Scheana Shay is (finally) speaking out about James Kennedy’s recent domestic violence arrest, claiming she hopes her former Vanderpump Rules co-star will see the incident as a “rock bottom moment.”
As The Ashley told you earlier this month, James was arrested December 10 for domestic violence against a female he lives with. According to James’ arrest report, a neighbor called 911 and reported that the “female [victim] stated that her boyfriend lifted her up and threw her to the ground.”
On Friday’s episode of her Scheananigans podcast, Scheana answered questions from listeners, most of which she revealed were “on a certain topic”– that topic being James’ recent arrest. Scheana first addressed why she waited to speak out about the incident, telling listeners she was respecting the privacy of James’ girlfriend Ally Lewber.
(While James’ girlfriend, Ally Lewber, has yet to confirm that she was the victim of the alleged attack, she is the only female who lives with James. Ally also posted a statement to social media in the aftermath of James’ arrest, thanking followers for reaching out and checking in on her. Ally and James were also photographed moving some of Ally’s belongings out of their home last week, despite the two reportedly still being together.)
While Scheana said she initially didn’t want to “add to any headlines,” she acknowledged that some people had interpreted her silence as support for James’ behavior, insisting she “absolutely [does] not” support what her former co-star allegedly did.
Scheana said she checks in with Ally often and always has, before going on note how close she was to James’ ex-fiancé, Rachel Leviss, and how she was aware of similar behavior James exhibited in that relationship as well.
“Obviously I was very close with [Rachel] for years,” Scheana said. “And while she always told me that James was never physically abusive, as we all know, abuse isn’t limited to just physical abuse, and ultimately, it led to [Rachel] exiting that relationship.
“I had a lot of empathy for her,” she continued, adding that she “wanted to do anything” she could “to help and give [Rachel] a safe space” after her split from James.
As The Ashley previously reported, both Rachel and James’ ex-girlfriend Kristen Doute made brief statements after the news of James’ arrest broke, though Rachel later took to social media as well to react to the TMZ story in which the incident was called a “misunderstanding.”
“The amount of times I convinced myself that the abuse I endured by James Kennedy Georgiou was a ‘misunderstanding’ is sickening,” she wrote.
Scheana said on her podcast that she hopes James will learn from this recent incident and commit to making necessary changes, rather than focusing on the repercussions of his actions.
“I do hope that James views this as a rock bottom moment and is serious about just committing to a healing plan versus just seeing this is something that’s gonna, like, ruin the world tour or residency or whatever,” she said, noting that James’ DJ career has suffered in light of his recent arrest, as he’s “been taken off of certain shows”– something she said was “a direct consequence to his actions.”
(As The Ashley previously reported, James has seemingly lost the DJ residency in Las Vegas that he had scheduled for January. He was also due to play multiple shows at LIV Nightclub at the Fontainebleau Hotel, but the shows no longer appear on the club’s online calendar. Additionally, the January set James was scheduled to play at Komodo in Dallas also appears to have been canceled, as James removed the event post from his Instagram page and the performance no longer appears on the club’s website.)
Scheana stated on Friday’s podcast episode that James “needs to get help,” not only for his own sake, but for the sake of those around him.
“ … Not just to prevent Ally or some other girl from being subjected to abusive behavior in the future, but to give himself a chance to live life with healthy relationships,” she said. “And I know he wants those things for himself and he needs to give himself the proper tools to deal with his trauma that doesn’t involve projecting it onto others.”
Towards the end of the podcast episode, Scheana acknowledged her husband Brock Davies’ history of domestic violence, assuring listeners that Brock has “learned from his past” and that she hopes James will do the same.
(As fans of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ may remember, Brock revealed in Season 9 that when he was in his twenties, he and his ex-wife– with whom he shares two children– got into an argument and he “slapped her” during the altercation, according to Us Weekly.)
“Thankfully, [Brock’s] not the same person he was and he continues to work on himself,” Scheana said of her husband’s past. “If he was the same person, I wouldn’t have married him. He’s an incredible partner and father.
“He’s made some mistakes but he’s grown,” she continued. “He’s learned from his past. I thought James had, too. Hopefully now he finally will.”
Nearly a week after his arrest, James posted a message to his Instagram Stories, acknowledging that he needs to make changes in his life. In his statement, James told followers he is taking time to focus on his “sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones.”
“ … Navigating challenging moments is not easy, but I am determined to learn, grow, and move forward with the incredible support system around me,” he added.
(Photos: Bravo; Instagram)
