Lala Kent's Past Most Controversial Moments
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It seems impossible to imagine "Vanderpump Rules" without Lala Kent, she of the nighttime baby bottles, frequent feuds, and infamously incisive insults, but the actor and model didn't actually join the cast of the Bravo hit reality series until Season 4, threatening to quit repeatedly for her first few years on-air.
Whether battling negative rumors from her co-stars about her fabulous trips with wealthy men (per the Daily Mail), bragging about trading oral sex for rides on private jets (via, again, Daily Mail), or launching a successful beauty empire on the back of her "Give Them Lala" catchphrase, Lala is one of the most memorable #PumpRules characters. She's never boring, even if she frequently draws the ire of fans on Reddit for her outspoken ways.
Read on to take a look back at the "Spree" star's time in the spotlight and relive her cattiest clapbacks, fiercest feuds, meanest moments, and highest-profile hypocrisy.
Her profanity annoyed Andy Cohen
A rite of passage for any Bravolebrity is "Watch What Happens Live," Andy Cohen's late-night talk show about all things Bravo. The second episode of "Vanderpump Rules'" fourth season, "New Blood," was named for new cast member Lala Kent, who joined the staff at SUR as a hostess; she soon appeared on "WWHL" to talk trash about her co-stars alongside her friend and fellow reality star James Kennedy. James and Lala cursed so much during a guessing game that Cohen was forced to ask them to watch their mouths, begging, "Is there any way you could stop cussing? I swear to God... You're driving me nuts. I'm not kidding. It's happened like eight times."
Cohen complained publicly about their behavior, noting to a Bravo interviewer that their censor mutes the entire surrounding context of a curse word, "So it's like the whole episode was on mute, and it was very irritating," Cohen said. He also revealed that he had texted back the troublesome twosome's boss, Lisa Vanderpump, to let her know about the situation. "Let me put it this way," Cohen said he texted. "They made Jax [Taylor] and Kristen [Doute] look like Michelle and Barack Obama." Ouch.
"I'm so sorry for my potty mouth @Andy. Thank you so much for having me," Lala tweeted after the episode aired, according to Bravo. She later wrote in her memoir "Give Them Lala" (via Us Weekly) that she penned a letter of apology to Cohen and Vanderpump. "Andy was still very upset," she recalled.
She fat-shamed Katie Maloney
When Lala Kent first joined the cast of "Vanderpump Rules" in Season 4, she was an underdog. The newbies at SUR tended to be ostracized from the mean-girl group led by Stassi Schroeder, Katie Maloney, and Kristen Doute; when someone was on the outs, they were really on the outs. Fans of the show on Reddit frequently mentioned that they rooted for Lala at the beginning of her tenure on the show; one viewer, u/SPN1191, reflected, "In the initial seasons that she appeared in, she was the hero/rebel..."
Things changed in the premiere of Season 5, when Lala and her friend James Kennedy — then firmly out of the main group's good graces — confronted the others at a party. More specifically, they decided to body-shame Katie. Lala took a passive aggressive approach, infamously telling the group, "I can see that everybody here has not been working on their summer bodies." (The insult provided the episode's title, "Summer Bodies.") James one-upped her, driving the point home by asking Katie, "Wait, are you pregnant? Oh my god, congratulations!"
The group was understandably upset, and it took a long time for Lala to make amends. She later told Bravo exec Andy Cohen on a 2021 episode of "Watch What Happens Live" that the comment was one of the only things she regrets from her contentious time on the show. "That was rude," she admitted. "I love all types of bodies, and I was trying to be mean, and it worked."
She criticized Demi Lovato's recovery
When she first started appearing on "Vanderpump Rules," Lala Kent was a bit of a party girl, but the reality star recognized she needed a change after her father passed away and she found herself turning to alcohol. She told Page Six, "The second I admitted to myself I'm an alcoholic was like the moment that I just felt so free. And I've never been happier."
Lala then publicly criticized singer Demi Lovato, the person behind hits like "Skin of My Teeth," which includes the lyrics, "God***n it I just wanna be free / But I can't cause it's a f***in' disease." Promoting their album "Dancing with the Devil," which contained a song called "California Sober," Lovato admitted to still using marijuana and drinking wine in moderation (on CBS "This Morning"), noting that this may not work for everyone. They have since renounced "California sober," announcing they're "sober sober" on an Instagram Story in late 2021 (via BuzzFeed).
That wasn't the right answer for Lala. "You know, I don't like to judge, but I actually think that that's super offensive," she said on a podcast called "Behind the Velvet Rope," adding, "There are people out there who have worked their a** off to never take themselves out of reality," eschewing even Nyquil. Kent, however, has promoted Starla Wines to her 1.7M followers on Instagram, calling the brand "non-alcoholic;" Starla Wines are in fact "alcohol-removed," meaning they do still contain some alcohol. Some of her followers pointed this out in the comments, to no response.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Her 'man' was married
When Lala Kent first began dating Hollywood producer Randall Emmett, she refused to let him be mentioned on "Vanderpump Rules." Because she wanted to keep the relationship secret, Lala referred to him simply as "my man" for a long time, demanding that her co-stars not mention him by name even though many of them had met him. While some of her co-stars bristled, Lala stuck to her guns, telling ET, "It takes a lot of energy to constantly call someone, like, 'My man, my man, my man...' It's like, a lot of work, you know?"
There were insinuations on the show that Lala might be keeping her relationship a secret because "her man" may have had a wife, but Lala insisted that was not the case. When Scheana Shay brought up Katie Maloney spreading the rumor, Lala infamously shot back, "Are you trying to get popped or are you trying to get along?"
Years later, after the couple split, Lala admitted that Emmett was indeed married to actor Ambyr Childers when their relationship began. In a 2022 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live," Lala told Andy Cohen that she regretted how the relationship started. "I just think the way that he and I came to be, looking back on it, was so gross and messy," she said (via Us Weekly). Lala and Ambyr previously feuded, but after Lala's breakup, they have become friends. "Amber and I have nothing but love for each other, and we're in a great place," Lala said on "Behind the Velvet Rope."
Lala Kent feuded with 'Fofty'
For years, Lala Kent dated Hollywood producer Randall Emmett, known for producing films "The Irishman" and "Gotti" in addition to a number of what Vulture called "geezer teasers" — films starring aging action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, who often have just a few minutes of screen time, purely so their marquee names can be used to sell the films. Emmett also co-produced "Power," the Starz series known for Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's involvement, and in 2019, that association caused major problems for Lala and Randall.
According to Us Weekly, the feud began when 50 posted a "Vanderpump Rules" clip to Instagram, depicting Lala bragging about being gifted a Range Rover from Randall after the first night they hooked up. "Do you want A range rover, yes, b***h yassss. Then just run out and suck a d***. LOL smh," the "In Da Club" rapper wrote. Ms. Kent fired back at Mr. Cent in the comments, insulting his masculinity by writing, "She swears she's a thug from south side Jamaica queens & she's up in here watching Bravo. Someone has forgotten where they come from." Further screenshots posted by the rapper showed that Randall apparently owed him a million dollars, and Lala's "man" infamously replied with a typo. "I'm sorry fofty," he wrote (per People).
Despite making headlines, the feud wasn't aired on "VPR." When asked why on the Season 8 reunion (via People), Lala explained, "There was... a lot of legal stuff going on."
Was it about the pasta?
If you know anything about Lala Kent's storied time at "Vanderpump Rules," you're probably aware of the fight about the pasta. Or wait — was it not about the pasta?
Let's back up. Lala has always treated James Kennedy's girlfriend Raquel Leviss poorly, insinuating repeatedly that the former beauty queen is not particularly smart. When James and Raquel first got together, Page Six called her a "Lala Kent lookalike," referencing the flirtationship between Lala and James, but the James-Raquel relationship lasted into Season 6 of "Vanderpump Rules." While James and Lala got lunch one day, tensions boiled over, and the two wound up screaming at one another about an off-camera fight the night before, when Lala apparently "finished [Raquel's] pasta" without permission. "You've always been a b***h towards Raquel," James insisted, while Lala shot back "Are you really saying that because I told you I ate her pasta?" James exploded, as did Lala: "Learn your f***ing place, motherf***er," she said, her finger in his face, "or else you're gonna learn real godd*** quick."
Because a fight this messy over actual pasta seems out-of-the-blue, fans online assumed "pasta" was code for something else, perhaps a certain party drug. "Is pasta Adderall, is pasta coke?" asked Jenny McCarthy on her Sirius XM show. "It was legitimately pasta," Lala claimed, insisting she's never tried those in her life. "I'm not a drug person, so I was actually very offended."
Lala Kent supported her fired castmates
2020 was a tough year for everybody — 'global pandemic' ringing any bells? — and the "Vanderpump Rules" cast was no different. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests that summer, several "VPR" stars came under scrutiny for racist past actions, including maliciously calling the cops on Black castmate Faith Stowers (via The Cut). The resulting backlash led to Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute being let go from the show, while Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright were axed, too (per Variety).
When Season 9 of the Bravo hit premiered late the following year, it was with a pared-down cast. Still, Lala Kent shouted out her dearly departed co-stars, posting an old picture to Instagram (via Us Weekly) on premiere night of herself along with Stassi and Kristen, alongside remaining Pumper Katie Maloney. "I had to," she wrote in the caption alongside a heart emoji. Co-star Ariana Maddix was unhappy with the gesture, commenting, "Are you living in the past or are you ready for the future of the show?"
Lala took down the post after she was called out, and a few days later she addressed the hubbub on Instagram Stories (via MSN). When a fan asked her why the picture had been deleted, she rolled her eyes and said, "Someone got affected." She later told HollywoodLife that her fired co-stars should come back on the drama-filled reality show, which is certainly a choice. We guess Ariana has her answer!
Her fight with Jennifer Lawrence raised eyebrows
Though she also acts and models, Lala Kent is primarily known as a Bravolebrity for her time on "Vanderpump Rules." That hasn't stopped the star from engaging in a number of high-profile feuds, including with none other than "Silver Linings Playbook" actor Jennifer Lawrence. JLaw is a noted Bravo fan, and when she appeared on "Watch What Happens Live," she told Andy Cohen in no uncertain terms how she felt about the cast of "VPR." In addition to encouraging Brittany Cartwright to leave then-fiance Jax Taylor, Lawrence didn't hold back in addressing Lala. "I'm like, 'B***h, you's a c***!'" she said (via Access).
Lala was understandably upset by this, but as she does, she threatened violence in response. The "Feeling You" singer tweeted (via BuzzFeed), "B***h, you better pray I don't see you in the streets," before her manager made her take the tweet down (she revealed on Amy Phillips' "Reality Checked" podcast, via Access). She also went off on the Oscar winner in an interview on the JuicyScoop podcast, throwing personal barbs about Lawrence's looks. "I'm going to have nothing nice to say about her," she warned (via BuzzFeed). "I'm going to say that her hair sucks, her face is a little too pudgy, like she needs to stop the drinking, you know?"
A few months later, everything had wound down. "I actually received a very sweet email from her," Lala revealed on Jenny McCarthy's podcast (via the Daily Mail). "So, I shake things off. I've been called much worse than the c-word."
She excluded Billie Lee
During Season 7 of "Vanderpump Rules," Lala Kent found herself in hot water. Lala and her co-stars planned a "Girls Night In" event to one-up James Kennedy's "See You Next Tuesday" party at SUR. The trouble was, many SUR girls were invited and tagged online... but not Billie Lee, a trans cast member. When Billie asked why, suggesting that it might have had something to do with her identity, she explained (via Bravo), "My whole life, I was not included in girl things, and to find out that my job is having something — a girl's night — it just was a huge trigger for me." Lala wasn't interested in hearing Billie out and blew up on her for feeling excluded. "Billie, you're a f***ing lowdown h*," Lala shouted. "You were not excluded on purpose. That was so f***ed up of you to do."
They later almost came to blows again at a fight during a "Brunch with Billie" event at SUR, one of the most heated in the show's history. The exchange included the women rehashing beef from past events. "I think you're a snake," Lala declared (via Radar). "Not only are you boring to speak to, you're boring to look at, too," Lala later told Billie.
"Lala is physically a very beautiful person but I think she is...she's a mean girl," Billie explained to Bravo. "There's something dark and scary inside." Lala had her own thoughts, telling Bravo's "Daily Dish," "Billie is just a very strange person."
Lala Kent tried to out people
Lala Kent tweets about Pride and has attended the celebration in West Hollywood with her "Vanderpump Rules" co-stars, sporting a blue-green wig in Season 8. She even hooked up with out bisexual co-star Ariana Madix (via People). Fans, however, have noted that she sometimes engages in conduct harmful to the queer community. More specifically, she has publicly insinuated that several straight-identifying co-stars are queer. Publicly disclosing the sexuality of someone else like this is called "outing" and is often very harmful, according to experts like Cambell Kenneford, a trans woman who told Cosmopolitan UK, "Outing someone is extremely dangerous and can often turn violent or even worse."
Lala has repeatedly alleged that "VPR" co-star James Kennedy hooked up with their mutual friend Logan Noh. While Noh confessed he was in love with his friend, James has repeatedly denied the claims, telling Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live," "I have never dipped in the pond." Lala brought the rumor up years later, claiming to James' then-girlfriend Raquel Leviss, "I know that it's not made up" (via People).
In Season 8, Lala did it again, insisting on the "Vanderpump Rules After Show" that former cast member Danica Dow's boyfriend had sent explicit photos of himself to Logan. "I can't be around it, dude," Lala protested. Fans on Reddit were unhappy. "Let's just say as a gay guy myself I am utterly disgusted by the blatant HOMOPHOBIA hidden under this veil of allyship..." one wrote.
She's been accused of cultural appropriation
Lala Kent was born Lauren Burningham in Utah, and she reflected to Bravo Insider that she liked where she grew up. "It was just like, you felt safe," she said. "Everyone knew their neighbors... I didn't appreciate it when I lived there, but now looking back I'm like, I couldn't have picked a better place." Since moving to Los Angeles, though, Lala has adopted a persona which some viewers have criticized.
One interview in particular, on Jenny McCarthy's podcast, took a turn. The "Masked Singer" host asked Lala when she became "hood," noting, "On Instagram and stuff your Snapchats are so sexy, funny, but they're hood." Instead of taking issue with McCarthy's characterization, the "VPR" star agreed. "I am a firm believer that when Tupac died he took over my body," she said in response, protesting, "I know you're laughing, but I'm being for real." Noting she's never actually gotten into a physical fight, she added, "I am as bougie and white as they come, but I gets to clapping sometimes." ...Yikes.
The model has a "thug life" tattoo in honor of the late rapper, according to Bravo, and she wore her hair in braids for the cover of her single with DJ James Kennedy, "Feeling You." Redditor u/leealishaw noted Lala's frequent appropriation of Black cultural signifiers, writing, "I truly hope she gets help because the girl most definitely has... a weird fascination with black culture, more specifically black women."
She's quick to an insult
Promoting the release of her memoir "Give Them Lala," the "national bestselling author" told Bravo's "Daily Dish" that she had done a lot of soul-searching. "Whenever I feel like I'm being attacked or criticized, I put my dukes up," she admitted, adding that she eventually realized, "It's okay to explain to people, 'You hurt my feelings,' rather than slaying insults at them." You know what that is? Growth.
No look back at Lala's shadiest moments, however, would be complete without a mention of one of her most legendary insults. In addition to the "summer bodies" comment and that time she told Billie Lee she was "boring to look at" — see above — Lala infamously clapped back at James Kennedy's girlfriend Raquel Leviss after the two got in an argument about Lala's late father. While screaming at the beauty queen in the middle of SUR's brunch service, accusing her of being naïve, Lala called Raquel a "bambi-eyed b***h," storming off.
Raquel was, understandably, hurt. She took it to Instagram when the insult aired on television, writing in a caption, "A little update from your Bambi Eyed B***h... There is no excuse for purposefully making someone feel inferior to someone else and having no remorse for it. ... Let's set the record straight." The two seem to have made up in the wake of Raquel's split from her DJ fiancé; the former foes collaborated to launch a "Bambi-Eyed B***h" makeup palette together, according to Bravo.
Scheana Shay said Lala Kent wasn't there for her
While the show was on hiatus due to the pandemic, a number of the "Vanderpump Rules" cast members had babies, including Lala Kent and Scheana Shay. Fans realized something was amiss between them when Scheana didn't get an invite to Lala's gender reveal party for her baby. On her podcast "Scheananigans," Scheana revealed that their friendship had unfortunately cooled down after she suffered a miscarriage, and she felt like Lala wasn't there for her in the aftermath. More specifically, Scheana was upset that Lala had chosen to go to dinner with Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox instead of coming over to comfort her. "I needed her and she wasn't there because...she had dinner with celebrities. Let's be real," Scheana concluded.
Lala fought back on Instagram stories (via Us Weekly), shading Scheana for her past relationship with John Mayer and claiming, "She has an idea of how everyone should react in certain situations. We usually always fail and she is left disappointed. This is why she has a new best friend every day. We can't keep up."
Though the Bravo hit wasn't filming when the two originally fell out, never fear: the fight spilled over onto the pandemic-produced Season 9 of "VPR." According to a HollywoodLife recap, they both cried and apologized. However, they continued to be at odds for the rest of the season, and Lala told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" (via Us Weekly), "[Our relationship is] nonexistent. I haven't spoken to her." By 2022, Scheana was telling E! News that the two had bonded over motherhood.
Her memoir contained majorly gross revelations
Lala Kent has never been one to shy away from telling the truth, whether it makes her look good or bad. In her memoir "Give Them Lala," she revealed a number of shocking events that fans of "Vanderpump Rules" were previously unaware of, such as that time (via Page Six) when, during an argument, she took her fiance Randall Emmett's toothbrush and placed it, quote, "in [her] a**hole for a minute." ...Yuck! Apparently Lala then stood there and watched him brush his teeth with the toothbrush before she admitted what she had done.
During the fallout from a cheating scandal that saw them split for good in 2021, Lala even said she wished she'd done worse! Speaking with Barstool's "Tea With Publyssity" podcast, Lala admitted, "Don't regret it now. Should have done it a little more. Wish that had been a nightly routine, actually... I should have s**t on his toothbrush, is what I should have done."
"Pump Rules" fans on Reddit were horrified by the revelation. "Memo to Lala: abusing your partner isn't cute and quirky," one commenter wrote. "l can't believe she's bragging about this..."
Lala has turned things around
Despite her many controversies, Lala Kent has tried to move on. The past drama with Katie Maloney has been forgotten, as the two were both single and apparently ready to mingle post-breakups with Randall Emmett and Tom Schwartz (Maloney split with Schwartz in March 2022). As Kent told Us Weekly in April 2022 while attending a restaurant opening with her friend, "Katie and I have always been extremely close, but now we're on the prowl together so it's fun."
In late 2021, she admitted on her "Give Them Lala" podcast that she inserted herself in others' relationships due to her feeling insecure and projecting as a result. "All I know is a lot of things ... that I meddled in, my comments didn't age well, and I'm okay with that," she said. She added, "I think a lot of it is going to be talking about that and having to answer for a lot of those things."