Jesse Lally is clearing the air after his estranged wife, Michelle Lally, claimed he didn’t provide her with financial support after their split.
“I don’t love to talk about [it]. I wish Michelle felt the same way [when it comes to] talking about personal and private financial matters,” Jesse, 43, said during the Monday, May 5, episode of “Reality With the King” podcast. “But I will say — and I’ve said it over and over again — Michelle and I were 50/50 business partners.”
Jesse denied Michelle’s outlook on how their money was split up.
“The real estate business as a whole in L.A. has been very bad for the last few years. But Michelle and I were 50/50 business partners. So if our business was hurting, we both share fault 50/50,” he noted. “In terms of our finances, Michelle had 100 percent access to all of our accounts — from the credit union to the credit cards, the savings accounts, checking accounts.”
According to Jesse, Michelle “had access” to all of their earnings, adding, “If there was spending [issues] and stuff like that, she had just as much of a fault as I did because she had complete control over that. So when she says things like that, it kind of hurts me because there’s no child support or alimony because we were partners in our business and we split our commissions 50/50 and we share custody 50/50.”
The Valley viewers have become very familiar with Michelle, 36, and Jesse’s tumultuous relationship since the show premiered in early 2024. Shortly before it debuted, Us Weekly broke the news that Michelle and Jesse had filed for divorce following their fifth wedding anniversary. The former couple have attempted to coparent their 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, but have struggled to find common ground.
“Michelle has her own experience and I have my own experience. I would never invalidate her. I think people are extremely intelligent where they know that [someone is] trying to create a one-sided narrative. You can see right through that,” Jesse told Us last month about where he stands with Michelle. “Words don’t mean as much as when you see what the camera shows. That’s what you should be hearing. It’s only a one-sided narrative. But she has her experience and that’s how she feels.”
Despite their ups and downs, Jesse clarified that Isabella is their priority, adding, “Whether Michelle and I are in a good place, it doesn’t matter because we’re doing our best with Isabella and she’s super happy.”
Michelle, meanwhile, told Us that coparenting can be “awful” at times.
“But I love my daughter. It’s not funny. But all I can do is smile because I always wish that one day we will get to that place,” she admitted in April. “I don’t know if it will ever happen. That is my hope because I do love my daughter and I want her to see two happy parents. So all I can do is play my role in being positive.”
While offering an update on where they currently stand on Monday, Jesse said they have “moved forward,” adding, “We have a custodial agreement that works for both of us. In terms of that financial stuff, we are this close to being able to move forward with our divorce and be able to create a life as coparents.”