Michelle Saniei on What “Broke [Her] Down” at End of Marriage

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Credit: Instagram

Michelle Saniei revealed what “broke” her “down” at the end of her marriage to Jesse Lally, and she shared how it “opened [her] eyes.” The Valley star also suggested that she “never thought” Jesse would seek “revenge” on her.

Soon after filming season one, Michelle filed for divorce. Throughout the season, Michelle hinted at their marital issues. In a trailer for season two, Jesse accused Michelle of cheating on him and claimed she slept with a billionaire for money.

On her Pursuit of Sassiness podcast, Michelle revealed what “broke [her] down” at the end of their marriage. She recalled a brunch they shared with their daughter shortly after finishing season one.

“Out of nowhere, [Jesse] just kind of kept saying like, ‘You should thank me that I put you on TV,’” she said, via @vanderpodrecaps on Instagram. “And [he was] kind of bringing me down. And that was another moment that I opened up my eyes. I’m like, ‘You’re supposed to be my husband, my partner. Thank you? This is something we did together. Like, we should be celebrating together. You shouldn’t try to pull me down.’”

“And I felt like that’s what kept happening to me,” she said. “It was always about him and never about me. And diminishing me. And that is what broke me down at the very end. And I was like, what am I doing? My worth is … I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve to have somebody treat and talk to me like that.”

At one point in the podcast, Michelle addressed how Jesse “treated people” when they made him “unhappy” or “did him wrong.”

“It wasn’t good,” she said. “His first thought was like, ‘I want to sue you. I want to get revenge.’ And I never thought of it like I could one day be that person.”

Both Michelle and Jesse are now seeing other people. Michelle’s boyfriend, financial adviser Aaron Nosler, will be featured in the upcoming season.

The Valley season two airs on Tuesday nights on Bravo.