Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
Lala Kent doesn’t have any regrets when it comes to lashing out at Ariana Madix for her refusal to film with Tom Sandoval for the Vanderpump Rules season 11 finale.
As she also dished on her new Amazon series, spoke of her pregnancy, and gushed over her three-year-old daughter Ocean, Lala, 33, explained why she prefers parenting solo and looked back on her feud with Ariana, 39, who she suggested thought she was “God” post-Scandoval.
“I’ve always been a pretty intense person and I’ve always been protective, but the moment you have a kid? You turn into a warrior,” Lala told Parents on August 5. “Anyone who comes in and tries to threaten the wellbeing of your children and how you provide for them is not going to be taken kindly. I stand by what I said at that reunion. I was deeply offended because no one was going to come in and take food off of my table. I’m a mama bear and anyone who doesn’t understand that? Not my problem.”
Following the airing of season 11, the series was put on “pause,” which Lala was happy about.
“Having time off from Vanderpump Rules was just meant to be—this pregnancy has not been easy. Being able to take the summer to just really enjoy and take care of myself has been God-sent time,” she explained, adding that she would’ve taken on a lesser role if filming had already begun.
“Just physically, I’m not on my ‘A game,’” she confessed. “I’ve had moments of ‘Oh wow, I cannot breathe.’ I’m a fragile person, so what may take me out, other people may be like, ‘Oh girl, that’s easy.’ But my pain tolerance is not great, and I’ve been enjoying not doing much.”
As for whether her second child will appear in the upcoming 12th season, Lala confirmed she would.
“Baby number two is going to come in without as much heaviness. It’s going to be very light,” Lala said, giving a nod to her messy split from Randall Emmett, 53. “I picked my donor on Vanderpump Rules, so I would have no problem showing her on reality TV if I continue down that path.”
As Pump Rules remains on pause, Lala is opening up her life with daughter Ocean (who is not allowed to appear on Bravo) in a new two-part Amazon Live series, Mama’s Still Got It: Prepping for Baby, on which The Valley star Michelle Lally will appear alongside her.
“Anyone who’s been following my Amazon Lives knows it’s such a positive environment so I feel like it’s the perfect place for me to show off Ocean,” she revealed. “Every pregnancy is different, and I know I’m going to love this baby just as much as I love Ocean. But I think because of what Ocean and I went through when she was so young, and the demise of what I thought was my partnership—I have a very soft spot in my heart for her. Having her pop into my Amazon Lives or talk about her on the Fast Channel brings her to life—while allowing me to protect her.”
Although Lala will be welcoming her baby girl as a single mom, she clarified that she has plenty of help and support from her mother, Lisa Burningham, who lives with her, and her brother, Easton Burningham, who lives nearby.
“After my [breakup], I took inventory of my life, the people in it, and who I want in Ocean’s life—and especially this new baby’s life—for the long haul. I realized there’s such a difference between being alone and being lonely. I looked around and felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude,” she shared.
“You know what I love about my mom? I’m an over-thinker and my mom doesn’t think at all. She just does. So when I talk to her about things, she’s like, ‘I didn’t even think about that, I wouldn’t even worry about it.’ My mom is just such a light,” Lala continued. “She gives great advice and is very grounding—but she allows me to look at life and go, ‘You know what? Life is really freaking amazing. What do I have to complain about, really ever?’ We’re a good balance.”
As she prepares for the arrival of her second child, who is due on September 1, Lala said she’s enjoying her downtime and putting herself first — all while considering baby names for her potential third child and looking forward to watching as daughter Ocean becomes a big sister.
“Ocean’s great at sharing but sharing ‘things’ is different from sharing mom,” she noted. “She’s very excited—she grabs and kisses my belly and talks to the baby. [But] I don’t mess around. These girls better treat each other kindly and know that they’re all they’ve got.”
As for that potential third child, Lala admitted that while she hopes to find a partner eventually, she doesn’t desire a co-parenting relationship.
“Even when I was in my partnership and gave birth to Ocean, I immediately became very territorial and I didn’t want anyone else involved,” she explained. “I wanted to call all the shots. I felt l knew best because I carried this baby for nine months. I know I’m going to find a partner one day, but I don’t want to share children with that partner because single motherhood suits me best.”
In closing, Lala said that when it comes to her decision to parent solo, she hopes her journey will inspire and empower other women.
“If the stereotypical cookie-cutter marriage then children is not something that you crave, and you just want a baby—you can do it,” Lala declared. “I know it feels strange and like you can’t, but that’s just a mental block that we put on ourselves. The mind is a very powerful thing. If it’s powerful enough to tell us we can’t do something, it’s certainly powerful enough to get rid of that and say that we can.”
Mama’s Still Got It: Prepping for Baby premieres on Thursday at 6:30/5:30c on Prime Video and Freevee.
