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Lala Kent and James Kennedy Reveal Updates on Their Sobriety Journeys
During the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 premiere, Lala shared what it’s like to be “single and sober” for the first time, while James called his journey “a little confusing.”
Lala Kent and James Kennedy have both been candid about their relationship with alcohol over the years, and the latest updates on their sobriety journeys came during the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 premiere.
For James, the subject arose when Lisa Vanderpump encountered him during a DJ gig at SUR. “Are you drinking?” she asked. “Listen, I’m not judging. If you can handle it and you’re doing fine, that’s all I want to see.”
James then confirmed that he had indeed started drinking again, but as he assured Lisa, “I learned a lot from not drinking those two years.”
He provided additional details in a confessional, referencing his breakup from his former fiancée, Raquel Leviss. “After two and a half years of not a single drop, I decided to drink again, have a couple drinks,” James said. “After Raquel left, I thought I was getting married, I was engaged, do you know what I mean? After all I did to better myself, it still clearly wasn’t enough.”
“And quite frankly, it was a new f--king year,” he added. “It was 2022, you know, what am I doing? I’m f--king James Kennedy. Like, let me live.”
Back in conversation with Lisa, James assured her that he wouldn’t drink that night while working. And looking to the future, “I don't know if I’m gonna be drinking at work ever… It is a little confusing for me, honestly.”
James went on to have a similar conversation with Raquel, and he eventually brought up how she encouraged him to get sober when they were together. “If I am gonna quit again,” he said, “it will be for me next time and not an ultimatum in a relationship.”
When it comes to Lala, Vanderpump Rules fans may recall that she recently marked four years of sobriety in October. Now, she’s diving into the dating pool. As she put it on the Season 10 premiere, “This is the first time in my life that I have been single and sober. The thought of just meeting any guy and being like, ‘We’re gonna do this!’ — I don’t have anything to kind of lube me up.”
“It really freaks me out,” she added.
Lala also looked back on her past dating experiences, and during a conversation with James and Katie Maloney, she revealed, “James and I, when we were both very new in our relationships, definitely hooked up.”
The two were apparently visiting Chicago at the time. “We started drinking before we got on the plane,” Lala said of the 2016 trip.
James, for his part, added, “A lot of guys make mistakes, OK? Obviously, half of Lala wanted it to happen too, right? So let’s not dillydally.”
Watch Vanderpump Rules on Bravo Wednesdays at 9/8c and the next day on Peacock and the Bravo app.
