Any true fan of the show can agree that when James Kennedy first joined Vanderpump Rules in Season 3, his behavior was anything but warm and welcoming. James was erratic, a liar, a serial cheater, and struggled with alcohol abuse. But, in the last few seasons with the OG cast, James seemed to be thriving. He was sober, had gigs booked, was in a new relationship with Ally Lewber, and joined forces with Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney throughout the scandal, which bolstered his reputation (especially as others like Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz started to look worse). However, upsetting news recently arose that James was arrested for domestic violence.
Half of the fan base said that the news of the arrest was shocking because of how James seemed to be doing and how much effort he had put in to change his life, while the other half was not surprised, due to his behavior in the past and the plethora of demons in his life. It seems that the “old James Kennedy” never fully went away. Whether you are shocked or not, there is definitely one person having an “I told you so” moment: Kristen Doute.
Bravo Allegedly Used Kristen Doute & James Kennedy’s Toxic Relationship To Push a Narrative
Arguably, James and Kristen had one of the worst relationships throughout the show. When they had first started dating in Season 3, Kristen spent more time focusing on Tom Sandoval and Ariana and plotting ways to break them up, rather than coming to terms with her and Tom’s split and focusing on the future with James. In contrast, the newcomer Kennedy was accused of cheating multiple times. The relationship between them was nothing but toxicity, lies, and scheming — but Kristen has spoken out about the abuse that she encountered with Kennedy.
We all remember when Kristen and James fought in the parking lot of Scheana Shay‘s wedding, but Kristen claims that we did not see the full story that led to her getting physical. Kristen punched James in the face, but she has since explained that she reacted to James shoving her into a bush first. Kristen definitely had her moments in the earlier seasons; bringing Miami girl to SUR to confront Tom, screaming at her boss, and making it her life’s mission to break Tom and Ariana up — and it was great television. However, acting out will give anyone a reputation, and because of this, Kristen coined the nickname, “Crazy Kristen.” Unfortunately, she has said on social media that production decided to scrap James shoving her (via Taste of Reality) and focus more on Kristen punching him to further push the “crazy” narrative. This is not only extremely upsetting to learn, but it is disgusting to think that production knew the full story involving the abuse Kristen was experiencing. Instead of airing James shoving Kristen, they decided to cover up the abuse – and only show Kristen reacting, in hopes of getting “Crazy Kristen” in action. It was recently revealed that Bravo independently investigated a claim that Kennedy was physical with a woman up to a full year before his arrest, but the results of the investigation are still unclear.
The Truth Always Reveals Itself
When the news of the arrest had first dropped, Kristen re-posted a news article to her Instagram story, captioning it, “Finally.” She also confirmed on social media (via Taste of Reality) that James had hit her, and she had to stay at a friend’s house to escape the abuse. It is obvious that Kristen was fed up with watching millions of Vanderpump Rules fans praising James for changing for the better when she knew all along what was happening behind closed doors.
When the news of the arrest was first announced, it was valid for any fan of the show to wonder if Rachel Leviss had any similar experiences. Considering the tremendous amount of cheating accusations that Rachel had to deal with during filming, and the brainwashing and gaslighting that James put her through while denying it every time. Rachel also expressed her feelings on social media, claiming that the abuse she endured was “sickening.” Rachel’s attorney had issued a statement, claiming that the arrest was anything but shocking. According to the statement, James was physically, emotionally, and verbally abusive throughout the five years that they dated. Their relationship was definitely not portrayed as ideal on the show either, but it is important to understand that Rachel’s feelings and experiences are valid despite her role in Scandoval. If there is anything that Vanderpump Rules fans have learned, it is that the truth will always come out. Kristen and Rachel have both spoken out that they are not surprised whatsoever. Hopefully, now, everyone involved can find peace and justice.
