‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Kristen Doute Says She Doesn’t Think James Kennedy Has Changed
Vanderpump Rules star Kristen Doute says she’s not convinced her ex-boyfriend James Kennedy has changed his ways, despite his “redemption arc” on the Bravo reality show.
Kristen, who wrote about all of her exes in her new relationships book He’s Making You Crazy: How to Get the Guy, Get Even and Get Over It, said she felt “full-on PTSD” watching the episodes when her ex was drinking and sending rage texts to his current girlfriend, Raquel Leviss.
While Kennedy has since gotten sober, earned his DJ job back at Lisa Vanderpump’s bars, and has issued on-camera apologies to Katie Maloney-Schwartz, Lala Kent, and Randall Emmett for his past bad behavior, Doute says she’s not sure he’s a changed man.
“I don’t think James has changed,” Kristen told People. “I don’t know what it’s going to take for me ever to feel differently about that.”
Kristen added that she just tries to keep her distance from her ex because it’s the healthiest thing that she can do for herself. She also noted that she can’t “force” James to apologize to her for his past behavior or to change his ways going forward.
“It would take a lot more than a simple apology for me to change my mind,” Kristen added. “It would take actual growth. And we’ve never seen that in the four, five years James has been on the show.”
Fans recently saw how volatile Kristen and James’ relationship still is. On the first part of the Vanderpump Rules Season 8 reunion, James blasted Kristen after she admitted to hooking up with TomTom general manager Max Boyens behind her friend Dayna Kathan’s back. Kristen denied knowing that Dayna and Max had a thing at the time.
Kennedy blasted his ex on the Zoom reunion, saying the secret hookup “didn’t surprise” him because Kristen’s doing the “same sh*t she’s been doing for the last decade.”
Kristen reminded James that he wouldn’t even be on the show if it wasn’t for her.
While Kristen isn’t convinced that James has changed, fellow Vanderpump Rules star Dayna told The Daily Dish that his sobriety — which is nearing the one-year mark — has “dramatically” changed his relationships for the better. Dayna said she has witnessed the “positive” dynamic between James and Raquel. She has also witnessed James in settings where everyone else was partying and he was able to have a good time without partaking.
“He was so happy and being outgoing and his funny James self, but he was sober,” the Vanderpump Rules star said.
