Jenn Fessler and Margaret Josephs walked the red carpet at Vulture’s The Masterminds of Reality TV event last night and used the moment to defend West Wilson after his relationship with Amanda Batula became public. Josephs said Ciara should write the pair a thank-you note. Fessler went further, saying Wilson is impossible not to love and telling fans to give him a break.
“I think he is the cutest, sweetest golden retriever puppy dog. Love him,” Fessler said, adding that Wilson “does not mean any harm” and “didn’t mean it.” Josephs was just as blunt, saying, “Ciara should just thank them. Write them a thank-you note. You know what? Better to know now.”
The comments land amid the latest Bravo fallout around Summer House, after Wilson and Batula said on March 31 that they were in a relationship. They said they wanted to give clarity after growing online speculation and explained they had needed space to process things privately before speaking publicly. They also said their connection grew out of a genuine, long-standing friendship.
Wilson has already acknowledged the strain inside the friend group. On his Show Me Something With Sophie and West podcast, he said he has caused “a lot of damage” and that it is “going to take some time” to get things back in the right direction. He called getting through the reunion “one step” in that process and said the only way to make something like this worth it is to learn from it and be better later.
That leaves the story in a familiar Bravo place: the relationship itself is now public, but the reaction around it is still settling. Fessler’s defense of Wilson makes clear she thinks the online pile-on has gone too far. Wilson, for his part, has already admitted the damage and says repair will not be quick.
