The Summer House cast was in the dark regarding Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s romance.
“This has been going on for at least a month and a half, but they kept it completely under wraps,” a source exclusively tells Luxury Handbag Shopping. “No one had a clue, and the cast brushed off the rumors at first. The general consensus was that there was no way it could be true, but as time went on, neither of them denied it, and more evidence started to surface. It left everyone completely shocked.”
The discourse surrounding Amanda, 34, and West, 31, began in early March when celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi reported that they are dating. The report came two months after Amanda separated from husband Kyle Cooke after four years of marriage.
The dating rumors reportedly caused tension with Amanda’s best friend Ciara Miller, who dated West in 2023.
Amanda and West confirmed their budding relationship via a shared social media statement on Tuesday, March 31.
“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity. It was never our intention to purposely hide anything,” the pair wrote. “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.”
Their statement continued, “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected. Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”
Amanda and West said their “feelings evolved” beyond friendship.
The couple concluded, “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.”
A second source exclusively told Us shortly before the news broke that Amanda had been “hiding” the relationship from “everyone.”
“No one had confronted her yet. No one knew for sure yet, but the cast had suspicions. Kyle didn’t fully know what’s going on and didn’t want to believe it,” the insider added.
A third source shared that no one from the Summer House cast “really knows how long Amanda and West have been seeing each other.”
“They only found out recently, around the time the rumors started swirling,” the insider concluded. “They still don’t know the full extent of the relationship. It’s all very new.”
Us reached out to a Bravo rep for comment.
Amanda and West’s romance sparked confused reactions from several Summer House cast members, including Carl Radke, Lindsay Hubbard and KJ Dillard. Southern Charm star Austen Kroll, who is friends with many of the reality show’s stars, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, March 29, “Pasta and f*** your friends exes are apparently so back.”
Ciara, 30, has not yet publicly addressed the relationship, but an insider exclusively told Us that she feels “heartbroken” and “betrayed” by both Amanda and West.
