Summer House star Ciara Miller has opened up about the devastation of learning her close friend, Amanda Batula, was dating her ex, West Wilson.
Batula, 34, announced earlier this month that she and Wilson, 31, were romantically involved, months after she separated from her husband of four years, Summer House castmate Kyle Cooke. Meanwhile, Wilson had a messy end to his brief relationship with Miller in 2023.
After several Instagram posts in collaboration with major brands like Sephora subtly alluding to the drama, Miller has officially addressed the relationship saga during a new interview with Glamour.
Asked if she felt more betrayed by Wilson or Batula, Miller said: “At the end of the day, a guy’s a guy. Whether or not West and I are working on a relationship, you just can’t put anything past a man.
“But 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.”
She addressed how she’s defended Batula to her ex, Cooke, during the current season of Summer House, which is airing on Bravo.
“I’ve fought with your own husband to advocate for you,” she added of her relationship with Batula. “I have championed you. I have tried to be there in different ways for you and help you and get you to see your value in yourself. And so to be disregarded in such a disrespectful way is…. Honestly, it’s…. I’m at a loss for words sometimes.”
Miller spoke further about her friendship with Batula, noting that she felt closer to her than to Wilson, since they were “working on their relationship” after their split.
“Because we are exes, sometimes you spin the block; sometimes you land in situations where you guys are out. I feel like there’s room to do that if that’s your ex,” she explained.
“I do feel like I was closer to Amanda at that particular time, but I also know she probably wasn’t going to come to my birthday dinner just because…you know the rule with her,” she added, referring to her recent 30th birthday. “She wants to be invited, but she doesn’t necessarily want to come, which is fine because I’m totally the same way. I appreciate the invite, but I don’t want to go.”
She detailed how she initially got close to Batula during her first summer staying at a luxurious Hamptons rental house, the iconic setting of Summer House. “Amanda just felt like a very calm spirit initially. She was someone that I always felt comfortable talking to. She always felt like a nonjudgmental figure to go to,” Wilson added.
When news first broke earlier this month about Wilson and Batula, Miller shared a pointed message on her Instagram Story, promoting Apple TV’s Your Friends and Neighbors.
“If you can’t trust your Friends & Neighbors, who can you trust? Season 2 premieres Friday on @appletv #AppleTVPartner,” she wrote.
Batula and Wilson confirmed their relationship earlier this month in a joint statement on Instagram. “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling,” they wrote. “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.”
That impact clearly extends to Miller — who unfollowed both Batula and Wilson on Instagram immediately after their joint statement — and Cooke, as well as the rest of the Summer House cast.
The situation harkens memories of the 2023 “Scandoval” that rocked another hit Bravo show, Vanderpump Rules, when it emerged that longtime cast member Tom Sandoval had been having an affair with his castmate, Rachel Leviss, despite his years-long relationship — and her close friendship — with Ariana Madix.
