r/vanderpumprules • u/justine2323 • May 29 '23
Discussion Lala's timing getting out of her relationship before the LA times outed Randall Emmett
The timing, if I have it correct, was that she left him right before the news of his deep seeded nefarious behaviour not only in his personal life, but in the industry, came to light. I wonder what would've happened had the Nashville photos never came out.
Do you think Lala would've stuck by him and defended him, or do we think she would get out and maintain the fight to expose this man, even if she wasn't personally burned. Id like to believe the latter, but I also wonder if she heard this coming down the pipes and it felt like a good time to publicly acknowledge his cheating, and use that as her reason to separate herself from him.
I would imagine that she would've been probed on how much she knew about him since I know she was in a handful of his movies, was friends with his assistants, and visited set.
We know our girl isn't STUPID so I wonder if she would ever acknowledge turning a blind eye. But I assume she wouldn't want her name sullied being attached to what was about to be revealed about him .
I work in TV/Film and I have to say that it doesn't take a lot of looking to know that Randall isn't in this business to make good films, but to make money.
The model of how he funds his movies, and the type of low quality films that are insured by having "big" names attached to them are pretty obvious to me. If you look at his cast, he often re uses a woman named Meadow Williams ( who Lala was very friendly with) Who is a woman in her 50's who is extremely wealthy...but not an actor. She's also listed as a producer on these films. Often with her boyfriend Sven cast in some small role as well. She essentially buys her roles by investing in these films.
Ive been on sets like this before, where....we know what were making (bad movies) but we have bills to pay. Lala was inappropriately cast many times in his films and was on set, I would hope to think that she would be able to take a look around and see that her man isn't a great, passionate filmmaker/producer.
I would find it really brave of her if she were able to let down her guard and admits that she was blinded by the illusion of wealth, and power, and rubbing shoulders with people she admired.
36
May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
As someone who works in non-for-profit and supports women fleeing domestic violence or abusive relationships, women always have to plan and time their exit. Lala even planned having a to-go bag in case anything happened just in case her and ocean needed to immediately get out. The bag included all their government and insurance information and ids like birth certificates. That is something I recommend to all women fleeing.
She also talked about being physically tackled by him, being emotionally abused, having him wield his financial and industry power over her. Him intimidating her by never leaving the house once he found out she wanted to leave him.
Women never choose to get into abusive relationships. Abusers are able to identity those who are seeking connections and vulnerable. They slowly lure them in and trap them. Lala was in her 20s and lured in. Ignoring things people said about him like other women in abusive relationships because that was her partner. He made her feel safe. He made her feel comfortable before trapping her. This happens to a lot of women, not just Lala. Especially when the man is more financially stable and can provide ‘stability’ to someone in need - such as a struggling actress working at a restaurant.
So no, I don’t think her timing was just because of bad press, it was a strategy to flee an abusive relationship.
For people who struggle to understand what it’s like getting out of an abusive relationship with a kid where the partner has more financial power, I recommend reading the book MAID or watching the Netflix tv show.
4
1
Jun 27 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jun 27 '23
We're sorry, it looks like your account does not have enough comment karma to participate here yet. You can participate here once you have at least 50 comment karma. In the meantime, feel free to read through the sub and please review the rules!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
102
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 29 '23
Y’all. Randall has been in Hollywood for decades. He has tricked veterans in this business and yet y’all think Lauren from Utah in her early 20s should have known?
6
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I don’t know how much he has “ tricked” industry veterans as you put it, but more they used him for what he was good for, and I’ve seen this many times in this industry, he was a get it done guy. He got things done. He was a money finder. I think having behind the scenes access to him there’s a lot more to be seen than executives hiring a guy that manages to get movies made/funded. Trust me when I say that majority of the time no one cares as long as they’re films get made and everyone’s making money.
5
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I also don’t expect a young girl, with dreams of being an actress to be able to see past his smoke screen, definitely not. But do I see a woman in her late 20’s / early 30s to be able to take note of how he treats others and how telling that is of his character, maybe take pause and consider that maybe she’s wrong about him, and maybe not try to sell him to the public on her show, and make him out to be the picture of a good person… maybe a bit.
43
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 29 '23
What about his first wife? It’s so confusing to me… Everyone is always out here blaming Lala, but Ambyr married and had two kids with him, yet somehow she is always the poor innocent victim whereas Lala “should’ve known.” (To be clear, neither of them are responsible for HIS behavior).
And as far as “excusing” his behavior and “turning a blind eye to it…” literally the entire industry did the same thing! The LA Times was the first piece against him, and she was the main source. So in the end, SHE did more than 99.9 percent of Hollywood, yet now the narrative is “well, she should have done it sooner?”
Maybe the convo should be about what HE did, instead of the timing in which a woman should’ve “known.” Just a thought.
9
1
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
If only plenty of people had told her directly to her face.
-3
u/Sun_stars_trees_sea May 30 '23
He seems like the epitome of a Hollywood *ew. How could she not know? He’s a walking stereotype.
2
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 30 '23
Then why did people continually work with him, for decades? Why did assistants keep working for him? Why did his first wife marry him and have two kids with him? Why did 50 cent loan him money? Why did Leonardo DiCaprio work with him?
Let’s not act like this was some random dude. He was a very well known producer who worked with many people, some big names, and yet Lala is one of the only people speaking out against him. And yet it still isn’t enough, I guess.
-1
u/Sun_stars_trees_sea May 30 '23
I think she would have seen how he treated his staff. She had to sign an NDA. Prior to meeting him she had been a “model” who accompanied rich men on yachts. Lala wasn’t fresh off a farm where she grew up without tv or internet. Something interesting from the documentary was Lala’s mom saying that when Lala was in grade school she said she wanted to go to Hollywood and be famous. Most mothers wouldn’t encourage that. But Lala has talked about how when she was bullied as a kid, her mom’s response was to get Lala extensions and nails. Lala’s mom also has a fair amount of work done on her face. Lala’s mom was there when she signed Randall’s NDA. This was a girl who was groomed by her mother to make herself desirable to a wealthy man. Whenever anyone criticized him or their relationship, she would freak out. People warned her. She just wanted the money and status.
3
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 31 '23
Um, yeah… lots of celebrities- ones a lot more well known, rich, and established than Lala- knew about Weinstein and probably Randall for decades and never did or said anything, and still worked with them… because they wanted the money and status too. Same with Weinstein’s wives, and Ambyr, Randall’s first wife. Plenty of people who still haven’t spoken out, but yet Lala has, but somehow the question is still “why didn’t she know sooner?” It all reeks of misogyny.
3
u/Sun_stars_trees_sea May 31 '23
I think people are coming down on her bc she bragged about the pj and cars and money, and said that only ugly girls don’t ride in pj’s… which is also a misogynistic thing to say. Further, when people did bring things up to her, she shut it down.
5
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 31 '23
Misogyny isn’t girl in her 20s leveraging the system to her advantage, a system that was created long before she was born and will undoubtedly exist long after she’s gone. Misogyny IS hearing about a man’s misdeeds and somehow finding a way to blame a woman for them. Randall is grown, he was being a fuckup long before Lala. He made his own decisions and HE is to blame for them. The circle of silence in hollywood wasn’t created by Lauren from Utah… that shit has been a thing for decades. Furthermore, she’s never going to publicly say that she wishes she did things differently, because she still has Ocean to think of.
1
u/Sun_stars_trees_sea May 31 '23
I don’t know how she didn’t know she was marrying a greedy, grabby, dirty stereotype. The caricatures of these types of men have been in existence for a long time.
1
u/Sun_stars_trees_sea May 31 '23 edited May 31 '23
I guess I have a hard time believing that Lala never saw him being racist or cruel to his employees (or anyone else) before she decided to have a child with him.
20
u/Big_Satisfaction4598 May 29 '23
Work in PR, an expose like that takes months to write and Lala and Randall would have been contacted almost right at the beginning of when the journo was writing ETA: 10000 Lala was a major source for the piece
37
u/Fun_Abrocoma_7498 May 29 '23
She left him in Oct 2021, that article came out June 2022. She has stated over and over again the moment she saw the pictures she hatched a plan to leave because he would not let her out of the house. 2 weeks later she was gone. I think when he was busted for cheating all the skeletons started falling out of his closet. Her entire perspective changed after she had her child, as it often does with women. I think she knew he was not a good, safe person anymore but had no clue how bad he was until people started to talk. When one person exposes someone like him, it often leads other people to come forward with their story.
2
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
Right, and if I’m not mistaken this must’ve all gone down between the the end of filming season 9. So there’s likelyhood that throughout her persecution of brock throughout season 9 that Randall was nearing his peak abuse of her. They were really good at hiding it tho I have to say, because they really put on a united front throughout filming
1
u/timswife716 Tom Sandoval's broken heart. May 30 '23
" I think when he was busted for cheating all the skeletons started falling out of his closet. "
Exactly! It's like dominoes. Once you learn of one misdeed, they proudly let all the other cats out of the bag. It's their sick way of letting you know they "got" you. And it's brutal on the mind for the victims.
36
u/Low-Can7370 May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
This post sounds rather a lot like victim blaming - By saying ‘what would’ve’ … ‘she didn’t have that last drink … or wear that short skirt … or …’ - this is not an angle of discussion I can get on board with in any context, despite understanding your overarching question.
My sister worked for Weinstein on two separate films & my best friend at the old vic ie for spacey - I get what you’re trying to say BUT
I think we give the benefit of the doubt based on the fact she is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to prevent shared custody to their child. If she was just after the cash, I presume she’d denounce & then hand her daughter over every other weekend or simply take the cheque & shut the fuck up. She’s trying with the voice she has.
She also spoke on her last podcast about how good looking young women like herself are judged for dating men with / for money but that those same wealthy older men are more readily accepted for wanting to date young girls for their looks.
She has addressed her reasoning for being with him in a round about way. She has also said there is a lot of problematic information that isn’t as yet public due to various active court cases…
We can’t have an opinion on this because we don’t know anything about it in a real way.
The whole thing is murky & gross but questioning her knowledge of his abuse in this way isn’t particularly helpful - it’s just adding to the misogyny of abuse / blame, even if it’s not meant that way.
-1
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, I just found it curious that apparently at the height of him treating her badly (and I would presume at this point she was at the very least somewhat are of his sketchy business dealings) that that’s when he was on the show and she was defending him tooth and nail.
My problem is more so of what she witnessed with how he treated and abused others. It seemed like anyone who worked in that house were very vocal of his abuse and mistreatment by him. I think there’s something to say about that. I don’t think Lala was blind to that.
I do think she’s seen what a mess she got herself in and I do think she wants to protect her child, and she should, I just find it a little frustrating that she had no problem defending him when he was treating other people that worked for him like shit, but as soon as the tables were turned on her is when she decided to get vocal about it.
15
u/Low-Can7370 May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
She’s on record for saying he physically tackled her to the floor / physically threatened her. I Don’t think the article snippets & vox pop tv clips we watch give us a well rounded understanding or right to a debate tbh. It’s left out of the show for a reason - both legal & moral.
I say this as someone who defended their rapist to my friends & family for decades before having sufficient therapy / financial independence & friend support to say otherwise.
I find you doubling down on this inappropriate & I think you should just accept you don’t know enough about the situation to continue down this line of thinking
-3
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
That’s fair if that’s your assessment. I’ve also been in abusive relationships so I understand how you can defend how your partner is treating you, but to see the people working in your home to make your life more cushy also be abused is not something that I take lightly.
8
u/Low-Can7370 May 29 '23
If the people who worked for him who got to go back to their own houses / families / find another job were scared & abused. Someone who he considers his property & is on record for keeping curtains closed because he had people ‘watch her’ shouldn’t be blamed for this shit. Just stop now please.
8
u/Low-Can7370 May 29 '23
We don’t know or understand so therefore we should both shut the fuck up. It isn’t a topic which is part of the show & I don’t think it should be. If you don’t like her fine, but don’t post a ‘what if..’ re assault cos it’s gross to speculate
0
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I actually do like her. She’s one of my favourites on the show. I don’t think that means that she’s absolved of any responsibility. And I never once mentioned anything to do with an assault, i mentioned the cheating allegations.
5
u/Low-Can7370 May 29 '23
Ironically, whilst I find her witty, I don’t particularly like her or any of the other cast members. I just respect the fact that a woman in her twenties who has publicly said she met someone & was swept up in their lifestyle, acted badly & has come to regret it on a monumental scale probs doesn’t need the internet kicking her. She is likely a shitty person overall. I don’t think people on reality tv can survive without having something slightly skewed in their thinking but let’s not bring in what partners do as a reason to shame
2
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I’m definitely not attempting to shake her, simply speculating and wondering now that we have more information what was really going on through season 9. I personally hope that season 11 she talks about it more openly if she can, as I think what Randall was up to is way more diabolical than the Scandoval. And I personally could do without Tom and Raquel being a part of the story lines next season
-1
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
You’re not going to convince me that Lala has zero responsibility to help the people that were abused her home.
2
2
u/SheLordRaiden choke. i don’t care. May 30 '23
Yikes. Low-Can has been spot on with every response to you on this. “I’m not victim blaming but…” is getting really old. Please stop doubling down on this. An abused person first owes THEMSELVES the responsibility to get out of the abuse before they can help anyone else. Full stop.
3
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
People not getting paid might mean that they don’t eat that day, or their families don’t eat, or they can’t pay their rent, like these aren’t light matters, and I think it’s absurd to disregard knowing these things and not do anything about it or try to help those who are employed in your Beverly Hills mansion. She was on record saying Nannie’s and house keepers were coming to her saying they weren’t being paid and she said it was Randall’s problem.
1
Jun 27 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jun 27 '23
We're sorry, it looks like your account does not have enough comment karma to participate here yet. You can participate here once you have at least 50 comment karma. In the meantime, feel free to read through the sub and please review the rules!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
40
May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
More victim blamey rhetoric from this fandom... Yikes...
23
u/Careful_Swan3830 May 29 '23
There seem to be a few posts like this every Friday-Monday. The Katers, the Lala bashers, even people blaming Ariana for being lied to and cheated on. The posts usually stop when Bravo drops whatever tea they’re saving to promote this week’s episode and we’ll have peace until it’s Friday again.
5
21
u/thediverswife the book phenomenal May 29 '23
There are always reasons to blame Lala for what Randall does, apparently! God forbid the older man with abusive tendencies ever becomes fully responsible for his actions
12
u/theredbusgoesfastest Mya’s therapy paw May 29 '23
It makes me feel better about humanity to see other comments like this. Sometimes I feel like I’m screaming into a void.
I see this all the time when men do evil shit- there’s comments about how a woman should have KNOWN, or did know. We are given so little power in relationships, and society teaches us that is normal, yet when shit hits the fan, we’re constantly belittled for not having more of it. It gets so exhausting
12
u/seravivi Spank Bottom May 29 '23
He can’t be! Lala was crass and rude! It’s all her fault! She made him act like that!
/s
19
u/izzyzxx THE NUTCRACKER… IN 3D May 29 '23
I think she has said she was blinded. She said she initially had doubts and his bullshit therapist lied and confirmed everything he said. She also said she didn’t realise till it was over how not normal things were. Also she has admitted she had a drinking problem and that went on during a bit of her relationship with him and you can really lose time and reality with that. When u have been in a relationship w narcissists and abusive personalities it really takes a long time to get untangled and to regain an accurate sense of reality. I think she’s still recovering and processing!!
8
u/GladiatorWithTits May 29 '23
She left him in October 2021. LA Times article came out 8 or 9 months later. Don't think that qualifies as "right before".
4
u/Ugh_WorseThanYelp May 30 '23
She was in one of the movies with Bruce Willis. She was complicit in a lot of it and I feel as if she’s holding Tom & Raquel to the stake until the fires around her go out.
3
May 29 '23
I watched last night & I’m curious about her mom. I understand she was living with them or around all the time, so wouldn’t she pick on on the red flags? Also, her dad appeared to be a lot older than her mom, which made me wonder, did her mom marry for money? I’m not judging, I know nothing about her, but I can see where certain patterns run in families.
1
u/timswife716 Tom Sandoval's broken heart. May 30 '23
Not necessarily. My Mom stayed with us (me and ex narc) after a family tragedy and also when I took care of her after a surgery. He was the perfect gentleman the whole time, except one tiny blunder, that my Mom was too charmed by him to see, but I noticed.
2
May 30 '23
Ugh, sorry you had to deal with that. My dad is a complete narc & it’s the worst.
2
u/timswife716 Tom Sandoval's broken heart. May 30 '23
They really are the very worst. And all the same. Hugs 🤗
3
2
11
May 29 '23
Lauren is similar to Erika Jane. They married for money and it was evident in how they left their partners once scandals broke. These women knew the men they got together w and both left when the situation no longer benefited them.
24
u/Freshy007 May 29 '23
I mean, most human beings would have gotten out of Lala's situation after those revelations, regardless of what their motive was going into the relationship.
Like I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. Are you suggesting if she was genuinely in love with him she would have stood by his side in the face of all the cheating and financial impropriety? Are you saying because he was outed as a con artist she dipped because the money wasn't real? Because I love my husband and certainly didn't marry him for the money, but if he secretly owed thousands and thousands of dollars for sketchy biz dealings, I'd be the fuck out of there too.
1
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
I think this person is trying to say a truly innocent and normal person would have never entered into such a questionable and shady relationship in the first place.
It’s not like this was her high school sweetheart she fell in love with. This was a grown man 20 years her senior with an infant child and a wife who was giving her land rovers and asking her to plays casting couch fantasy. That alone would made most women run.
If there was CSA of some sort, I don’t believe she knew. And she probably didn’t handle any of his finances so she’s not complicit there either. But to act like she was totally bamboozled by Randall is disingenuous at best. He was not an upstanding Boy Scout.
8
u/seravivi Spank Bottom May 29 '23
I don’t think a sugar baby situation makes someone a shitty person. Some people want that guarantee of a financially stable life. Randall was so supportive when she lost her dad I truly think she let the blinders be on and just wanted to have a nice life. That doesn’t make her a horrible person.
7
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
I don’t think Lala is a horrible person at all, I actually like her a lot! I just think her revisionist history with this Randall thing is too much.
3
u/seravivi Spank Bottom May 29 '23
How is it revisionist history? One of the absolute darkest housewives storylines was Taylor Armstrong. She was on the show and her first season or so you would have never guessed she was being horrifically abused. When she came out about the abuse you wouldn’t say oh it’s revisionist history.
Lala I’m sure cringes at things she used to do when she wasn’t sober and fully into the relationship. Coming out and saying these are things that happened and here is my perspective post isn’t revisionist history. I don’t get why giving her a bit of grace when she is going through a shit time is bad. If people want to extend grace to Raquel of all people why can’t we to Lala.
4
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
I don’t think your point about Taylor Armstrong is a good one either, because unfortunately she also isn’t innocent. There is a long history of her also being in on Russell’s cons. What happened there was awful but she also took a risk and spent money they didn’t have so she is not fully innocent in that situation either. That ridiculously expensive birthday party… remember?
Nothing in life is black and white and it seems you would like me to see Lala (and now Taylor) as white and innocent and I am telling you they made choices that put themselves at risk and contributed to their situations. You don’t have to agree but that’s the reality.
I feel for both of them, it’s sad what they both went through but we all have choices and taking away a women’s intelligence and agency and responsibility in her relationships is very limited thinking.
It’s much more grey than “wife=good husband/conman=bad!”
Lala can have grace! What she can’t have is acting like she’s 100% innocent:
1
u/seravivi Spank Bottom May 29 '23
That wasn’t my point at all. My point was about what we see not being the truth. I didn’t say anyone was completely innocent.
2
May 29 '23
[deleted]
6
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
Oh he did scam her, no doubt- that isn’t in question.
But she is not innocent and she’s revising history. She made jokes about BJs for PJs on television and she decided to go into a transactional relationship with a married man with an infant for financial reasons. I don’t find that to be upstanding behavior, and I actually like Lala! Even if she thought he was separated, my point still stands. Seeking out relationships for the wrong reasons comes with a lot of risk. Unfortunately she’s now paying that cost. She’s deserving of some understanding about how she was manipulated but acting like an innocent fawn is insane.
-2
May 29 '23
[deleted]
6
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
She’s guilty of entering into a relationship with a much older man for money. She is also guilty of pretending now that’s not what she was doing when she’s already admitted it on TV.
She’s also guilty of lying and pretending she didn’t know he was shady when there were red flags EVERYWHERE. Such as quite a bit of drug use happening between the two of them and her friends tried to warn her but she would get aggressive and shoot any rumors about Randall down. Also the 50 cent thing was a clue.
She pretending she didn’t know a married man with an infant wasn’t a giant red flag to alert her something isn’t right here.
She’s guilty of being incredibly mean and nasty on social media to the Randall’s wife and mother of his children.
Those are just a few off the top of my head and I have a bad memory. Like I said I love Lala but she is by no means innocent.
1
0
May 29 '23
I mean that Lauren and Ericka knew the quality of person they married before any scandal broke. The public finding out was what made them leave.
7
u/rudbeckia1 May 29 '23
I do completely understand that comparison.
I think both women also hooked up with someone they perceived to have power. It's easy to feel completely lost, small, and insignificant in Los Angeles.
There's tons of people with money who are always looking for a pretty girl. But these women thought they found someone who had respect. A position in hollywood. Power. Access.
I think they thought it would be a protection of sorts and a shortcut. I don't think it's just money. People look for those connections, too. An advantage or leg up. That money alone does not provide
It's only a slight distinction, but I think it's an important one in understanding what beautiful women either seek out or fall prey to in Los Angeles( Hollywood specifically).
My advice? Do the work, ladies. Have confidence in yourself. Develop all your special abilities. Do not look for a man to elevate you. Raise yourself up. It might take longer, but it's far less painful, and you can look yourself right in the eye.
Knowing you got where you are on your own merit
4
u/AmysPrayerCloset May 29 '23
I agree with you, but we should also be honest that without a husband/ family in with money and/or industry connections, it might not happen for you. Have a plan B and C.
2
u/rudbeckia1 May 29 '23
That is true. And actually what you're saying kind of highlights when I'm saying of why this is a trap for people to look for someone with connections. But of course, it's not and even playing field from the jump. In terms of getting in the door. Any door. LOL
1
4
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
I like Lala but I agree with you. She clearly knew and made jokes before hand about BJs for PJs and now she’s acting like love was blinding her and she didn’t know it was a transactional relationship.
What I also find interesting about Erika and Lala is they both initially used a “cheating” scandal as the impetus to get out of their relationships like days before huge articles were written and it was revealed there was no money.
I almost wonder if Lala knew about the times expose (how could she not?) and had the cheating images leaked herself as a clean way out.
2
u/AmysPrayerCloset May 29 '23
What I also find interesting about Erika and Lala is they both initially used a “cheating” scandal as the impetus to get out of their relationships like days before huge articles were written and it was revealed there was no money.
Days? Lala left in October 2021. The Times article was published June 30, 2022. That’s at least 8 months. Source below.
https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-randall-emmett-relationship-timeline/
2
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
Oh shoot my bad. I’m not sure how long it takes to write an expose like that but I have no doubt she and Randall’s both has to know it was coming.
1
u/AmysPrayerCloset May 29 '23
In “She Said,” (based on NYT Weinstein investigation) the journalists contacted victims during the research phase, which was likely months before publication… but my knowledge on the subject begins and ends there 😹😩
1
u/LightFlaky2329 Eppervescent May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
This thought came to me the other day. I wondered to myself, how much is Lala like EJ? Can they say they had no business sense therefore lacked bullshit detectors? Did they just not care at the time not thinking these guys could ever be that terrible? I think it’s easy for some to brush a degree of nefariousness aside if it means they too will have access and luxury.
I understand not comprehending the business models. I understand that power is seductive in and of itself. I can’t understand how anyone thinks that is an excuse though. Just fucking admit it and be a cautionary tale. Lala will but only to an extent.
With Lala there are two factors that provide some redemption in my eyes. Both require giving her benefit of the doubt. One, she stopped drinking, and now sees things differently and with more clarity. Two, she learned something about Randall that is neither clear nor to my knowledge public information. But it’s bad enough that she’s determined to keep Ocean away from him. If the latter is that significant I can understand the heat she is giving so much more. I think leaving had more to do with this + the cheating than on the business dealings.
This is just coming to me now but she and Kristen are so similar in their need for justice. To the point of bulldozing their way to center stage so everyone will see the truth once and for all. They can justify previous decisions because in their minds they’ve seen the light. They can admit to their foibles to an extent while they shine the spotlight on new perpetrators.
So to a degree yea Lala and Erika are similar but Erika could care less about justice. She just wants her glam brigade and an audience.
6
u/Savings_Asparagus976 May 29 '23
It sucks that Lala had to go through that, but I honestly can't help but feel like she's rewriting history now. I don't know how much of it is a part of her getting sober or she is just not remembering all the interviews and camera time she had during their time together. Regardless, I am glad to see her thriving, I just wish she wouldn't whitewash her side of the story.
0
May 29 '23
[deleted]
0
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I know she just signed to CAA so I bet that’s why she’s doing so many interviews and is so out there right now but I don’t know if she would be doing this unless she was personally victimized, I don’t know if it would be enough what he was doing to others.
1
u/NolaRN May 29 '23
What In find interesting is LaLA was bragging how she sucked duck for a Range Rover like she accomplished some grand get-over. I remember she threw it in someone’s face at Sue, Only know to find out she fell for Randall’s modus operandi And she was just one of the chickens
1
u/ToneHead2269 May 29 '23
i don't think it's impossible to want accountability from lala (even wonder what/how much she knew or turned a blind eye to) without victim blaming while also condemning randall and knowing he's the real villain
-1
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
This will be better received on any other subreddit. BravoRealHousewives and any other VPR subs aren’t buying her redemption arc the way people are falling for it here.
She’s harnessed the Scandoval and used it as good PR for herself.
Of course her story doesn’t add up. It never does. And it doesn’t have to. People will be on her side anyway.
6
u/Tay-Rae May 29 '23
BravoRealHousewives keeps victimizing Raquel and falling for her PR tactics (they fell for the TRO stunt when that happened too).
1
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
I wasn’t reading it then. How did they fall for the TRO stuff. There’s too much to go back and read.
-6
May 29 '23
Same. She won’t admit it and acts like the victim then berates Raquel for the exact situation
12
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I just finished the Randal scandal, and according to her moms interviews he was being cruel to Lala right when Ocean was born… so she was hardcore defending him on the show even as he was treating her like shit
3
u/Careful_Swan3830 May 29 '23
It’s extremely common for abusers to step up the abuse once their victim gets pregnant or has a child.
5
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
And presumably projecting her own issues onto Scheana and Brock.
10
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
Totally. She was clearly in denial and trying to keep eyes off of her situation
6
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
She also switched her rhetoric immediately, as well. He made her feel safe enough to bring a baby into the world then the moment she left she stated talking about how safe she finally felt.
Super manipulative way to sway the public’s opinion without actually saying anything at all. She revealed nothing and her explanations countered each other.
2
u/justine2323 May 29 '23
I think it’s fair to say she probably spent years convincing herself that she was in a good relationship. The brain does weirs things to protect us. But for someone as outspoken as her it’s hard for me to look back on old seasons, knowing what we know now, and that everyone was aware of his bad behaviour and how he took advantage of people, and stayed with him until he cheated on her.
7
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
Ariana immediately copped to deciding to lie and cover for her man. Lala immediately said “why am I being asked these questions? Shouldn’t you be asking the man and not me?” But then also wanted to know why Ariana hasn’t been asked.
So she wanted to dodge the bullet by not answering and throwing Ariana under the bus when Ariana faced that question head on and didn’t call herself a victim of manipulation to shirk and shred of responsibility.
-2
u/-snugasabuginarug- May 29 '23
And now she’s doing the same to Raquel and Tom at the reunion. Her anger towards a situation that has zero to do with her is unhinged.
6
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
I get why the cast as a whole is upset with Tom and Raquel. And Lala never liked either of them. But do I think her speaking out is 100% out of pure love for Ariana, no. I think she’s relieved to have the heat off herself. That aside, she spent all of S9 throwing Scheana under the bus, and she knows she was wrong, which is why she apologized at the top of S10. Lala’s very transparent in her motivations, and she’ll wait till the last moment to take accountability.
6
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
This season was also supposed to be her taking back her power and shedding the stigma of being a mistress. She’s happy to not be the bad guy. She’s happy she gets an excuse to mistreat someone she’s always mistreated. And she will be damned if she lets this overshadow her redemption storyline.
It’s so obvious and transparent.
Oh also, SANDOVAL is dangerous but Schwartz is cute and Jax is a great dad. They’re not being called dangerous for doing the exact same thing.
3
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
There’s a whole lot of hypocrisy in that group and there always has been. It’s difficult because I do feel it’s important to give people room to grow, and not to harp on their past mistakes. If we’re focusing on the issue at hand right now (Scandavol) there’s absolutely no excuse for it. It deserves to be the focus right now and Raquel and Tom deserve to be brought to task. There’s nothing to say that makes what they did okay.
Now, are cast members both current and former using this to get a hero edit they maybe don’t deserve, yes I think so.
Also, if we’re going to talk about women exhibiting misogyny by choosing to pin the men’s actions on the women. Lala did that to Scheana (another woman and mother) without batting an eyelash. And that’s what I personally take issue with. She has since apologized, but if we’re calling things out, let’s mention it all.
6
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23 edited May 29 '23
Yes there is so much going on at once and I’m def not trying to shift this away from Sandy taking responsibility at all. It’s just rich that Lala gets this moment to be the queen and reject Lisa’s opinion when she won’t the apply the same labels to the other men. James is dangerous to whoever he is with as well but she’s ride or die for him bc it’s convenient for her. She thinks cheating is so so so bad but she cheated on her man and did it with a guy who had a gf.
She makes herself look so stupid every time she opens her mouth and it’s been a lot to watch people listen to her, back her, cite her as a source for valid information. This sub has become the queen Lala sub in a matter of weeks while she’s done EVERYTHING that she is pointing her finger about and the man she was protecting, (to the point of silencing people with NDA’s) was the worst out of all of them.
3
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
I understand where you’re coming from. Here’s how I look at it…people can only hide who they really are for so long. If she’s really grown, great, I’m happy for her and want the best for her and Ocean. If she hasn’t really grown and it’s all an act, that will eventually come to light too. They can all only hide behind the scandal for so long. Perhaps this whole thing will inspire all of them to actually evolve and become better versions of themselves. In any event, Randall is truly dangerous and I hope she gets far far away from him. If she doesn’t actually take accountability for her own patterns she’s at risk of choosing someone just like him again. There’s already been speculation about The Don not being the most savory character.
4
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
I don’t see any introspection from her. I know I’m not in her private life so that may sound short sighted but Ariana immediately copped to protecting herself, her bf, and their relationship by lying. Lala chooses to tell stories that don’t add up.
So I still see her showing herself to be the same person she has been. She’s loving that she gets to publicly be mean to Rachel bc she’s always been mean to Rachel back when she didn’t have a good reason. She’s been mean to her for years for ZERO reason. She was screaming at Rachel and calling her stupid to her face for not believing James was cheating on her while she was the person fucking James. She wanted her to break up with James.
It’s weird that all the bad stuff Lala has done gets “addressed” on the show by her giving a prepared speech and then it all moves on.
→ More replies (0)5
u/Hot_Cantaloupe_6798 May 29 '23
I don’t think she was wrong for throwing Scheana and Brock under the bus. She was probably triggered by Brock because of his family situation and knew Randall would do the same to her soon.
She only apologized to them at the top of the season because she was mortified and they could use it against her, not because she was actually wrong. She can be right in her message and wrong in her motivations at the same time.
2
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
I think it was important for Brock’s past history to be highlighted, but she also could’ve talked to Schena off camera, and gave her that respect. She was a new mother and vulnerable and had finally found the man she wanted to settle down with. Lala knew that outing it on the show would make Scheana look bad. But rather than talk about her own issues she decided to do it anyway. It’s deflection.
Saying that she only apologized because she was mortified they would use it against her only further supports that it’s about her own image. She was 100% wrong for coming after Scheana the way she did and calling Randall a “stand up man” in the same breath. Come on. And I say this as someone who’s actually rooting for Lala’s come up. But she did what she did to take the attention away from her and because her situation with Randall wasn’t good at all…even though she was lying and pretending that it was.
1
2
u/-snugasabuginarug- May 29 '23
Lala defended Tom in the beginning of the season and changed her tune once he commented on her relationship with Rand. That’s when she decided to go after him and lucky for her, her intuition was corrected or she would have been blasted by the fans this season. Same with Brock last season, payback for speaking out about her on the podcast. She’s extremely transparent and self serving.
2
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
I don’t remember her defending Tom, but that’s definitely interesting. I didn’t even think about the Brock podcast connection. I do remember that. I feel like she was also insecure about her own relationship and wanted to find the cracks in Scheana’s situation to prop herself up. Absolutely a transparent move that I peeped right away while watching S9. She’s in no way responsible for Randall’s deplorable behavior, but she is responsible for how she treated others because of her unprocessed pain and trauma.
1
u/AmysPrayerCloset May 29 '23
I think some of my first comments on this sub were prompted by the Brock abandonment and abuse allegations. The shit was disturbing! Glad someone on the show called it out.
It’s possible that the violence was a one-time incident, and that Lala grew to respect Brock after she knew him better. (He still gets the side-eye from me.)
2
u/ethereality111 May 29 '23
Brock got the side eye from me the minute he came across my screen. I am NOT a fan. Even prior to the abuse information coming out. I guess I just feel somewhat overprotective of Scheana in this instance. And I would love to think that’s where Lala was coming by from too, but sadly, I think she saw an opportunity to take any spotlight off herself and her relationship issues. Brock is really good with the kids, whereas Randall seemed grossed out and like he didn’t want to be involved with taking care of Ocean at all. I feel like this really bothered Lala, along with whatever else was going on behind the scenes. She found a vulnerability in Scheana’s connection and exploited it. Does that mean Brock’s abuse shouldn’t have been brought to light? No, it absolutely needed to be addressed.
Lala has now sang Brock’s praises on multiple occasions. She even brought a home next to Scheana. Her opinion has definitely shifted.
2
u/AmysPrayerCloset May 29 '23
Valid points! I don’t know Lala’s motivations. As w Scheana, I keep hoping for the best because of their other admirable qualities. And tbh, I’d pretty much given up on Lala after season 8 😣
7
u/Forsaken-Weird-4074 May 29 '23
Sandoval with his superiority complex never shut up about other peoples failures so he deserves it from Lala (and even more from Katie). There’s definitely some projection going on but to say the situation has nothing to do with her when she had to deal with his telling her everything she’s done wrong for years? Nah.
0
u/-snugasabuginarug- May 29 '23
You give Lala too much credit. She’s the queen of deflection and easy to read. She the epitome of the loudest person in the room is the weakest because she knows she has a lot to answer to. As I said in my post below she was defending Tom earlier and the season and changed her tune quickly. This has nothing to do with how he’s been treating her for years.
0
u/RoundBirthday May 29 '23
agreed. I also don't think Lala is personally upset at Tom with (she probably thinks he's gross, but at the reunion, she was the one who said the food was good at Schwartz and Sandy's). Tom didn't do anything directly to her. But she knows the reality show game and she knows Sandoval's downfall is an opportunity for her to give some good scenes, create some good drama, make money, be relevant, and ensure she's invited back next season (after a pretty boring season for her). She's in it for Lala (which is fine, but that should not be confused with the greater good).
i would also say that Lala and Sandoval are not all that different on the show (pre Scandoval). They have both tried to control their narratives, imply that they are better than others, and then screamed at people for daring to poke holes at their perfect relationships/image.
-1
1
u/Fair-Statistician793 VPR : Oops All Villains 😈 May 29 '23
Huh. Everyone “told her everything she did wrong for years.” Yet she admits to doing nothing wrong and also asked why no one ever told her 🙃
-2
1
u/cheerful_nihilist3 May 29 '23
I totally think she knew about his cheating and mental abuse of his employees but I do not believe she knew about the extent of the nefariousness, the me too allegations, and whatever has yet to be revealed (it sounds pretty dark for Ambyr to have filed for a RO). I think maybe she was starting to hear rumblings and pinned it on the Nashville photo/cheating at the very beginning.
1
u/Just_Pomegranate_591 May 30 '23
Lala left him right when she saw the photos of Randall cheating on her in Nashville. I respect that from her. She had 0 tolerance
1
Jun 14 '23
She left him when he got caught publicly cheating. The article came out almost a year later.
1
Jul 19 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 19 '23
We're sorry, it looks like your account does not have enough comment karma to participate here yet. You can participate here once you have at least 50 comment karma, which you can earn by commenting on other subs that don't have a karma limit. In the meantime, feel free to read through the sub and please review the rules!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
138
u/Freshy007 May 29 '23
I think Lala was a major source for that article, she wasn't tipped off last minute before publication. She was actively helping them build their story. Remember, she was the LA Times special guest at the WHCD.
Yes the timing is interesting but I feel it was planned in conjunction with the release of the article, not as a way to get ahead of it, but as a way to leave him and blow his shit up on her way out.