Kyle Cooke Defends Photo With Amanda Batula at ‘In the City’ Premiere, Says She Didn’t Want to Attend

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Kyle Cooke is hitting back at backlash over him posing for a photo with estranged wife Amanda Batula at the New York City premiere of Bravo’s In the City.

“You guys, yes, Amanda and I took a picture together,” Kyle, 43, said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories early Tuesday, May 19, after the former couple hit the red carpet the night before on Monday, May 18.

The Summer House star continued, “I was just happy that she showed up. She almost didn’t come to a show that she participated in. Shoot me. Shoot me. But don’t call my life, my relationship, my marriage, and my implosion of a marriage, fake.”

“With all due respect, we’re all adults here and we all showed up to a premiere party,” Kyle added. “And, yes, Amanda did not want to come, and I convinced her to come and we took a photo together. Grow the f*** up.”

Kyle and Amanda, 34, announced their separation after four years of marriage in January.

“After much reflection, we have mutually and amicably decided to part ways as a couple,” the couple said in a statement at the time. “We share this with a heavy heart and kindly ask for your grace and support while we focus on our personal growth and healing.”

“It feels ironic to ask for privacy during this time. since we’ve always tried to be open and honest about our relationship, but your kindness and respect will go a long way as we try to navigate our next chapter,” they added.

Amanda sent shockwaves through the Bravo universe in March when she and Summer House costar West Wilson announced that they were seeing one another. West, 31, previously dated Amanda’s best friend, Ciara Miller.

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” West and Amanda wrote in a joint statement in March. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

“We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected,” they continued. “Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

West and Amanda added, “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling,” they concluded. “We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”

News of the romance blindsided the Summer House cast, including Kyle and Ciara.

“Kyle always knew Amanda would eventually move on, but he never imagined it would be with a castmate or anyone within their own circle,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in March. “The idea of her dating a castmate is something he’s really struggled to wrap his head around.”

In the City, a spinoff of Summer House, is set to premiere on Bravo on Tuesday, May 19, following Kyle, Amanda and costar Lindsay Hubbard, as well as several Bravo newcomers, as they navigate life in the Big Apple.