Jesse Lally Reveals How He Started His New Romance: “Felt Like I Was Cheating”
Jesse Lally is sharing some details about his new love interest and revealing why it was difficult to first step back into the dating scene.
Jesse Lally is revealing some details on the new woman in his life.
The Valley cast member told The Daily Dish he is “newly dating” a blonde bombshell after the pair hit the red carpet for the first time together in late April.
“We’ve been great friends for a while,” he said of how the pair met.
Jesse Lally Says "No Labels" Yet in New Romance
While there are “no labels” on the burgeoning relationship, Jesse already seems impressed with how his new love interest is getting along with his 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, who he shares with his ex Michelle.
“She’s amazing with Isabella and she’s like, such a beautiful soul,” he revealed. “She really kind of grounds me and she just makes me super happy.”
For now, he said, the two are enjoying taking it “one day at a time” and seeing “what happens.”
While Jesse may be starting a new chapter in his life, the luxury real estate agent admitted that turning the page after his marriage fell apart last year wasn’t an easy process.
“It took me a long time to even think about dating,” he confessed.
When did Jesse and Michelle Lally divorce?
Despite Jesse’s best efforts to repair the relationship, which have been chronicled throughout The Valley’s first season, Jesse said Michelle made the call that the marriage was “over” in October 2023, just days after they celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary.
“She sat me down and she was like this is over, like enough is enough,” he said.
At the time, Jesse was still hopeful the marriage might survive and wasn’t ready to step back out into the dating scene.
“When we separated, I just wasn’t ready ‘cause I still was fighting for my family,” he said. “It took me a really long time to even think about dating, or even putting somebody I would date in that position.”
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Jesse wanted to focus on his daughter and get himself in a healthy mental place before rejoining the single world.
“When you separate, and especially separate with a child and from a marriage, and … you haven’t even filed for divorce yet, what conversation am I supposed to have with a woman? Like why does she want to get involved in that toxic environment?” he asked. “It’s just not fair to anybody.”
He also had to make a mental shift in his thinking.
“My second thought was like I felt like I was cheating,” he admitted. “You know, to even like talk to girls.”
One of the first times he dipped his toe back into the dating pool, Jesse said Isabella FaceTimed him, making him feel even more torn about moving on and not spending time with his daughter.
“It was a different situation for Michelle,” he said, acknowledging that Michelle had started to pull away emotionally from the relationship months earlier. “It took me a long time to accept, but, you know, eventually you have to move on.”
How are Jesse and Michelle Lally doing today?
These days, Jesse is happy to be looking ahead and it appears the former couple is already celebrating some major co-parenting wins.
Jesse and Michelle are splitting custody and live just blocks apart to make the transition easier for Isabella.
Even more, Jesse, his new love interest, Michelle, and her new boyfriend, all joined together last month to celebrate Isabella’s fourth birthday.
“It was a tough road to get there, but everybody knows how — how separation is,” Jesse said. “It’s not easy … everybody gets blamed for everything else. But here we are in a better place.”
To keep up on all the latest drama, watch The Valley Tuesday nights on Bravo or available streaming the next day on Peacock.
