Welcome to Lala Land! Lala Kent spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about her departure from Vanderpump Rules and put former costar Scheana Marie Shay on blast for airing husband Mike Shay’s addiction issues on the show.
Kent, 25 — who confirmed her midseason exit from the hit Bravo reality series in an interview with TooFab Monday, December 12 — tells Us that the drama surrounding her alleged relationship with a married man was too much to bear. According to the blonde beauty, she is currently dating someone and it is not the mystery guy the Pump Rules crew claimed she was with.
“I have a boyfriend who I’m madly in love with and this married man rumor that who knows where the f–k they pulled this out, whose ass it came out of, it’s just not worth it to me in any way shape or form,” the Salt Lake City native (who did not specify who her significant other is) tells Us. “I feel like my personal life is meant to be personal and I don’t have to share everything, even though they want to call it a reality TV show, this s–t is not real.”
Which is why Kent still can’t believe that Scheana, 31, highlighted Mike’s eight-year addiction to painkillers and its effect on their relationship on season 4 of the show. On November 30, the couple announced that they are divorcing after two years of marriage.
“I thought it was disgusting that Scheana put Mike’s addiction out there. I would never in my life feel like that was for the public,” the “Feeling You” singer tells Us. “I think it’s disgusting that she put it out there that she had been sleeping with someone that had a pregnant wife. I just think the show is disgusting and I’m not going to bash on production, I’m not going to bash on the show itself, but the people that are a part of it disgust me to my core.”
While she ended up leaving the series for good after filming scenes in early July, Kent tells Us that she attempted to exit the show several other times before, but claims she was not permitted to quit.
“[I tried to quit] during the very first episode that everyone saw. … I tried to leave. That’s why in one of the clips my dress is unzipped. I took my mic off and told them I was done and then something went on and then I tried to leave three other times, but they wouldn’t let me,” she explains. “So my exit was the day before the 4th of July. I got in my car, my Range Rover, that apparently was paid for by some man who I’ve never heard about or seen in my life. I jumped in my Range Rover and drove 10 hours to Utah, and my mom turned my phone off so no one could get ahold of me. … I basically started fresh when I got back to L.A.”
Though Vanderpump Rules wasn’t the right fit for Kent — who is still on friendly terms with former costars Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and James Kennedy — the budding actress tells Us that she would never say never to a different reality TV project.
“If someone were to come to me tomorrow and say we want to give you your own show or we want to put you on a show where people are on your same level as far as talent and looks and everything else goes, then I would do both of those,” she says. “But Vanderpump Rules I am 110% never going back to that show. You will never see me on Vanderpump Rules. You’ll see me; just not on that show.”
Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
