Why Some ‘Summer House’ Fans See Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s Relationship as Bigger Than ‘Scandoval’
Summer House stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson recently shocked fans when they posted identical statements confirming their romance. Rumors about their involvement have circulated for weeks, but the confirmation still came as a surprise. Many fans have compared this situation to “Scandoval,” the scandal that rocked the Vanderpump Rules world when Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss. Here’s why some fans think this situation is worse.
Amanda Batula and West Wilson posted a joint statement about their relationship
In early March, reports began circulating that Batula and Wilson were spotted getting cozy throughout New York City. They denied that they were anything but friends until March 31, when they posted identical statements on social media.
“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” the statement began. “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.”
They noted that their friendship blossomed into something romantic.
“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,” they concluded. “We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”
Their romance is making waves because Wilson is the ex of Batula’s close friend, Ciara Miller. Miller reportedly feels devastated by the news.
“Ciara cut off both Amanda and West after finding out,” a source told Us Weekly. “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.”
‘Summer House’ fans are shocked by the news
News of the relationship almost immediately led to comparisons to “Scandoval.” Leviss was a friend of Madix’s, and the affair led to the breakdown of Madix and Sandoval’s nine-year relationship. While Miller and Wilson were together for less than a year, some Bravo fans feel the situation is worse than “Scandoval.”
One social media user argued this point, noting that Wilson pursued Miller and was well aware that she wanted to take it slow before having sex. They visited his parents’ home, but Wilson ultimately told Miller he wasn’t ready for a monogamous relationship.
Miller previously opened up to cast member Mia Calabrese about feeling that men just want to “experience” her instead of wanting a committed relationship.
A number of social media users noted that the fact that Miller is Black further complicates the situation.
“People will never understand how truly mind boggling it is to be a black woman like Ciara who has it all down on paper (looks, intelligence, self esteem, independence) and to be passed up time and time again romantically,” one Reddit user wrote. “The only rational conclusion you can make is that the reason this is happening is because YOU’RE BLACK.”
People also noted that Wilson appeared to show more care about his relationship with Batula than he ever did for the one he had with Miller.
“Thanks for sharing, this is it exactly. It’s not about Ciara being in love with West, he and Amanda can hook up, date, whatever,” one person wrote. “But this very different public level of respect shown by West for a relationship with Amanda vs Ciara especially after Ciara very clearly and eloquently explained how this all unfolds for her as a black woman just shows they don’t care.”
A ‘Vanderpump Rules’ star weighed in on the romance
Former Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz was dragged into the “Scandoval” drama because of his close relationship with Sandoval. He has weighed in on the situation between Batula, Miller, and Wilson.
“People have this perception of me as being, like, [I’m] someone who doesn’t really care about [it], [but] I like drama too,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “And those are my friends though, so I feel guilty ’cause I’ve been doing sleuthing.”
While he said the drama didn’t make him happy, he acknowledged that it could only benefit the Summer House reunion.
“I don’t want to say I’m savoring it ’cause those are my friends and there’s a human cost there if that’s actually happening,’ he said. “I don’t know if it is. The reunion is going to be so good.”
