West Wilson is speaking out about his controversial relationship with Summer House costar Amanda Batula after receiving backlash from fans and costars.
“There was no overlap. I know there’s a thousand different theories on the internet right now but that is one thing that for sure did not happen,” West, 31, said on the Monday, April 20 episode of his and Sophie Cunningham‘s “Show Me Something” podcast, referring to his past romance with fellow costar Ciara Miller and Amanda’s marriage to estranged husband Kyle Cooke. “Everyone was single.”
West added that he and Amanda, 34, later “realized things” between them were “a little bit serious.”
After the couple’s romance took the internet by storm in March, West shared that he has been keeping things low-key and has stayed off his phone. However, he has reached out to some of his Summer House costars to explain things.
“I’ve sent some texts. Haven’t gotten responses from everybody yet, which is to be expected and I get it. That’s the hardest part,” he reflected. “I think with this whole situation is my actions have hurt people I care about. But the reunion’s coming up and I can give those apologies face-to-face and also clear up all of the crazy s*** that’s been on the internet.”
Amid ongoing rumors about their relationship status, Amanda and West confirmed their romance in a March 31 statement.
“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” the pair said in a joint statement posted via Instagram at the time. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”
While Amanda and West have “shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows,” they insisted their romance “was the last thing either of us expected,” adding that it “grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”
Their statement concluded: “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling. We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”
Prior to Amanda and West going public with their romance, they were both in relationships with other Summer House cast members. Amanda and estranged husband Kyle, 43, announced their separation in January after four years of marriage, while West dated Amanda’s friend Ciara, 30, in 2023 and hooked up with her in recent weeks, sources exclusively told Luxury Handbag Shopping.
In the wake of West and Amanda’s hookup scandal, an insider told Us that Ciara was “heartbroken” by the situation, noting, “She and Amanda were very close, and she feels more betrayed than ever by both of them.”
“Ciara cut off both Amanda and West after finding out,” a second insider told Us at the time. “She’s furious at West but even more hurt by Amanda. ‘Disappointed’ doesn’t even cover it. This is so much more to Ciara than just breaking girl code.” (Ciara has since broken her silence about the scandal, telling Glamour it’s been a “major mindf***.”)
As for Kyle, he confessed the ordeal was “a mental mind-f*** for me” in an April 1 TikTok video with street journalist Adam Glyn.
“I can imagine West is using the same charm that he’s used on every other chick,” he said.
Kyle also revealed that he had been “in touch” with Ciara amid the scandal.
“I think she had more evidence at her disposal than I did,” he explained. “She was trying to, like, let me come to terms at my own speed. It’s just a lot to process.”
While Kyle was “still in shock” and “disbelief” over the revelation of Amanda and West’s romance, he opted to give his estranged wife “grace just because I know she — just from a mental standpoint — is fragile.”
“Right now, I’m honestly more concerned about Amanda’s mental health and I am trying to get to the bottom of it because I am worried about her,” he elaborated. “I don’t think West is in a place to offer her what she needs. I’ve been caring and providing for her for 10 years. It’s a weird position to find myself in.”
