Lala Kent insists she’s not “jealous” of her “Vanderpump Rules” co-star Ariana Madix, who’s been crushing it professionally since her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s affair with series alum Rachel “Raquel” Leviss was exposed earlier this year.
In the recently released trailer for Season 11, which premieres in January, Kent is heard saying, “I have never experienced someone who gets cheated on and suddenly becomes God.”
She then took to her Instagram to poke fun at those who think she’s envious of Madix’s successes before clearing the air via an Amazon Live on Wednesday.
“I have always been a fan of hers. I think that that shows throughout the years,” the Give Them Lala Beauty founder, 33, told viewers. “Have we had our ups and downs? Absolutely. But to see my friend thrive after such heartbreak? I am so happy for her, and I am so proud of her.”
Though Madix did not win Season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars,” Kent said she “belonged” there, calling her pal “as talented as it gets.”
The mother of one feels similarly about Madix, 38, landing the lead role of Roxy Hart in the Broadway musical “Chicago.”
“The girl can dance, the girl has pipes, the girl can act,” she said, adding that the Something about Her co-owner “deserves everything that is coming her way.”
According to Kent, her remark in the teaser for the upcoming season was “taken out of context,” and she believes fans are “going to be surprised as to why” she said it.
The brunette beauty made sure to note that she’s not the least bit concerned with the chatter surrounding her seemingly shady comment, explaining, “That’s what the trailer is meant to do. It riled everyone up, everyone is talking about the trailer, everyone is giving their feedback, people are arguing in the comments section — that’s what we want.
“The second no one has an opinion on the television we’re making, we no longer have a show,” she added.
“So whether ya love me, ya can’t stand me, you think I’m incredible or you think I’m jealous, it’s all the same to me. My name stays in your mouth. I want Ariana’s name to stay in your mouth. I want you to eat and breathe ‘Vanderpump Rules.'”
Many audience members have also hypothesized that Kent might resent the attention and sympathy Madix got following the months-long dalliance, given that she did not receive the same response when she accused her former fiancé, Randall Emmett, of being unfaithful.
