Credit: Instagram/Scheana
Scheana Shay shared more insight into why she said no to The Valley season three, and whether she’d consider it in the future. The Vanderpump Rules star also slammed Lala Kent’s “performative” reunion tears, and she revealed the last time Lala reached out to her.
Before the new season was filmed, Scheana said no to joining the cast. On Peacock’s extended version of the recent reunion, Lala cried as she shared that her friendship with Scheana ended because Lala revealed private information about Scheana’s husband Brock Davies’ affair.
On her Scheananigans podcast, Scheana shared more insight into why she turned down The Valley season three.
“It just didn’t feel like the right time,” she said, via @vanderpodrecaps on Instagram. “I’m just not sure that that’s where this next chapter of my story belongs. It didn’t feel right.”
“Maybe in the future,” she went on. “But last year, where I was at, it didn’t feel right. It does feel like it would be so easy. It makes so much sense. I’m friends with most of them. I’ve also had some rude awakenings about some over the past year.”
Scheana said Lala is one of the cast members she’s referring to. (She may also be referring to Janet Caperna, who, according to Scheana, also broke her trust and told Brittany Cartwright about Brock’s infidelity.)
“There’s like some unresolved things [with multiple cast members]. And I mean, I think from a storytelling perspective, it would be an organic fit. It would make sense. But it’s also tolling on your mental health,” she said. “And it’s like, at what cost? Like, am I ready to jump back in and do that again?”
“I never say never, but I don’t know,” she went on. “Regardless of what I do next, Bravo is always going to be like home for me, you know? So I want The Valley to succeed. I want all my friends to succeed. I just, I don’t know that … I’m ready to do this.”
According to Scheana, Lala last reached out to her earlier this month after Scheana announced the death of her cat Penny Lane.
“I will say she reached out about Penny. Pretty much everyone has reached out about Penny. So I just, I hearted that. That was nice,” said Scheana. “It would feel very inhumane for anyone to not reach out when they know how big of a part of my life she [Penny] was. But before that, we talked a little bit [at] BravoCon. I’ve seen her at some school things, but we haven’t really talked.”
Scheana hinted, however, that Lala’s behavior at the reunion seemed inauthentic.
“Here’s the thing, watching the reunion, it felt very performative to me,” said Scheana of Lala. “And for those who have watched Vanderpump Rules, they’ve seen the same pattern where [Lala] just wreaks havoc all season. And then it’s like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Forgive me. Let’s be friends.’ And then like, I would forgive her.”
“And then it was just like rinse and repeat,” Scheana continued. “And it was this cycle that I was in with her. And when I was watching this on the reunion, I’m like, here’s what would have made me believe those tears, is if … [she later told me that our issues] got brought up on the reunion, [and that she’s] sorry for [her] part.”
But Scheana said Lala “never reached out” after filming the reunion to give her a heads up.
“[Her] hand in front of the face, it was like, hold on, let me get my tears,” Scheana explained. “She is [really good at it]. That’s what acting classes do. But I don’t think the majority of the audience was buying it because it’s like, why are you doing this for TV and not picking up the phone?”
Her cohost, Ryan Bailey, said Lala is a “producer’s pet” who gave the production “exactly what they needed.”
“[So now] they’re trying to make her likable again,” Scheana agreed.
Ryan also pointed out that Lala “was able to skate” through the season.