Kyle Cooke compared Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s shock relationship to one of siblings.
“I considered West a really good friend, and this is just not something I can fathom doing to anybody that’s close to me,” Cooke told People in an interview published Wednesday. “We’re a close-knit family, it’s like he’s banging his sister.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real until I see them together,” he added of the pairing.
Not only does the Loverboy founder, 43, find their romance hard to swallow, he also suggested Wilson had ulterior motives when he decided to pursue Batula.
“I think West is no dummy, I think he realized Amanda’s going to have this big PR moment,” Cooke told the outlet.
“I think he realized it last summer. I think that’s part of the reason why he’s pulling his chair up next to Amanda. He’s like, ‘I’m going to be the white knight here and stand up for Amanda because, well, the internet’s going to love her and therefore the internet’s going to love me.’”
Despite feeling “betrayed” by both Wilson, 31, and Batula, 34, Cooke revealed that he still talks to his estranged wife on a regular basis.
“I ironically talked to her on the way here,” he admitted.
Ever since Batula and Wilson came clean about their secret romance, Cooke has defended her against harsh backlash from the Bravo fanbase while holding Wilson accountable for his role in the chaos.
“I’m actually really worried about Amanda, if I’m being honest,” Cooke told street journalist Adam Glyn in April.
“I talked to her last night and I think — I understand people have all sorts of opinions and I’m not justifying any behavior,” Cooke continued. “But, from what I’m seeing, she’s kind of getting cyber bullied and at the end of the day, all I know is, West seems to be the kind of guy playing multiple women at the same time.”
As Page Six previously reported, Batula and Wilson confirmed their “connection” after weeks of speculation on March 31 with a joint Instagram statement.
The duo notably kept their relationship hidden from Cooke — whom Batula split from in January after four years of marriage — and Ciara Miller, Batula’s former best friend and Wilson’s ex.
During the intense “Summer House” Season 10 reunion, the couple were put in the hot seat and questioned over the timeline of their relationship.
Cooke raised eyebrows when he revealed he and Batula decided to separate after four years of marriage on Jan. 19 as Miller had already exposed the fact that she caught the swimwear designer and the sports journalist hanging out two days prior.
Also during the reunion, Cooke and Batula shocked viewers by sharing they didn’t have sex for their entire marriage.
By the end of the reunion, the “Summer House” crew still seemed fractured as Miller brutally rejected Batula’s apology.
Cooke told People he “expected to learn more” from Batula and Wilson during the three-part special, but their attitude was “more defensive than remorseful.”
However, fans will get a deeper look into the aftermath of the reunion with the surprise bonus episode, “Summer House: The Fallout,” which airs June 16 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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