Jesse Lally and Michelle Lally were already married for six years before Bravo’s The Valley documented the months leading up to their split.
While filming the reality series, which premiered in March 2024, Michelle recalled how her first interaction with Jesse didn’t immediately leave her wanting more.
“We were supposed to just have a date that night and I said, ‘OK, let’s just meet. So I know you’re not crazy,’” she shared during an April 2024 episode. “He talked so much and didn’t ask me one word. Well, I said, ‘I am not going to take him seriously, I could just have fun with him.’ So I text him at midnight to come over right now.”
Michelle elaborated more on the “real story” in a confessional, adding, “We had coffee, I knew he was not The One. But I was very attracted to him. I canceled our first date and ended up going out to party with my girlfriends. We got super drunk and I wanted a booty call. So I was like, ‘I am just going to call this guy.’ Now I am in the world’s longest booty call.”
Despite the initial hiccup, Jesse and Michelle went on to get married in 2018 after several years of dating. They expanded their family with daughter Isabella in 2020 before costarring on The Valley with their friends — and Vanderpump Rules alums — Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright.
Us Weekly broke the news in March 2024 that Jesse and Michelle parted ways, days before their show aired. The pair have since been focused on coparenting and remaining on good terms.
“When it comes to me and Michelle, it was going to unfold the way it was going to unfold,” Jesse exclusively told Us in May 2024. “The most interesting thing is to watch what other people felt about our relationship. It’s seeing the writing on the wall almost and then seeing Michelle in her interviews. But it is what it is. It’s what we signed up for.”
Jesse has since moved on with Lacy Nicole while Michelle is rumored to be dating financial advisor Aaron Nosler.
Keep scrolling to relive Jesse and Michelle’s relationship:
2016
Jesse and Michelle started posting each other on social media in 2016. According to Jesse, he crossed paths with Michelle at an office meeting before shooting his shot.
“I was like, ‘Why don’t we meet for coffee?’” He recalled on The Valley in April 2024 before elaborating on their next meetup. “I walked in and immediately took off her jean shorts and we have been together ever since.”
November 2017
The duo got engaged after a romantic trip to the City of Love.
October 2018
Jesse and Michelle tied the knot one year later at the Beaulieu Garden in California.
June 2019
Years before sharing the screen, Jesse and Michelle were in attendance at Jax and Brittany’s wedding, which was featured on Vanderpump Rules. (Jax and Brittany also announced that they were separated months after filming on The Valley wrapped.)
October 2019
“We are PREGNANT!! Over the moon to announce the newest edition to the Lally Family. A healthy baby girl due April 2020,” Jesse wrote via Instagram alongside photos of him and Michelle celebrating the major milestone.
April 2020
Jesse announced the arrival of his and Michelle’s first child, writing via Instagram, “Originally due April 22, Isabella was one of our first choices for a girls name and we found out that Queen Isabella of Spain was born on April 22, 1451. Bunny after Jesses grandmother Berna May Burnette ‘Bunny’ Butler.”
June 2020
“Happy First Father’s Day! I can’t believe we made this sweet tiny beautiful human. Remember when you said you would never change her diaper (ha), and all you’ve done is do just that without me having to ask. You are already an amazing father and I can’t wait to watch her grow up with you @jesselally,” Michelle gushed via Instagram.
October 2021
In honor of their three-year wedding anniversary, Jesse wrote on social media how “incredible” it felt to be on “this journey” with Michelle.
July 2023
Jesse and Michelle enjoyed traveling overseas and even made it a yearly tradition. During summer 2023, Jesse and Michelle started filming The Valley, which captured their relationship deteriorating.
“It is hard to pinpoint what exactly we have been fighting about. It is little things,” Jesse said in a solo confessional at the time. “We transitioned from the fun honeymoon stage once the baby came because she evolved as a mom and I wasn’t quite evolving as a dad. That’s just kind of where we are at.”
Michelle, meanwhile, admitted she was struggling in her marriage. “A lot of needs are not being met,” she said in a separate scene from the show.
September 2023
The twosome finished filming The Valley at the end of the summer. Throughout the process, Michelle and Jesse ended up being one of the central story lines after Kristen claimed that the rest of The Valley cast was calling Michelle a “racist.” (Michelle denied the accusations on screen.)
Kristen also alleged that Michelle had a “secret boyfriend” and revealed that Jesse and Michelle’s marriage was on the rocks. Michelle has maintained that she wasn’t seeing anyone else while married to Jesse.
October 2023
“I had the conversation with Jesse at the beginning of October that it was no longer going to work and I wanted to file for divorce,” Michelle said on an April 2024 episode of the “When Reality Hits” podcast. “Jesse and I have actually not been together since October, and since then, we were free to date and do whatever we want.”
Michelle recalled having to wait to officially file for divorce though due to the show, adding, “I am more permanent. I have filed for divorce and it is happening. We are in the middle of it and hopefully before the end of the year it will be finalized.”
She continued: “That is why I was like, ‘We need to file as soon as possible.’ It was a little tricky with the show because it was going to be announced and we didn’t know how to handle it. It was a little back and forth when we would file.”
March 2024
After Michelle and Jesse noticeably didn’t walk the red carpet together at The Valley premiere party, Us confirmed that they separated after nearly six years of marriage.
At the time, the duo weighed in on how the show would highlight their ups and downs.
“There’s a major story line about our life where I try to work on myself throughout the entire summer to be the best version of myself,” Jesse told Us at the event. “And if the best version of myself aligned with the best version of herself, then our marriage would make it. People evolve. If your marriage and relationship doesn’t evolve with it, it will never work no matter how bad you want it.”
Michelle, meanwhile, noted that there were many changes since they filmed the series.
“Taking a step back and looking at myself, I’m like, ‘Oh wow. It’s obvious we have some marital issues,’” she said in a separate interview with Us. “I want fans to know how real we were. We’re very authentic. We didn’t fake anything and we said if we’re going to do reality TV, we’re really going to open up our lives — the positive and the negative.”
April 2024
Michelle and Jesse reunited to ring in their daughter’s 4th birthday as family.
Later that month, Michelle opened up about where she and Jesse stand now. “My only goal is to be friends one day,” she wrote via Instagram Stories in response to a fan question before addressing their joint real estate business. “Yes we will continue working together with past clients. But moving forward, I will have my own clients and vice versa.”
Michelle told Brittany on the “When Reality Hits” podcast that she was still going through changes.
“I am currently Michelle Saniei Lally,” she said about her name. “I would like to keep Lally for now just for Isabella’s sake, but eventually, that will be removed.”
May 2024
During an interview with Us, Jesse discussed the decision to call it quits.
“When Michelle and I first started seeing each other, we worked in real estate together and we weren’t working together at the time, but eventually it kind of transitioned into that. I started taking her to Europe and she had never been before and we had a lot of the same hobbies and stuff like that,” he recalled. “I just never thought in a million years — once you make that decision — that’s it. There’s always a way through it or around it. Then I think once my ego got a little involved and it just happened. Now I think we’re both very happy. So it was probably in hindsight, the best decision that we could have made.”
