Scheana Shay Speaks Out About Her Divorce from Mike Shay: "We Just Never Got That Spark Back"

As Scheana Shay celebrated Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney-Schwartz's love during the couple's wedding last August, she was dealing with the crumbling of her own marriage. "I'm a person who likes to just sweep things under the rug and just act like everything's OK and put on a happy face," Scheana told The Daily Dish about being at the wedding while "not being in a perfect relationship" (clip above). "At the time at the wedding, it wasn't about me; it was about them. So everything I was feeling and going through, I didn't want to address, so I just pretended like everything was fine." 

Soon after, Scheana and her hubby Mike Shay went on a Hawaiian getaway in an attempt to rekindle their romance. "Right after that, we went on our own second honeymoon and tried to repair things, but it just never got better," Scheana explained. "We just never got that spark back." 

Scheana and Shay announced their plans to divorce last November after two years of marriage. We'll see the events leading up to that decision later on this season of Vanderpump Rules, according to Scheana. "You'll see a lot of this play out on the show, so I don't want to give too much away. Shay and I did split amicably. We put out a joint statement. It just wasn't working anymore on either end," she said. "We just decided instead of going for a legal separation or trying to continue therapy, we both agreed it wasn't right. And, you know, hopefully one day we can be friends. You never know what the future holds. But it just was a situation that needed to end before the holidays, before the new year." 

And Scheana said she and Shay have stayed on mostly good terms since the split. "We've kept in touch quite a bit. There are little things that he left at the apartment that I've had to drop off or things that he's had of mine," Scheana said. "Things have stayed amicable for the most part. Maybe one day we can be friends."

Scheana Shay Opens Up About Her Divorce

Of course, being on her own has been a big adjustment for Scheana. "2016 was a very challenging year, so to say, but my friends and family have definitely helped me get through it. I'm a person who doesn't like to be alone a lot of the time. It's been a few months, so I'm now learning what it is like to be alone again, and I'm enjoying that time," she shared. "But in the beginning, I didn't like that. There was one day when I was just on my couch in a very dark place. And Kristen [Doute] was like, 'I'm going grocery shopping. What do you need?' And went and got every single thing that I needed. Came in and put on some lights. 'Get your ass off the couch. You are doing something.' Those moments have definitely helped me get through everything I've been dealing with." 

But now having some distance since the announcement of her divorce was made, Scheana has learned something very important about herself. "Now, I'm like, oh, I am a strong person. I've always been a very independent woman. So I'm feeling a lot better now, and I know it was for the best," she said. "I wish him nothing but the best. I hope he finds success and happiness. It just wasn't meant to be. But I'm in a good place now, and I just have a really strong support system behind me, which I couldn't be getting through this without all of them." 

Following the announcement of her break-up, Scheana asked her social media followers to "have some respect." She said that she has turned off comments to some of her Instagram posts in an effort to cope with the haters since then. As for those who just won't quit with the negativity, Scheana says, "Just keep watching." "So much more is to come, and every single reason why we're getting divorced will be revealed later this season. So I'm trying to be patient with people who are impatient," Scheana said. "You don't know the whole story. You soon will. So judge me then. If you still don't like me after you hear all the facts, then so be it. I still sleep just fine at night." 

Though Scheana helped introduce Shay into the Vanderpump Rules crew, she said her friends have mostly not felt caught in the middle of the couple as they end their relationship. "I know both of the Toms have reached out to Shay. Jax [Taylor] has always been more of my friend, so he's pissed at him because Jax knows all of the little details that have gone on, which will be revealed later in the season. But this whole group was always more of my friends than his. Shay is more of a homebody, like he has his Covina crew and his friends he went to high school with and grew up with and that's always been more of his support system," Scheana explained. "So I think it's been quite of an easy break because he doesn't really care to keep in touch with my group of friends. Although they've reached out, he hasn't responded, so they just have my back now. And I think it's easier that way, honestly."

Shay's Drug Addiction Confession

Looking back on how much she's shared of her relationship with Shay on Vanderpump Rules over the years, from their fairytale wedding to Shay's struggle with substance abuse, Scheana said that she doesn't regret inviting fans along for the ride. "I'm a person who's an open book. We both chose, Shay and I, we both chose to do a reality show together, and that's just kind of what comes with the territory. It hasn't always been easy, but ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of having this princess wedding and having it filmed and this. All of those dreams came true. I got everything I wanted. We both did. It was a beautiful wedding. It just ended up not being right. I'm not gonna say, 'Oh, we shouldn't have gotten married. I shouldn't have put that out there,'" Scheana said. "Even with his addiction and the substance abuse, thousands of people reached out to us via email, Twitter, or Instagram, just saying how inspiring it was that we spoke out about this on a public platform and how much we were able to help them and now they were seeking help and how they were able to come out to their family about their addiction problems. That made me be like, 100 percent, I know we did the right thing. I don't regret putting it out there."

Check out photos of the couple's big day, below.