‘Summer House’ star Kyle Cooke is sharing an update on his estranged wife Amanda Batula’s mental health amid backlash over his recent romance with co-star West Wilson.
“I know people are like, ‘Why are you defending her? Why are you defending her?'” That’s not the case. I’m just trying to be there for her,” Kyle, 43, said on the Tuesday, May 19, episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “No matter what, I still care about her. I still have a lot of love for her. I literally spent 10 years (with her). I’m not going to condone her actions.”
“Even though the writing is on the wall, the love is still there,” Kyle added. Kyle separated from Amanda, 34, in January after 10 years of dating, including four years of marriage.
In March, Amanda shockingly revealed her burgeoning relationship with West, 31, who previously dated her Summer House best friend Ciara Miller. The news caused a stir among the Summer House cast and Bravo fans.
Kyle’s Summerhouse and In the City co-star Lindsay Hubbard was also a guest on Tuesday’s WWHL and spoke out about Kyle’s support for his ex-girlfriend.
“This is why I cried so much. Even at this reunion, I started to see how much Kyle… Kyle loves this girl so much. He loves her. It was so obvious,” Lindsey, 39, said, referring to the tense Summerhouse Season 10 reunion, which was filmed last month and saw the cast challenge Amanda and West about their relationship.
On Monday, May 18, Kyle and Amanda appeared to be together at the premiere of Summer House spinoff In the City in New York City. However, Kyle came to Amanda’s defense after he received criticism for taking a photo with his estranged wife.
“Hey guys, yeah, Amanda and I took a picture together,” Kyle said in a video posted to his Instagram Story early Tuesday, May 19.
“I was so happy that she showed up. She almost never came to the shows she was in. Shoot me, shoot me. But please don’t call my life, my relationship, my marriage, and the breakup of my marriage fake.”
“With all due respect, we’re all adults here and we all attended the premiere party,” Kyle said. “And, yeah, Amanda didn’t want to come, so I convinced her to come and we took a picture together. Make it bigger.”
Kyle and Amanda announced their separation in January in a joint statement that read, “After much consideration, we have mutually and amicably made the decision to separate as husband and wife. It is with heavy hearts that we share this and we ask for your continued compassion and support as we focus on personal growth and healing.”
“It feels ironic to ask for privacy during this time. We have always strived to be open and honest about our relationship, but your kindness and respect will go a long way as we move into our next chapter,” they added.
