. “It’s a different person, but the same or a similar dynamic.”
Batula admitted that she can be “codependent” and, sure, who doesn’t want to have some excitement after a separation? But, still, Dorman emphasizes that success in romance comes from the self-reflection that happens when you’re single, otherwise you risk “continuing the same story with a new character.”
“Give yourself time to clear your heart lens and get honest about what actually happened, who you were in that relationship, and what needs to change moving forward,” Dorman says.
“Before rushing into something serious, ask yourself: Am I choosing this person because they’re right for me or because they’re available, exciting or I don’t want to be alone? This isn’t just about starting over. It’s about starting smarter.”
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