Although they entered Summer House Season 10 as buddies, Amanda Batula and Ben Waddell’s friendship looks to be in jeopardy, as he accuses her of making a “really off comment” to his new girlfriend Sabrina during the above preview for Episode 10.
According to Ben, the remark happened at Lindsay Hubbard’s housewarming party, as Sabrina and Amanda were having “a really beautiful heart-to-heart.”
“Sabrina told me they were talking, and [Amanda’s] like, ‘Ben’s been great the whole time. Everybody in the house thinks that he’s in love with me — but apart from that,’” Ben recounts to Carl Radke, Ciara Miller, and Mia Calabrese during the April 7 episode preview. “And [Sabrina] was kind of like, ‘Hold on, what?’”
In a confessional interview, Ben further explains, “Sabrina’s now upset. ‘Why are you saying this guy I really like, he’s in love with you but not me?’”
“I don’t understand where that was coming from,” he adds when back in conversation with his castmates. “Like, what did [Amanda] want to get out of that?”
Ben complains that he’s now caught between a rock and a hard place with his new girlfriend and his friends. “Like, I want my friends to get along. I have a great relationship with Amanda and Kyle [Cooke], and now this is all f—king awkward,” he confesses. “Now we’re not going to be going out the four of us. We’re not hanging out anymore, are we? Because of this. Just seems like it’s just unnecessary s—t that’s going down. It upsets me a lot.”
Amanda Batula and Ben Waddell’s complicated friendship, explained
In case you need a refresher, although Ben was introduced during Summer House Season 10 as a friend of Amanda and her now-estranged husband Kyle, it was soon revealed that he and Amanda had an unusual history together after meeting at a wedding in Italy.
“Well, how do I explain this … We ended up — me, the bride, and Ben — skinny dipping in the pool while Kyle was blasting his speaker, walking around the outside of the pool,” Amanda admitted during the Feb. 3 episode. “We really got to know each other at that point, fully nude.”
Further complicating matters, Bailey Taylor accused Ben of wanting to sleep with Amanda during the March 10 episode — making Amanda’s comment during the April 7 preview a sore subject for Ben. Bailey’s comment came as the group was sharing one “nice thing” about Amanda for her birthday.
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“I’m a big eyes and smile guy. So I love—“ Ben began when it was his turn, but then he was cut off by Bailey, who interjected, “I was going to say, ‘Ben’s going to talk about how he wants to definitely sleep with you.’ Definitely knew he was going to go there.”
Ben later confronted Bailey over her comment, but she insisted it was all in good fun. “I was just joking, ’cause you guys tell that story about how when you met, you both were naked skinny-dipping,” Bailey told him during the March 10 episode. “And then you always joke about how, like, you would if you could. I was totally teasing about that.”
Although Ben denied making a joke about Amanda, Bailey insisted a romance was something he and Amanda joked about “all the time.”
“I’d just appreciate it if you just don’t do it anymore, Bailey. That would be great,” Ben answered. “It had nothing to do with you. Don’t say that again.”
Ben Waddell reveals he’s “falling in love” with his new girlfriend Sabrina
As Ben introduces his girlfriend Sabrina to his friends for the first time in a first look at the April 7 episode, he explains how they met.
“Well, we met in March,” Sabrina offers, then Ben chimes in, “And after that, we reconnected. Here we are!”
Ben shares more details with producers. “When I reached back out to Sabrina to let her know I’m thinking of her, she was very open. Positive. And rearing to go,” he explains. “I feel pretty special that she was willing to give me another chance. Because I’ve realized that like, I care about her a lot. And this is what I want to work, so that’s why I’m nervous as f—k.”
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But Jesse Solomon admits his confusion as the situation. “She’s very sweet, and I like her energy. But I’m still just hung up on how quickly they’re jumping back into things,” he confesses to producers, and then shares his “theory.” “I thought they had been hooking up this whole time and that Ben said he wasn’t seeing anybody when he like had a secret girlfriend. Potentially.”
Ben also emphasizes how serious he is about Sabrina to Carl, Ciara, and Mia as they drive to the Hamptons during the April 7 preview, and even confesses to inviting her to stay at the house for the weekend. “Like, I’m falling in love with this girl more and more every day,” he tells them. “She’s priority number one and I’m going to make sure she knows that.”
How did the Summer House crew originally get together and start “sending it?” Read more of cast and production secrets in exclusive interviews with Bravo Insider.
