‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star James Kennedy Discusses Past Regrets: ‘I Am More Mature Now’
James Kennedy first joined the cast of Vanderpump Rules as a guest during season 2. It didn’t take long before he gained a significant role on the show thanks to his many antics and scandalous behaviors. Looking back, however, James is not embarrassed by his past.
James Kennedy has been involved in a lot of drama
When James first appeared on Vanderpump Rules, he was a busser who had started dating main cast member Kristen Doute. They had a very tumultuous relationship and even got into a violent confrontation with one another.
After the pair broke up, James remained on the show. He quickly became a controversial cast member because of how often he got into fights with other people. For example, he and Jax Taylor had a feud for several seasons. James also got on Katie Maloney’s bad side when he made rude comments about her body. Additionally, Lisa Vanderpump even had to fire him from Sur because of the way he was acting.
A lot of James’ antics are linked to his alcohol consumption—something that is often addressed on Vanderpump Rules. In 2019, James tried to embark on a sobriety journey and successfully stayed away from alcohol for over two years. However, there are concerns that he has started drinking again, and it’s not clear what this means for him going forward.
James Kennedy says he is ‘more mature’ now that he is in his 30s
On a recent visit to Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen talked to James about the possibility of his current girlfriend Ally Lewber’s mother watching Vanderpump Rules.
“I met Ally’s mom at BravoCon,” Cohen said. “It was lovely to meet her. I gave her a little advice … I asked her if she had ever seen Vanderpump Rules and she said she hadn’t. I said, ‘I think maybe you should watch the show.’” Lewber, who was in the audience, shared that although her mom had yet to see the show, she had seen “clips.”
Despite the fact that the show’s past seasons do not paint James in a positive light, he admitted that it does not concern him. “You know, I’m not mad at you, Andy, and I’ll tell you why,” James explained.
“I love Ally so much and her family so much. And I do believe that in life you can’t change the past and who you were. You just grow from it. So she is more than welcome to see who I used to be in my young 20s—living my best life, rockstar status. It’s okay, it’s all right. I’m more mature nowadays.”
James Kennedy can see himself ‘going the distance’ with Ally Lewber
Related: ‘Vanderpump Rules’: Lala Kent Shares Update on How She Feels About James Kennedy
In March 2022, James shared that he had been dating Ally Lewber. The news came just months after he and ex-fiancée Raquel Leviss called it quits. “We’re really, truly best friends, and I really do see it going the distance,” James told Us Weekly in July 2022 of his relationship with Lewber.
On the season 10 premiere of Vanderpump Rules in February 2023, James introduced his relationship on the show for the first time.
“I met Ally about five or six weeks after Raquel and I broke up. A lot of people would say that’s really soon, but you can’t put a f***ing date on love,” he said. “I’m not even that guy that would just get a girlfriend for the f*** of it. Unless I’m f***ing obsessed and I need that a** in my bed every time I wake up.”
