Vanderpump Rules: What We Know About Lala Kent And Randall Emmett's Messy Custody Battle
The "Vanderpump Rules" crew is no stranger to scandals and theatrics. Still, Lala Kent's messy split from Randall Emmett is drama overload. And three years later, the histrionics show no sign of abating as the couple battles it out in a bitter custody battle.
Kent and Emmett's relationship kicked off on a sour note. When they began hooking up, the producer was married to his now ex-wife, Ambyr Childers. Kent was aware of Childers but insisted Emmett told her the couple was divorcing. In reality, they were very much together and working on their crumbling union. "I'm not [a homewrecker]. I would have, well, knowing everything that I know now, I wouldn't have even given him the time of day," Kent told Jeff Lewis. She said she was a firm believer in marriage and would have never intentionally hurt another woman.
Emmett finally divorced Childers in December 2017 and proposed to Kent during a Mexican birthday vacay in September 2018. He and Kent later welcomed their daughter, Ocean, in March 2021. However, proving a leopard never changes its spots, Emmett was caught getting cozy with two other women in October 2021. "Randall always lives a double life," a source told Page Six. "He lives the life of a husband or boyfriend, and then he lives the life of a serial partier and then goes on a bender." Kent kicked her wayward fiancé to the curb. Still, it was only the start of her romantic woes as they began waging a custody war.
Inside the dark allegations against Randall Emmett
Lala Kent and Randall Emmett's relationship came to a bitter and allegedly violent end. Kent told the Los Angeles Times that things turned nasty after she grabbed Emmett's phone during a fight over his alleged cheating. "He ran after me, tackled me, and knocked me to the ground," she claimed. "I used every ounce of strength to get him off of me."
Kent's allegations of violence loom large in her case for custody of their daughter, Ocean. However, there are much darker forces at play, too. Emmett has been hit with a barrage of unsavory accusations, including claims of predatory casting couch behavior, sexual harassment and misconduct, and sending unsolicited XXX sexts. Then, in 2023, Emmett's ex-wife was granted a temporary restraining order after she claimed the FBI was investigating him for "suspected activities with child exploitation and pedophilia," according to People.
Emmett vehemently denies all allegations. "Almost one year ago, the Los Angeles Times wrote a highly biased and factually inaccurate hit piece on me," he claimed in a statement to Page Six. Emmett said the LA Times journalist had a "personal vendetta" against him fueled by her friendship with Kent. Still, Kent has vowed to protect their daughter at all costs. "I really didn't realize who I was sleeping next to, who I had a child with," she told ABC News in May 2023. Kent said if she had known who Emmett was, she would "never have brought an innocent little baby into the world."
Lala Kent remains optimistic in the face of adversity
In addition to warring over their daughter, Lala Kent is fighting Randall Emmett for child support. She told Jeff Lewis the couple agreed on an amount, but Emmett reportedly reneged on the deal. Kent said she wasn't shocked by the non-payment, though. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting it all," she shared. Sadly, Kent says she can't see the "nightmare" custody battle drawing to a close in the near future. "His side is just so chaotic, and I don't see resolution coming anytime soon," she told Page Six on January 18. "I would like [its end] to come, but we're still in it."
However, Kent remains optimistic that all will be well in the long run. "I think it will end, and it will end in a fantastic way, better than I could've imagined," she said, sharing that she's regularly manifesting good vibes. "That's what we're doing in 2024," Kent continued. "My psychic medium told me this is my year for all things. We'll see if that's true!"
Meanwhile she's looking to add to her family with some help from an unexpected benefactor. "Lala Kent is still in the midst of a challenging custody battle, but being the best mom to Ocean remains her priority," her Bravo bio reads. "Wanting to give her daughter a sibling, Lala explores fertility treatments and looks for a sperm donor as a single mother. She finds an unlikely connection with Tom Schwartz, forming a friendship that neither saw coming."