Kyle Cooke set the record straight on his wife Amanda Batula‘s absence from their friend Andrea Denver’s wedding in Italy.
In June 2024, multiple members of the “Summer House” cast traveled to Italy to attend Denver’s destination wedding to model Lexi Sundin. Batula was noticeably missing from the festivities, spawning rampant Internet rumors that her marriage to Cooke was on the rocks.
But on June 16, 2024, Cooke posted an explanation on Instagram.
“Since I keep getting asked – Amanda stayed home bc this would have been our 4th destination wedding and she’s a bridesmaid in another Italy-based wedding in a month,” he wrote to fans. “She wishes could have joined the celebrations but this was a decision we made with logistics and our dogs in mind. ❤️❤️❤️.”
A few months after they tied the knot in 2021, Cooke and Batula adopted two rescue dogs, Reese and Ryder. The pups have even appeared with their “parents” on “Summer House.”
Cooke’s comment about Batula’s absence aligns with what an inside source told Us Weekly while the entrepreneur was in Italy for Denver’s nuptials. “Kyle and Amanda are very much together,” the insider told the outlet amid breakup buzz. “While Amanda was sadly not able to make it to Andrea’s wedding, they have another destination wedding in Italy this summer and they’re looking forward to spending time away together. It’s killing Kyle that he can’t be with her right now as these rumors circulate.”
Not Everyone Is Buying Kyle Cooke’s Explanation
Denver’s wedding in Italy took place just as the final part of the “Summer House” season 8 reunion aired on Bravo. During the reunion, fans saw Cooke and Batula talk about some of their relationship issues. In one “Summer House” scene, Cooke called Batula a [expletive] b****.”
Some fans pointed out that Batula didn’t engage in Cooke’s Instagram posts while he was in Italy.
“Did you also take the internet to Italy with you? She’s not there but she’s also a regular engager in your posts and isn’t with these….” one Instagram follower wrote to Cooke.
“In the group picture from earlier, he’s not wearing his ring,” another noted.
“He’s away, at their friends wedding, she’s not liking anything while also posting Boys Lie merch,” another wrote. “I’m saddened to see how many women continue to support a man who called his wife lazy and a stupid B while she struggled through mental health.”
As of this writing, Batula has yet to respond to the split rumors. But during a May 2024 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” she was asked how she responded to Cooke’s name-calling. “We didn’t really talk about it yet,” she told host Andy Cohen, adding, “I think there’s a bigger conversation to be had.”
Kyle Cooke Admitted His Behavior Is Sometimes Out of Line
Cooke and Batula argued a lot while filming “Summer House” in 2023. On “Watch What Happens Live,” Batula admitted she had “a really hard time” with Cooke. “I was really annoyed with him going into that summer and it shows. He was just really like, he would breathe and it bothered me,” she told Cohen.
Cooke later addressed comments he made about his wife’s work ethic when she expressed a desire to look outside of Loverboy. “I want to correct what I said, knowing Amanda and like some of the things that she struggles with,” he said on WWHL. “She’s not lazy, okay? So, let’s just set that record straight.”
Cooke explained that Batula was “fundamental” to the creative vision of his Loverboy brand.
“I was trying to create as much, like, freedom for her to pursue what she wanted,” he said. “And so I was just worried if she pulled back any more that it would basically mean she’s no longer working with us. Look, this was after a long day of drinking and like I’m so embarrassed with my reaction. It was deplorable. And like at the end of the day, I want to support my wife I want her to be happy.”
In the months since filming wrapped, the couple has also been hit with cheating rumors. An Instagram video posted by @facereality16 showed Cooke in an intimate conversation with a mystery woman. The footage was shot while Cooke was on a business trip in South Carolina without Batula.
“Southern Charm” star Leva Bonaparte later explained that the mystery woman was a mutual friend of both her and Cooke. She insisted that there was no inappropriate behavior between them. “Kyle and our friend were simply catching up on life since she now has a family and has established herself in her profession. Kyle was congratulating her. This was purely a friendly interaction!” Bonaparte wrote in a DM to @facereality16, per Page Six.