Jesse Lally Is Learning How to Treat Women Differently After Calling Ex Michelle Lally a ‘Hooker’ (Exclusive)

The Valley‘s Jesse Lally is making an effort to reconsider how he treats women after calling his estranged wife, Michelle Lally, a “hooker” in a moment of weakness.

“My biggest problem — and I got it tattooed on my arm — is that emotion clouds reason. The strongest person — regardless of the work they’re doing — in a moment of weakness can be triggered,” Jesse, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, April 10, at the red carpet premiere for The Valley season 2. “There are certain words, like, you can say I drink too much or he’s an alcoholic. But when you call somebody a drunk, that implies something a lot deeper.”

Jesse pointed out that he wasn’t the only one not to mince words while filming.

“The messiness of it was a triggering thing for me. I’m trying to raise a little girl and her mother is calling her father a drunk,” Jesse, who shares 4-year-old daughter Isabella with Michelle, 36, added. “That was very triggering for me. It was unfair of Michelle but it was certainly unfair of me to use that word.”

After the interaction, Jesse “apologized” to Michelle, telling Us, “I had to realize that I also have a daughter. I’m learning how to talk to and treat women differently and it was just a weak moment for me.”

Bravo viewers were introduced to Michelle and Jesse’s tumultuous relationship when The Valley premiered in early 2024. Shortly before the show debuted, Us Weekly broke the news that Michelle and Jesse filed for divorce following their fifth wedding anniversary. Their marriage coming to an end hasn’t stopped the animosity between the pair.

“Michelle has her own experience and I have my own experience. I would never invalidate her. I think people are extremely intelligent where they know that [someone is] trying to create a one-sided narrative. You can see right through that,” Jesse said about Michelle’s recent comments about their past issues. “Words don’t mean as much as when you see what the camera shows. That’s what you should be hearing. It’s only a one-sided narrative. But she has her experience and that’s how she feels.”

Despite their ups and downs, Jesse clarified that Isabella is their priority, adding, “Whether Michelle and I are in a good place, it doesn’t matter because we’re doing our best with Isabella and she’s super happy.”

Michelle, meanwhile, admitted to Us that coparenting can be “awful” at times.

“But I love my daughter. It’s not funny. But all I can do is smile because I always wish that one day we will get to that place,” she admitted on Thursday. “I don’t know if it will ever happen. That is my hope because I do love my daughter and I want her to see two happy parents. So all I can do is play my role in being positive.”

While reflecting on the drama that took place in season 2, Michelle said she “cried a lot” when hearing what Jesse would say about her, noting, “It was very difficult because who wants to hear that? It was a very difficult time for me. I was also going through a lot of personal things.”

Michelle’s boyfriend, Aaron Nosler, who appeared on the show, weighed in as well. “There’s no regrets except maybe trying so hard to create a positive relationship between us and Jesse,” he told Us. “It probably wasn’t worth the effort.”

The Valley season 2 premieres on Bravo Tuesday, April 15, at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.

With reporting by Amanda Williams