Amanda Batula has offered new insights into the intimacy issues that impacted her marriage to Kyle Cooke, stating that their sex life had significantly diminished years prior to their split. The "Summer House" stars discussed the challenges in their relationship during the "In the City" reunion.
Batula indicated that issues with emotional intimacy preceded their 2021 wedding, revealing that conversations about sex were part of couples' therapy before they married. She also attributed a decline in physical intimacy to her own struggles with depression.
"I wasn’t getting courted," Batula stated, according to People. "There were no dates."
She further explained the dynamic, saying, "He would work all day, work all night, then come to bed, tell me an email and then try to have sex with me. It felt like there was no foreplay. There was no emotional intimacy. There was no conversation. There was nothing else happening in the relationship."
Batula described feeling like "an object at that point," adding, "Then the depression hit also, and then it was just an unfortunate storm. Then he would still go out. He would still do these things. We get into big fights."
Cooke acknowledged that his intense focus on building a future for his family came at the expense of his marriage. "One of my issues, like every single thing we ever did, was only because I arranged it. So, like every date we ever went on, trip, getaway, I’m putting in the hours now or then, so we can provide for a family later," he told host Andy Cohen.
Batula argued that Cooke's explanation reinforced her feeling of being "put on the back burner." She claimed, "It takes a toll on our romantic and intimate relationship."
She recounted, "Your solution was for me to read a book on how to date an entrepreneur, and I wanted you to take me on a date. So like you’re literally saying exactly what I’m saying is that you worked really hard for our future, but it did have an effect on our marriage and our relationship."
Batula and Cooke announced their separation in January, after approximately four years of marriage. The couple first met while filming "Summer House" in 2015. By March, Batula confirmed she was dating "Summer House" co-star West Wilson.