Another Breakup Hits The Valley: Jesse and Michelle Lally Announce Split Before Series Premiere
Michelle Saniei Lally told reporters that watching the show made her realize, "Oh wow. It’s obvious we have some marital issues."
Married couple Jesse and Michelle Saniei Lally announced they’re breaking up just days before the series premiere of The Valley.
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, both confirmed to Us Weekly that they decided to call it quits, the same day they attended The Valley premiere party at Jax’s Studio City, the sports bar owned by costars and friends Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. The Lallys, who married in 2018 and share a 3-year-old daughter, Isabella Bunny, declined to walk the red carpet together.
Here's what they had to say about the breakup:
Jesse and Michelle Saniei Lally Announce Divorce
The Los Angeles-based luxury real estate partners have long been connected to Jax, Brittany, and others from the Vanderpump Rules universe.
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“People said, ‘When you watch the show, you’re going to realize how you guys actually are,’ because when you’re in it, you don’t actually know,” Michelle told Us Weekly. “Taking a step back and looking at myself, I’m like, ‘Oh, wow. It’s obvious we have some marital issues.’”
So far, no word on what specific martial issues Michelle was referring to, but in a separate interview with the outlet, Jesse admitted that having a child during the COVID-19 pandemic with limited help “takes a toll on a couple in that situation.”
He also said his fractured relationship with Michelle would be featured in the upcoming series, which was teased in The Valley’s trailer before the split was formally announced.
“There’s a major storyline about our life where I try to work on myself throughout the entire summer to be the best version of myself,” Jesse said. “And if the best version of myself aligned with the best version of herself, then our marriage would make it. People evolve. If your marriage and relationship doesn’t evolve with it, it will never work, no matter how bad you want it.”
Another Breakup Seen on The Valley
News of the Lallys’ split comes weeks after Jax and Brittany also announced their separation after more than five years of marriage. On the February 29, 2024 episode of their podcast, When Reality Hits with Jax and Brittany, Brittany said they were “taking time apart” and living in separate homes.
Jax denied cheating on Brittany on the Vanderpump Rules After Show — despite his past infidelities — slamming Katie Maloney for starting “the rumor train.”
In a later podcast episode, both insisted the split was “not a publicity stunt” to promote The Valley.
Michelle said something similar when speaking to Us Weekly.
“I want fans to know how real we are. We’re very authentic,” she said. “We didn’t fake anything, and we said if we’re going to do reality T.V., we’re really going to open up our lives — the positive and the negative.”
Jax, Brittany, and the Lallys join a handful of couples in the new series, all interconnected through the Vanderpump Rules universe. More than 20 years ago, Jax and Jesse were roommates in New York City while both were aspiring models.
Years later, through the men, Brittany and Michelle “clicked immediately.”
Teases of The Valley seem to show the Lallys on shaky ground. In one clip, Michelle said she was unsure if she wanted the marriage to continue.
The Lallys were also seen having a full-blown confrontation with Kristen Doute.
“Your husband said on-camera that he’s going to divorce you,” the Vanderpump Rules alum told Michelle, leading to a heated reaction from Jesse.
The Valley follows a group of friends in the Northern Los Angeles suburb as they “trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley,” according to the show’s bio. Danny and Nia Booko and Jason and Janet Caperna are some of the other couples featured in the series.
More is expected to be revealed in The Valley, premiering Tuesday, March 19, 2024, on Bravo.
