Latest news with #Batula
Refinery29
23-05-2025
- Refinery29
Lia Tabackman
Photo: Jesse Bauer. It's 8:30 on a Tuesday morning at JFK's Terminal 4, and Amanda Batula is between coasts — again. The Summer House star, Loverboy creative, and founder of Amanda Batula Swim is about to catch a flight to L.A., her second of three cross-country trips in less than a month. 'I've been doing an insane amount of traveling,' she says, settling into a couch at the Marshalls Upgrade Lounge, a free pop-up space offering travelers snacks, a beauty bar, and a chic break from airport chaos through Memorial Day weekend. 'I'm actually really surprised with how well I've handled it. Normally I crash after a trip, but I've just been on the move lately.' That momentum is something Batula doesn't take for granted. Not long ago, even routine parts of travel — packing a bag, getting out the door, and making it to the airport — felt paralyzing. 'I'd back out of things, or just lie in bed telling Kyle [Cooke] I couldn't even start packing because I was so overwhelmed.' After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety in 2023, Batula began working with a psychiatrist and taking antidepressant medication. Now, tasks that once felt insurmountable have become manageable, which means Amanda is saying yes to events, trips, and work opportunities that she would have previously passed on. 'I don't get overwhelmed, it doesn't take me a full day to pack. I can throw together a bag. It's just so much easier,' Batula says. Between destination weddings, business opportunities, and influencer engagements, Amanda is a certified frequent flier — which makes her partnership with Marshalls feel especially well-timed. "The most stressful thing about traveling is getting to the airport, getting through security, and then rushing to your gate,' she says. 'It's nice to have a place where you can just come and feel zen, especially if you're like me and don't have access to other [paid] lounges.' In addition to the Upgrade Lounge pop-up, the retailer offers an online shopping hub that features a collection of travel-friendly fashion and lifestyle finds curated by Batula to make packing and on-the-go style feel a little less stressful. The reality star, now in her eighth season of Summer House (Batula joined the cast full time in Season 2), is well-accustomed to splitting her summers between NYC and the Hamptons, and is starting to embrace being a bit more strategic about what she puts in her suitcase. 'Kyle and I are notorious for bringing our whole closet, especially back when I was working corporate,' she says. 'Now I try to stick to a few staples and plan according to the weekend. We'll get a heads up about what the events are and then do a little shopping.' As for sharing clothes with her castmates while filming? 'I'm always willing to share. Paige [DeSorbo] will only pack for the weekend, so she doesn't really have any other options to share, and Ciara [Miller] will always order clothes to the house and if you need an option she'll give it to you.' Batula and I are meeting the day before the Summer House Season 9 finale aired, and naturally I ask about what's next for the series, which typically films from July through August. Bravo fans and cast members alike have been speculating about the show's future, including potential cast shakeups, but Batula doesn't have much to offer in terms of clues. 'There's no news yet… but no news is usually good news,' she says. 'We typically hear from production the week before filming starts, and half the time we get the address to the house the day of. You don't even know what house we're driving out to.' If past seasons are any indication, fans will have to wait until after the reunion episodes, which begin airing next week, for any concrete answers about Season 10. For those in-the-know, the reunion seating chart — and who sits next to host Andy Cohen — can be a subtle signal of who played a central role that season. Batula didn't think much of it going into this year's reunion, which filmed on April 24, until she showed up on set and saw where she'd been placed. "I was told by one of the crew members, 'Oh, Amanda, you're going to like your seat,' thinking that like I was on the end, because that would be somewhere that I'd like to be sat,' Batula laughs. "And when I walked out, like being right next to [Cohen], I was like, I'm either in big trouble and I did something really wrong or I'm being rewarded. I think I was more shocked than everyone else that saw the leak of the seating arrangement. It was crazy. I was not expecting to sit there… but it was great for me. I had a great time." The Upgrade Lounge by Marshalls is open May 21 through May 28 in JFK's Terminal 4. Exclusive amenity kits will be available for visitors while supplies last.
Refinery29
23-05-2025
- Refinery29
Amanda Batula Is Booked, Busy & Not Worried About Summer House Rumors
It's 8:30 on a Tuesday morning at JFK's Terminal 4, and Amanda Batula is between coasts — again. The Summer House star, Loverboy creative, and founder of Amanda Batula Swim is about to catch a flight to L.A., her second of three cross-country trips in less than a month. 'I've been doing an insane amount of traveling,' she says, settling into a couch at the Marshalls Upgrade Lounge, a free pop-up space offering travelers snacks, a beauty bar, and a chic break from airport chaos through Memorial Day weekend. 'I'm actually really surprised with how well I've handled it. Normally I crash after a trip, but I've just been on the move lately.' That momentum is something Batula doesn't take for granted. Not long ago, even routine parts of travel — packing a bag, getting out the door, and making it to the airport — felt paralyzing. 'I'd back out of things, or just lie in bed telling Kyle [Cooke] I couldn't even start packing because I was so overwhelmed.' After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety in 2023, Batula began working with a psychiatrist and taking antidepressant medication. Now, tasks that once felt insurmountable have become manageable, which means Amanda is saying yes to events, trips, and work opportunities that she would have previously passed on. 'I don't get overwhelmed, it doesn't take me a full day to pack. I can throw together a bag. It's just so much easier,' Batula says. Between destination weddings, business opportunities, and influencer engagements, Amanda is a certified frequent flier — which makes her partnership with Marshalls feel especially well-timed. "The most stressful thing about traveling is getting to the airport, getting through security, and then rushing to your gate,' she says. 'It's nice to have a place where you can just come and feel zen, especially if you're like me and don't have access to other [paid] lounges.' In addition to the Upgrade Lounge pop-up, the retailer offers an online shopping hub that features a collection of travel-friendly fashion and lifestyle finds curated by Batula to make packing and on-the-go style feel a little less stressful. The reality star, now in her eighth season of Summer House (Batula joined the cast full time in Season 2), is well-accustomed to splitting her summers between NYC and the Hamptons, and is starting to embrace being a bit more strategic about what she puts in her suitcase. 'Kyle and I are notorious for bringing our whole closet, especially back when I was working corporate,' she says. 'Now I try to stick to a few staples and plan according to the weekend. We'll get a heads up about what the events are and then do a little shopping.' As for sharing clothes with her castmates while filming? 'I'm always willing to share. Paige [DeSorbo] will only pack for the weekend, so she doesn't really have any other options to share, and Ciara [Miller] will always order clothes to the house and if you need an option she'll give it to you.' Batula and I are meeting the day before the Summer House Season 9 finale aired, and naturally I ask about what's next for the series, which typically films from July through August. Bravo fans and cast members alike have been speculating about the show's future, including potential cast shakeups, but Batula doesn't have much to offer in terms of clues. 'There's no news yet… but no news is usually good news,' she says. 'We typically hear from production the week before filming starts, and half the time we get the address to the house the day of. You don't even know what house we're driving out to.' If past seasons are any indication, fans will have to wait until after the reunion episodes, which begin airing next week, for any concrete answers about Season 10. For those in-the-know, the reunion seating chart — and who sits next to host Andy Cohen — can be a subtle signal of who played a central role that season. Batula didn't think much of it going into this year's reunion, which filmed on April 24, until she showed up on set and saw where she'd been placed. "I was told by one of the crew members, 'Oh, Amanda, you're going to like your seat,' thinking that like I was on the end, because that would be somewhere that I'd like to be sat,' Batula laughs. "And when I walked out, like being right next to [Cohen], I was like, I'm either in big trouble and I did something really wrong or I'm being rewarded. I think I was more shocked than everyone else that saw the leak of the seating arrangement. It was crazy. I was not expecting to sit there… but it was great for me. I had a great time."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Summer House' star Kyle Cooke on the 'rollercoaster' ride of sharing ups and down in marriage to Amanda Batula
Watching the ups and down with married couple Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula has been a core part of Summer House, with Batula, in particular, becoming a fan favourite cast member, including a lot of excitement about her prioritizing her mental health and starting her own business ventures. While Batula previously stuck to working for Cooke's Loverboy beverage brand, her decision to try to step away from being so tied to her husband resulted in cheers from Summer House viewers. Additionally, Batula has been particularly open about struggling with her mental health, eventually making the move to seek out a treatment plan. And we've seen Cooke be by her side throughout the process, from the more tense times in their relationships to the happy moments, like this week's episode where Batula has a preview event for her swimwear line. But throughout the nine season of the show, Cooke and Batula have been quite open and honest about their relationship, from navigating their careers to discussions about whether or not they want kids. "It's obviously a bit of a rollercoaster. We, for better, for worse, we're not good at guarding things or walling things off. What you see is what you get," Cooke told Yahoo Canada in Toronto. "We've had our ups and downs, and they very much played out on national television, which is not easy. ... You go through it, you then get asked about it, and you're [in] confessionals. Then airs, the internet weighs in, then you do a reunion. And that's a tough pattern to do." "But in a weird way, I think filming helps us. It's like, if I can't get Amanda to couples therapy, filming is like the next best thing, because you can't brush things under the rug. You can't avoid the awkward or tough to talk about moments, and it's a little therapeutic. ... It almost helps us come to the table and air things out in a way that doesn't naturally happen. We're so different from one another, we're pretty good at like, OK we might have a disagreement without any real resolution, but with filming, it's producers like, 'No, we've got to resolve that.'" Reflecting on Batula opening up about her mental health on the show, Cooke highlighted that they're really "partners," and he's always looking for ways to help support her. "I think it was just over a year ago that she kind of told me, 'Hey, I've downloaded an app. I'm kind of trying to learn more about my mental state,'" Cooke shared. "And then she first went on some type of antidepressant and I was just so relieved because. I, quite frankly, through our ups and downs, I never know what's really going on here, and I just give her a ton of love and respect for feeling confident enough to share this." "I was happy to roll up my sleeves, because part of what she kind of deals with is not only some depression, but some heavy procrastination. So for people that are struggling with mental health, sometimes a huge roadblock is reaching out and finding help. And so I was kind of a relieved that she had this epiphany. ... I wanted to kind of help and make sure she got the right care and all that good stuff. We're married, we're partners, and so in a very productive way, it allowed us to understand ... a little piece of our relationship, and try to find ways to help and improve." For Season 9 of Summer House, the most dramatic moments we've seen with Cooke, so far, have related to an argument with Paige DeSorbo, the "rage texting" incident. It stemmed from Cooke's response to DeSorbo's then-boyfriend, Craig Conover, investing in a rival beverage company, and the rehashing of the Season 5 issues between Cooke and Hannah Berner, DeSorbo's "Giggly Squad" co-host, who said on a podcast she was fired from the show for promoting another seltzer brand and not getting along with Cooke. "Paige and I had never talked about any of the Hannah stuff, and particularly on the Hannah side of things, there's a kind of a long laundry list of things," Cooke said. "I just was like, if Paige and I are cool, there's no point in going down that road." "At the end of the day, I was reacting to Hannah doing press interviews, ... and I think that I'm an easier person to take that up with then maybe even addressing it with her best friend and business partner. So it's like, Kyle, for the time being, you're the problem. And I'm like, Oh, I'm just reacting. Sure, I'm an emotional guy, and I let my reactions get the best of me. But ... there's a lot of history there. ... I think we have a mutual understanding and we're close enough as friends, ... we hash it out at the beach so fast. It also kind of reminded me why I felt comfortable venting to her in the first place." Cooke has also joined the long list of reality TV stars entering the TV competition space, after joining the cast of The Traitors. Comparing Summer House with The Traitors, Cooke highlighted the differences in interest in each participant's personal life makes the experiences particularly unique. "It's two totally different animals," Cooke said. "[Summer House] is literally all about your personal life and it can not be more the opposite on Traitors." "It doesn't matter what's going on in your world, once you get to that castle, none of that's relevant, except if you're apparently Tom Sandoval. ... All of the drama has nothing to do with your personal life, which is a very weird dynamic to walk into, because most people are coming from where I'm coming from, where it's like, your life is kind of picked apart or the topic of conversation, or the story arc of a show. ... It's all gameplay. ... It's super intense, but it was a totally different feeling." But Canadians fans of Cooke and his TV work will be pleased to know that there's work being done to get Loverboy drinks to Canada, with plans to manufacturing it locally. In the meantime, Cooke broke down what Canadians need to know about the products. "I think of it as [five different] product lines. The hard teas, we're the number 'one better for you' hard tea, so it's all natural and it's zero sugar. So if you want something light, refreshing, ... start with the hard teas," Cooke highlighted. "If you're looking for more flavour, maybe a little more alcohol, little more of a cocktail experience, try the spritz. The Limoncello Spritz is to die for. That's what [the Summer House] cast drinks, you see everybody with a yellow can." "And then if you're looking for a little more firepower, our cocktails are 12 per cent [alcohol], so they're double the spritz. And it's kind of like a low sugar, but full flavour espresso martini and cosmo. Now, if alcohol isn't for you, that's when we came up with [non-alcoholic]. So we have our original lemon ice tea and peach, ... and now we have Flowerboy, which is a THC social soda. So it's THC plus a bunch of functional ingredients that give you this alcohol-like buzz, without the alcohol."
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Summer House' star Amanda Batula on mental health, electrolytes and 'The Pitt'
'Summer House' star Amanda Batula on mental health, electrolytes and 'The Pitt' In USA TODAY's The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether it's at home, on set or on the road. NEW YORK – Summer should be fun, and "Summer House" star Amanda Batula is making sure of that. The Bravo reality TV star, along with husband Kyle Cooke, has spent the last nine seasons showcasing the life of a share house in the Hamptons, bonding and partying with friends and housemates. This year, Batula is stepping into her power more than ever. "I'm really becoming a new person now," she says. Batula has entered entrepreneurship – launching a successful swimwear collaboration with South Moon Under and timing her sold-out drops to each Wednesday's episode of Season 9 – and is putting her mental health and friendships first. "We live in a house together, you don't want unnecessary tension – even though we've had it over the years, and there's been our ups and downs," she says. "You want to get along. We all have the most fun when we're all getting along together, and that's what the fans really like to watch, too." Batula shares her morning routine must-haves, go-to TV shows and Hamptons necessities. Amanda Batula reveals her top everyday essentials and favorites Amanda Batula of Bravo's "Summer House" shares a look at her daily routine and product must-haves. Entertain This Lindsay Hubbard is pregnant! 'Summer House' star expecting after Carl Radke split Maintaining mental health with sunshine, dog walks and meds Batula has opened up on the Bravo reality show about her depression and mental health, finding support from her castmates and viewers alike for her candor. Maintaining a solid foundation for her mental includes "my medication, I can't speak more highly about it." "I know that there's a stigma around it, but when you have a headache, you take Advil. When you're depressed, you take antidepressants. If they're making it that easy, why not just do it?" She also urges people to "go see your doctor if you're struggling with mental health." "Getting outside is really big for me. Fortunately, I have my dogs," she says as her adorable pup Reese watches her from the couch. "And then finding time to do things that I love: Cooking has been a big thing for me … (and) getting out and seeing friends." She says she's taking "small steps to just feel like normal and feel like I'm able to keep my sanity." Electrolyte water is the new coffee Though Batula says "coffee and matcha lattes" are "probably my favorite," she's made a morning drink switch. "Recently, I've been feeling (caffeine is) giving me anxiety, so I've been drinking a big thing of electrolyte water" as her "new go to thing to energize me and fuel me throughout the day. Caffeine is only when absolutely necessary." She cites Kroma Wellness' cranberry hydration elixir jar as a go-to. 'Summer House' star's mornings start slowly with couch cuddles Mornings are "pretty slow over here," she says. "We walk the dogs. I feed them, and their food is frozen, so we call it couch cuddles after breakfast cuddles. We get on the couch and we cuddle for a couple of minutes, and I'm able to scroll my phone and sort of wake up while the dogs digest." Batula works alongside her husband leading creative and branding for Cooke's beverage brand, Loverboy, which allows her flexibility during her work day. "Kyle goes over to the office side" of their shared space while Batula stays "on the apartment side, and I'm just able to do my content, take meetings, take calls." The Essentials: Porsha Williams on divorce, 'RHOA' sisterhood with Phaedra Parks, self-care "Because I have the flexibility to work from home, and I'm not working for someone specifically, I'm able to do things that a lot of people do in the morning anytime throughout my day. If I want to squeeze in a quick workout or run some errands, I could anytime in between meetings. But I like a nice, calm, slow, quiet morning. Kyle's up at the gym, (but) I'm still in bed by the time he gets back." Amanda Batula's nonnegotiable in her night routine Batula says she's "more regimented" at night: "Doing my full skincare routine, making sure the kitchen is cleaned up before bed, taking the dogs out, unwinding with the dogs and watching some of our favorite shows or a movie." Her dogs have Wellness Whimzees dental bones "so that they're brushing their teeth while I'm also brushing mine and getting ready for bed, because they're small and dental health is such an important factor." The Essentials: 'RHOBH' newbie Bozoma Saint John talks 'quiet hour,' life while filming a reality show Amanda Batula, Kyle Cooke are watching this medical show Though she's not a "repeat watcher" of the same comfort TV shows, Batula is a repeat viewer of the medical drama genre. "I've been into doctor shows," she says, noting Fox's "Doc" and Max breakout series "The Pitt" as recent watches. "Those are two that I keep going back and forth between. I'm obsessed with them because they release weekly, (but) I'm like, can you just give them all to me at once?" But, Batula jokes, if Cooke "ever watched anything without me, I would murder him." "He travels a bunch, so I'll be home over the weekend (and) I'll binge watch a whole season of something. If I think it's really good, when he comes back I'll say, 'Let's watch this together,' and I'll watch it a second time." 'No one did anything': 'Summer House' star Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover break up after 3 years Amanda Batula's Hamptons essentials As a Hamptons aficionado, Batula knows what to pack for the long haul from New York City to Long Island each weekend of the summer. "You will never see me out in the Hamptons without denim," she says, pairing jeans and denim shorts with a T-shirt or "a nice going-out top," with Zara as a recent go-to for her clothing basics. "Linen sets are a must again. They're a really easy thing for me to pair. I'll always have a pair of chunky sandals and a pair of very slim, sleek sandals and then sunglasses. … I love to put them up as an accessory, not even to wear on my face, almost more of as a headband. I'll always be out there with sunglasses." This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
New York Times
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Amanda Batula of ‘Summer House' on Emerging From Kyle Cooke's Shadow
There are lots of different reasons people tune in to reality shows — there's messiness, fights, drama and romance. Over nine seasons, Amanda Batula has contributed each of those elements to 'Summer House,' the Bravo reality show set in the Hamptons, while the show's other women took on dominant story lines. But this season, Batula, 33, has become a fan favorite for breaking out of the norms that 'girlfriend' reality stars often get stuck in: starting a family, quitting a job and moving to the suburbs with their attention-hogging male leads. Batula had been very much ready to follow that plan. (She first appeared on the show as a late-night hookup for Kyle Cooke, now her husband.) But this season and the last saw her priorities shift. She started her own business ventures, and prioritized her friendships and mental health. 'When I was younger, I thought I'd be married at 24' and 'have kids by 30,' Batula said. 'I don't have to follow this timeline that I set.' Last month, Batula discussed in an interview what it's been like to break out on the show and how she figured out what actually makes her happy. Batula made her reality television debut in 2017 during the first season of 'Summer House,' not as a cast member but as a late-night invitee of Cooke, who had recently broken up with her and was filming for the show. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
