Kyle Cooke spoke out after his ex-wife, Amanda Batula, confirmed her relationship with their "Summer House" co-star, West Wilson. Cooke, 43, was stopped in New York City and asked about the situation. While he said he's "still trying to figure out the details" of how Batula, 34, and Wilson, 28, became romantically involved, he admitted that he's "really worried about Amanda."
"I've talked to her – before they put the statement out, she gave me a heads-up, and I talked to her last night," Cooke said in a TikTok video. "I understand people have all sorts of opinions, and I'm not justifying any behavior, but from where I'm standing, she's kind of getting cyber-bullied."
Cooke said that he found out about his ex and Wilson – who previously dated "Summer House" star Ciara Miller – over the weekend after "evidence started piling up" about the pair. While he's "trying to give everybody the benefit of the doubt," he admitted that it's a "mental mindf--- for me because there's still so much that we're watching [on season 10] from the summer." He's been particularly shocked by "how handsy" Wilson was with Batula.
The Loverboy founder also confirmed that he and Miller have "been in touch this whole week."
"I'm obviously frustrated," Cooke said. "I'm obviously disappointed in her, but just hearing her and how unwell she is – [having] dark thoughts – I just ask people to maybe let off the gas a little bit with the cyberbullying and hate."
He said that his ex-wife, from whom he split in January after four years of marriage, knows that "what she did was wrong and she's trying to come to terms with it, but she is not well."
Cooke said he's at a "loss for words" about the whole situation, and he still doesn't "understand the timeline just yet" of Batula and Wilson getting together. He also said that Wilson sent him "some half-assed text message" after the news broke.
"Amanda deals with mental health issues. Before cyber-bullying her and then giving West a follow, maybe think twice," he said.
On Tuesday, March 31, Batula and Wilson addressed rumors that they were romantically involved in a statement posted to both of their Instagram Stories.
"We've seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity," it read. "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 need a little space to process things privately before speaking on it."
"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," it continued. "Our connection grew out of a genuine, long-standing 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," the statement concluded.
This came shortly after Batula and Cooke announced in January that they decided to part ways after four years of marriage and over a decade together. That month, they offered an update on the situation during a joint interview on SiriusXM's Front Row series.
"Yeah, we’re good," Batula said, explaining that it has been "easier to get along." "And that’s it. What's next?"
Cooke, who still appeared to be wearing a wedding ring, responded, "I think every step we've taken, there's a little bit like a weight has been lifted. Ironically, I think this last week, having kind of pressed 'post' together, it was a little more light-hearted."
Wilson and Miller previously dated when he first joined "Summer House" in 2023, although they split in December of that year. In June 2024, Miller told Andy Cohen on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" that she felt like Wilson "was playing a game with me."
"I love a funny guy. We’ve all seen that," Miller said of what attracted her to Wilson. "I don’t know, I got got, I think, a little bit."
She further revealed she and Wilson slept together over the summer before finding out he lied when he claimed to former co-star Paige DeSorbo that he wasn't being intimate with anyone else.
Fans have been speculating that Batula and Wilson's friendship had turned into something more in recent weeks, with several of their castmates and fellow Bravo stars sharing cryptic social media posts seemingly reacting to the chatter.
On Sunday, March 29, "Southern Charm" star Austen Kroll posted a photo from a dinner on Instagram with the caption: "Pasta and f--- your friends exes are apparently so back," which many interpreted as a possible nod to Batula and Wilson. Deuxmoi reported that the pair were "openly flirty" earlier this month.
Shortly after Kroll's post, "Summer House" stars Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard both shared screenshots of themselves making reactive faces, which fans believed to be in relation to the rumors. Hubbard also shared a selfie with Miller just before posting the image.
During a recent appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" on March 24, Wilson insisted that his relationship with Batula is platonic when asked about the rumors.
"We were just hanging out in New York. She’s single, I gotta show her the streets a little bit," he said at the time. "But if it’s not clear, that’s a very important person to me, and I care about her a lot."
When pressed further, Wilson reiterated that Batula is just his "homegirl."
"That’s a friend. I hope it’s clear," he added.
Cooke also weighed in during a separate appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" this month, calling the speculation "kinda shocking" and "outrageous." He further said that he didn’t "think there’s any merit to" the claims, though he revealed how he would feel if his ex-wife and friend were dating.
"It would certainly catch me by surprise and feel a little reckless," he said. "I think Ciara would probably have something to say."
"But if it made Amanda happy, I think I just would have to vote yay," he noted.
