These Rare Photos of Lala Kent Before Vanderpump Rules Showcase Her Utah Roots
The cast member and expectant mom offers a glimpse of her pre-L.A. life.
Have you ever heard Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent referred to as "Lauren from Utah?" That's because she's from Utah, and her birth name was Lauren — Lauren Elyse Burningham, to be specific.
“I’ve been called Lala since I was a little kid. It was always my nickname,” explained the beauty brand founder in a 2020 episode of Katie Maloney's You're Gonna Love Me podcast (which is now the show Disrespectfully with co-host and VPR alum Dayna Kathan).
Once Lala moved to Los Angeles and her friends started introducing her as Lala, the name became her official moniker; the Kent came from her dad's first name, which was easier to spell and use while auditioning than "Burningham."
Look back at Lala's life as Lauren (and then as Lala), before she made her way to Tinseltown (which some people call... La-La Land).
Lala Kent as a Baby
Lala was born on September 2, 1990. In this picture, you can see a hint of her own daughter, Ocean.
She's currently pregnant with her second child.
Here, a young Lala is pretty in pink with a matching hair bow.
"It's so crazy because I filled her closet with all of this chic stuff, and she has been living in her onesies just like every other mother told me would happen," Lala told BravoTV.com about her own daughter's closet in June 2021.
However, she was still all about the bows. "I can't go out of the house without a solid, giant headband with a bow on her head," added the Bravoleb. "That's our go-to. That's how we elevate her vibe."
Young Lala Kent
Lala is the daughter of Kent and Lisa Burningham. While Kent sadly passed away in 2018, she's still incredibly close with her mom. She also has two brothers: Easton and Brandon.
She has had a sweet smile (and those big blue eyes) since the very beginning.
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"Lala comes out when a camera turns on and it is still me," Lala wrote in her memoir Give Them Lala about the name transition from Lauren to Lala. "But it's almost this version where I can protect myself a bit — and it may be in my head, but I don't care — because I feel protected by Lala. She's super bad ass."
While she did grow up in Salt Lake City, Lala was not raised in the Mormon church.
"I gravitated towards the people that were in theater class and choir. And the arts were usually for people that weren't religious in any way just because we have to say certain things that are in scripts and so those are the people that I gravitated towards," she told The Daily Dish in 2017. "Those people also were not raised Mormon."
Before there was a worm with a mustache, there was Lala with a bubble mustache. The "Feelin' You" singer has had plenty of funny moments over the years, and it appeared she started early with the jokes.
As we know from VPR, Lala is a talented performer and, before her musical career, she was training in the dance studio.
"Y’all, Lala and I just killed some choreography for our new song/video we are shooting this week!" Scheana Shay posted on Twitter (now X) in December 2019.
We're still waiting to see the video.
Lala Kent as a Tween
While Lala is now a California girl, she'll always love Utah and its beautiful scenery.
"Utah is my heart. It's where I learned my values and where my family taught me to have a high sense of self, high enough to shoot for the stars," she wrote in her book.
Although the majority of her time was spent in Utah as a child, it appears Lala also got to travel the world. Here, she stands in the square of a European city.
Lala Kent and Her Mom Lisa
As previously mentioned, Lala is super close with her mom, Lisa. The pair currently live together, with Lisa helping to raise Ocean (and, soon enough, her new grandbaby).
"My mama lives with me now. She picked up her entire life from Utah, moved it to L.A., and she helps me raise Ocean," Lala explained in Season 11. "I think of my family as a pod of orcas. You just add to the pod — no one ever leaves."
Teenage Lala Kent
She's always been giving them Lala.
Here, Lala shows off another pose that would serve her in the years to come when she'd gathered millions of Instagram followers.
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