As a devoted Bravoholic for over a decade, I thought I had witnessed everything the reality TV network could throw at me: jailed Housewives, hurled wine glasses, and faked cancer stories. But I never imagined we would see another Scandoval. That portmanteau refers to the 2023 scandal involving Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval, who destroyed his life by cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with their castmate and her best friend, Rachel Leviss. The affair became a pop culture obsession, making Sandoval TV's ultimate villain and earning him the title of "the most hated man in America" from The New York Times Magazine.
Surely other reality TV stars, especially those on Bravo, would learn from his mistakes. Wrong. Summer House star West Wilson is making a strong case to steal Sandoval's crown. The hit show, now in its tenth season, follows a group of friends, exes, and hookups spending summers partying in the Hamptons. Wilson, 31, is at the centre of a messy love triangle after breaking ex-girlfriend Ciara Miller's heart again by dating her former best friend and fellow Summer House star Amanda Batula. Batula, 34, announced her split from husband and longtime co-star Kyle Cooke in January, ending one of Summer House's most talked-about relationships after years of cheating rumours and televised fights.
Wilson was already dealing with backlash from the messy fallout of his brief 2023 romance with Miller, 30, which also played out on the show. Then came the bombshell that sent Bravo fans into meltdown: Batula and Wilson confirmed in late March that they were dating, just days after Wilson denied any romantic involvement on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "I really, really, really regret the lying part of it," Wilson said on his podcast recently. "Because now it's like, no matter what happens or what I say, I have not a lot of ground to stand on."
Questions about when their relationship actually began have followed them ahead of the reunion episode, with some bloggers claiming the romance started before filming wrapped on the latest season. The situation is awfully reminiscent of Scandoval. In the immediate aftermath, fans rallied around Ariana Madix, much as they have backed Miller. While Madix turned heartbreak into opportunity with brand deals and TV gigs, Sandoval became the face of reality TV shame. "It pretty much destroyed my life," Sandoval said last year.
Seeing the Wilson-Miller-Batula triangle unfold in real time on Summer House and the new spin-off In The City almost makes Scandoval look tame. Viewers watched the lingering hugs, whispered "I love you"s, forehead kisses, and obvious chemistry between Wilson and Batula, which now read differently despite the pair insisting their relationship was a "recent development." What makes the fallout feel even more brutal are the promises Wilson made to Miller along the way. During the May 19 finale, potentially while already romantically involved with Batula, Wilson insisted: "The last thing I want is her f***ing heart broken."
For her part, Miller, a model and ICU nurse, has said she is focusing on "survival" ahead of the reunion, though she promised no reconciliation with Batula. She told Glamour: "I just never would think that it would come from someone like Amanda, who has been what has felt like in my circle and in my corner for so long. I think that's the craziest part… to be disregarded in such a disrespectful way. I'm at a loss for words sometimes."
Batula is also at fault and is paying the price with intense backlash and the loss of her Edie Parker brand deal only hours after it launched. In the reunion trailer, she makes a sad attempt to defend herself and Wilson, saying, "No one in this world has ever been in a situation like this before?" Summer House is, at its core, a show about friendship, and watching those relationships dissolve over deceit is heartbreaking for those involved and for viewers who have spent years following them.
In the reunion trailer, Wilson's close friend Jesse Solomon broke down in tears, saying, "I feel like I'm losing a brother. I mean, I hope that you can somehow improve and prove us wrong, but it doesn't look good." Miller also had her moment to tear into Batula: "Over the past six years, I have been your f***ing champion. I couldn't fathom that I would be sitting here pissed that you're f***ing my ex. He wants to embarrass me; he wants to get his last little words in. And I hope it works — because he's with you to spite me."
Whether or not that proves to be the case remains to be seen. But, as Solomon said, it doesn't look good for Wilson; he has, to many, eclipsed Sandoval in his villainy. The only real consolation is that Miller, much like Madix before her, appears poised to come out of the wreckage with her head held high and the possibility of a career breakthrough on the horizon.
