Amanda Batula’s new romance with West Wilson is already causing social media drama within the Summer House cast.
After Amanda, 34, and West, 31, spoke out about “speculation” surrounding their relationship status, fans discovered cast member Ciara Miller had unfollowed both parties.
In another plot twist, viewers noticed that Amanda is no longer following her longtime costar as well.
Rumors started to swirl earlier this week that Amanda and West were secretly hooking up amid her split from husband Kyle Cooke. (West also previously had a romance with Ciara, 30, before she called things off.)
In a joint statement shared via their respective Instagram Stories, Amanda and West chose to address the speculation head-on.
“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,” the pair’s statement read on Tuesday, March 31. “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.”
The statement continued, “Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care. 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. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”
In recent weeks, fans have noticed signs that Ciara and Amanda weren’t as close as they once were.
A source previously confirmed to Us Weekly that the pair were scheduled to film a joint Amazon Live presentation for Olly vitamins and supplements in March, but they ended up doing it separately.
In addition, the pair had seemingly stopped “liking” each other’s posts on social media.
The drama is expected to play out on Summer House, which is currently airing season 10 on Bravo. In recent episodes, Amanda and Kyle’s marriage troubles have been put on display, with West trying to offer support to both parties. (The pair ultimately announced their split in January after four years of marriage.)
The cast is expected to film a reunion show special in the coming weeks before the season officially comes to an end.