New start, new guy! Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay is dating Amber Valletta’s younger brother, Robert Valletta, amid her divorce from her estranged husband, Mike Shay, Us Weekly can confirm. According to a source, the pair have been friends for a decade and things recently turned romantic.
“He had reached out to her around the holidays to work on a TV project he is developing/hosting, so the two have been working together on that,” the insider shares with Us, adding that “things started to take a romantic turn about 1.5 months ago.”
The 31-year-old reality star, who filed for divorce from Mike after more than two years of marriage in November 2016, was recently spotted with the self-described former hand model and actor, 35, at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles. She also joined Robert’s family and friends for a holiday party on December 14, which he documented on social media.
“They’re taking it slow,” the insider tells Us of the budding new romance, explaining that it’s “still very new and casual.” “She’s getting her life back in order following her divorce and not ready for something serious quite yet,” the source adds.
Scheana and Mike revealed exclusively to Us Weekly that they were calling it quits on their marriage; the news followed an incident in which the musician disappeared for several days. TMZ reported at the time that Scheana feared that her husband, who is sober after an eight-year painkiller addiction, had fallen off the wagon.
“While we have made the difficult decision to move forward separately, our story will continue on through the love and mutual respect that we have cultivated throughout our 15-year friendship,” the exes told Us in an exclusive statement this past November. “Much of the recent speculation and reporting on our relationship has been misguided, and we have come to an amicable decision on all matters. We might have failed at our marriage, but we are committed to succeeding as friends and will continue to support each other’s personal happiness and professional success.”