The newest Bravo spinoff, The Valley, has surprised fans after the series premiere turned out to be decent and not a total train wreck like most of us were thinking. Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute are all back for round two after taking leave from Vanderpump Rules to get their lives together. The group of friends have decided to leave their party life behind and make their way to the quieter suburbs of California, where they plan on raising their family. Along with the OGs are a new couple, Jesse Lally and Michelle Lally.
The season premiere showed the couple not exactly on the same page. Firstly, Jesse acted like an ass as he insulted Lala Kent about being a mistress, though she took it in stride and just walked away. He then openly talked about his marital problem with Jax by the pool, which we all know is never a good move because the Bravo villain will blab it to everyone. Michelle seems like the more down-to-earth parent who also gives their child real-life consequences. Jesse and Michelle seem to be in an uphill battle, but will they survive The Valley?
Welcome Michelle
Upon first meeting Michelle, fans can already tell she is starving for attention as her husband notes that he doesn’t need to see her every day because they already work together. His phone background is the dog and their daughter, so it is pretty clear she knows she is in a losing battle. According to the family website, Michelle was born and raised in Beverly Hills, which makes me wonder if she went to school with some of the Shahs of Sunset stars. Her entire extended family is passionate about business, and all of them are entrepreneurs.
The mother of one attended California State University San Marcos, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance. Later in life, Michelle worked as an assistant for a successful mortgage lender. This job only deepened “her passion to pursue a career in real estate.” During her first working year in real estate, she won the Rookie of the Year award for closing 19 properties. During the new season, fans will also be able to see some of the amazing properties Michelle shows.
Welcome Jesse
Jesse gives me “used car salesman vibes,” but he loves the hustle. Jesse has been good friends with Jax since their modeling days in New York City as Ford Models. The duo were also roommates in the Big Apple before Jax moved to Florida. Jesse is also a thriving real estate agent with one of his passions being the game of golf. Jesse is originally from the East Coast, Boston, to be exact, where he studied at Norwich University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. It was there he studied physics and mathematics. Jesse also studied abroad at the London School of Economics and Political Science via his LinkedIn page.
Hello, goodbye
The couple are married real-estate agents and Hollywood holdouts who refuse to move to The Valley. They live only a few blocks north of Sunset Boulevard and two miles from the back alley of SUR. The power couple and their team sell the top 1% of the 1%, which includes being extremely picky about their clientele. Together, they have a three-year-old daughter who is clearly their world. Jesse and Michelle have been together the longest. The couple became engaged in November 2017 while at the Ritz in Paris and said “I do” in October 2018.
Sadly, the season premiere of The Valley already showed the two in a bit of distress. Shortly before the premiere, news broke that they had decided to separate. The couple has not further addressed the announcement but agreed that it was time for a break after six years of marriage. The couple had their first child during the worldwide pandemic, so I can imagine how hard it was to shelter in place with a newborn and not get on one another’s nerves. If I’m being honest, Jesse seems a little too rough around the edges for Michelle, but I am sure we will see it all play out this season.
TELL US – ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW JESSE AND MICHELLE MORE ON THE VALLEY?
