Amanda Batula’s Self-Care Routine Involves “Avoiding & Ignoring”

Amanda Batula has been a Summer House mainstay since Season 2 aired in 2018. Over the past eight summers, Bravo fans have seen her through plenty — heated arguments, friendship fallouts, and her September 2021 wedding to Kyle Cooke — and they’ve been quick to share their opinions.

“Being on reality TV is the greatest way to learn about yourself,” Batula, 33, says. “You can go through life thinking that you're right about everything, but the Bravo fandom definitely puts you in your place.”

But having spent so much time in the spotlight, Batula is no longer fazed by the commentary. “For the first time this season, what audiences are saying doesn’t weigh on me as much,” she says of Season 9, which is currently airing. “Nine years into this, I'm like, ‘As long as people are entertained, it is what it is.’ It’s better to stay quiet when you hear a rumor about yourself.”

The New Jersey native is less hands-off when it comes to gossip about her friends and co-stars. After fans started speculating that Paige DeSorbo cheated on Craig Conover, Batula was quick to jump to her defense. “Paige is one of my best friends. She has been there for me through everything. The least I could do was defend her name and her character because her ex-boyfriend wasn't doing that,” she says. “I’m glad I could be there to clarify, ‘This did not happen.’ Someone had to do it.”

Between defending her friends, leading creative and branding for Loverboy (Cooke’s sparkling hard tea company), and launching her own swimwear brand, Batula’s schedule is full these days.

When things get extra hectic, her favorite way to decompress is spending time with her two “velcro dogs,” Reese and Ryder. “They're always by my side doing whatever I'm doing. Even in the bathroom, they’re there — sometimes sitting on my lap,” says Batula, who partnered with Wellness WHIMZEES to promote pet dental health. “When I’m brushing my teeth at night, they’re on the bath mats eating their WHIMZEES bones.”

Here, Batula discusses her favorite Summer House moments, her warm-weather essentials, and the type of partner she hopes castmates DeSorbo and Ciara Miller will date next.

Elite Daily: Do you have a self-care routine for when you’re watching episodes?

Amanda Batula: I used to crave rosé when I’d watch myself drink rosé. Now, I don't even watch the show live. We get the episode two days before, I quickly watch it, and then I'm like, “Out of sight, out of mind.” My favorite part of the show is filming it and spending the summer with my friends. It's the airing part that causes more anxiety and stress. So my self-care is avoiding and ignoring.

ED: What else are you currently watching on TV?

AB: Oh my gosh, everything: Paradise, Severance, White Lotus. I love doctor shows, too. I just started watching The Pit and Doc. It’s like Grey's Anatomy, but in a different way, and I'm addicted.

ED: You and the cast have a group chat going. What’s the vibe in there like?

AB: One is the whole cast, and it feels very business-y. It's a lot of “happy birthday” or messages like, "Hey guys, come to this event." The smaller chats are more gossipy and fun.

EB: Do you send each other memes?

AB: I think West [Wilson] may be the only one that sends memes.

ED: What’s your favorite viral moment that’s come from the show?

AB: The one that haunts me to this day is “Summer should be fun.” I agree — summer should be fun. It’s the sentence that follows it that I don’t like. But in hindsight, that may be one of my favorite lines because we've been able to create merch and profit off a very sad moment.

ED: What’s the biggest misconception people have about you and your castmates?

AB: People don't realize how hard we actually work. They think we’re just living off of Summer House money, which is not the case. Everyone is working their a**es off during the week, and we’re going to the Hamptons to let our hair down for two months out of the whole year.

ED: You recently shared you got a DM from Rihanna and didn’t reply for a year — have any other celebs slid into your DMs?

AB: No one as big as Rihanna. That one literally just stopped me in my tracks.

ED: You are friendly with Reneé Rapp, too. What’s that like?

AB: I'm a huge fan of hers, and we have the same makeup artist. We've met a few times. She is so awesome. With her, what you see is what you get, and I really respect that.

ED: Besides good swimwear, what does your summer packing list look like?

AB: Denim shorts, a lot of T-shirts, and sweats. If I was at the Jersey Shore instead of the Hamptons filming, I'd be dressing super casual.

ED: You, Paige, and Ciara are all really close on the show. If you could manifest their future partners for them, who would you pick?

AB: For Ciara, I want someone who isn’t on social media. Really, for both of them, I want someone who supports what they do but isn't fazed by it. No one on reality TV, not even an actor. I want them to be in a different field. Ciara and Paige both make their own money, but they don't need to be the breadwinners. I just want them to be with the wealthy men they deserve.

ED: Whose storyline this season will be the most surprising for fans to see?

AB: I feel like the craziest thing has already happened, which is how quickly Jesse [Solomon] and Lexi [Wood] started essentially dating. This summer I was constantly like, “What is going on?” Watching that unfold is going to be really fun.

ED: What’s one word you’d use to sum up this season?

AB: Family.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.