Since her first appearance on Vanderpump Rules, Lala Kent has become one of the most talked-about personalities in reality television. With a presence that blends authenticity, vulnerability, and undeniable strength, she has built a personal brand that transcends the screen. Beyond her work as an actress in films like One Shot (2014), 10 Minutes Gone (2019), and Hard Kill (2020), Kent is now stepping into a new phase of her career with The Valley, Bravo’s latest project.
In this stage of her life, Lala appears different, more reflective, conscious of her past battles, and determined to embrace personal growth. In this conversation, she opens up about what it meant to close a chapter in reality TV, how she learned to forgive herself, and why she sees motherhood as the ultimate source of purpose. She also shares intimate details about her seventh anniversary of sobriety, a milestone she calls the pillar of her life and family.
We sat down with Lala Kent to talk about this moment of transformation: from the relaunch of her podcast under the name “Untraditionally Lala” to her advocacy for causes such as animal rights and reform in the family court system.
You’ve built a high-profile career in front of the camera, from Vanderpump Rules to your current role on The Valley. What has this new chapter with Bravo meant to you?
It feels really good! However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous. I’ve spent the past decade of my life involved in a show that didn’t end the way I wished it would have. There was no closure, and I struggled with that. I dealt with anger, sadness, shame, and guilt; it became a torture chamber in my mind. I’m so grateful for the time I’ve had to self-reflect and think about the things that I could have done differently or what I’d change moving forward.
Going into this new chapter with Bravo, I am hopeful. I’m extremely intimidated, which is a foreign feeling to me. There’s been a lot of healing since I last filmed a reality show – a lot of taking ownership of my part. So, I hope I can go into this new chapter with much more compassion and learn how to deal with foreign emotions in a productive way.
You’ve shared on several occasions how reality TV led you to reassess many aspects of your life. What’s been the biggest personal lesson that’s come from living so publicly?
I’ve learned to be easier on myself. I don’t know if it’s the Virgo in me, but I’m just so hard on myself. I think some people think I act out, then go about my life, head held high. But I really sit with every detail of what happened for days on end. The real lesson has been, when I have moments that I’m not proud of, to take ownership of my part in it. I have learned over the past two years that I can’t control other people. I can only control myself and keep my side of the street clean. So, if I can just continue to use the tools that I’ve worked on with my sponsor of reevaluating, looking at a situation, and saying, “I’m owning my part in this and then putting it to bed,” then I don’t beat myself up for days on end, sometimes months on end. I can live a much happier life, and I can be present for my kids. They deserve a present: a healthy, happy mom. I must lead by example. What a travesty it would be if my kids learned the behavior of never being able to forgive themselves.
This year marks your seventh anniversary of sobriety—congratulations! How has your life changed since day one, and what tools have helped you stay grounded on this journey?
I would say implementing the program that I’m in on a day-to-day basis is the most important thing. I still think about the day I got sober. You’d think after seven years it wouldn’t be as dark. But that moment of admitting, “You’re an alcoholic, you need to get help,” I still look back on and feel it to my core. It’s still so raw. I find it important for people to look back on the day that they got sober because you need to feel that intention behind getting sober. There are days when my friends come over and they’re having a glass of rosé, and I’m like, “Oh my god, that looks like so much fun,” and other moments where it’s like, “I am not staying sober for myself today; I’m staying sober for my kids today because if I were just staying sober for myself, I would participate in having that glass of rosé.” It’s a lot of discipline, and it’s constant work.
There are many moments where I’m aware I have been a dry drunk, and I have to deep dive back into the program, taking ownership, then forgiving myself. If I feed into beating myself up, then my sobriety is at risk, and my sobriety is what has gotten me to this place. It’s made it so I can provide for my family. I can show up as the person they all deserve. It is my job to ensure every single day my kids have a beautiful, loving home. If sobriety doesn’t exist, then the rest of that does not exist.
You’re a mom to two children. What has motherhood been like for you, and what’s surprised you the most about this chapter?
How much love I have inside of me! Before I gave birth to Sosa, I was sure there was just no way that I’d be able to love this kid as much as I love Ocean. I didn’t think I had that much love to give. Until it happens to you, you can’t process it. I think it was Kail Lowry who said, “Love doesn’t divide; it multiplies.” When Sosa was born, I was like, “Oh my gosh. That’s like the truest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Single motherhood has really filled my cup. I do have a tribe, which makes me so grateful, and I really couldn’t do it without them. We’ve really been crushing it! I look at my kids, and it’s the one thing in my life that gives my soul purpose. Of course, there are days I go home, and I wish that I could have spent more time with them, or I wish I didn’t have to discipline Ocean 500 times. But I can ultimately look at the bigger picture and say, Motherhood is the one place in my life that I feel so confident. Being their mom is just such an honor. They rock my world.
You’ve also stepped into podcasting successfully. What inspired you to launch that platform, and what kind of conversations do you most enjoy having with your audience?
Actually, the podcasting world really never interested me. It was kind of on a whim, where it was like, “Let’s do a podcast; let’s talk to people.” That’s what I initially thought a podcast was. A podcast is just people talking to other people. That was simply untrue. I became obsessed. My podcast has gone through so many transitions, and I decided that my podcast, Give Them Lala, felt very juvenile and represented a time in my life that I’m no longer in. I’m really excited to do this complete revamp of the podcast. I used to say, “I’m just gonna shove myself down your throat, and I hope that you swallow.” Age and motherhood have made me ease up on all that.
Things that maybe weren’t important to me before are now literally the glue to my life. So, the new podcast is called Untraditionally Lala, and the conversations will be more uplifting. I will have experts on and women who represent a piece of society that isn’t exactly the norm. I’m really excited for these conversations because I live such an untraditional life myself, and never in a million years did I think this would be my life, but it’s working. So, the aim is to open the conversation a bit more and share that life may have turned out differently than we thought it would, but we can still have everything we ever wanted. Let’s continue to open people’s minds!
Your journey has been one of major transformation. If you could go back and talk to Lauren Elyse Burningham when she was just starting, what advice would you give her?
My advice would be to have fun. I know it sounds so cheesy and so simple, but there were so many moments that I look back on that almost took me out, and looking back, it was not a big deal. I should have enjoyed that moment more. Moved on quicker. You would think that at the age of 35, I would’ve conquered all of that and been able to start living in the moment and stop beating myself up. So, I would like to really pound that into young Lauren’s brain: go out there and have fun because this life doesn’t wait for anyone.
You’ve been incredibly open about your experiences in past relationships. What does love mean to you today, and how has your approach to connection evolved in this new stage of your life?
The way that my outlook on connection has evolved has kind of been a blessing and a curse. I’m looking for deep connections, and I don’t want people in my life who don’t fill my cup. I don’t want people in my life where we can’t go toe-to-toe and then work it out. I am looking for deep-rooted connections. For so long, so many people have asked me, “Are you dating? Are you dating?” like it’s the only connection or source of love that people really think about. Whereas for me, I am in a place where my priorities have shifted so much when it comes to connection.
Anything that I have left over, I’m going to place into my existing friendships and my children, who are in a stage of life that is so fleeting. They are changing daily. I’m building them to be humans who can go into the world and try to conquer it all. So, for anyone coming into my life in the future, whether that’s a new friend or a man, the connection needs to shake me to my core. I have to feel something deep to make it worth breaking you off a piece of my time.
We’ve recently seen you speak out on issues like animal rights. What motivated you to use your voice for this cause?
When it comes to the orcas, I saw the documentary Blackfish that changed my life. I was still living in Utah, and after watching that documentary, I remember watching YouTube videos for days on end, learning about them. I became obsessed, and the obsession has continued 12 years later. Anytime something sits on my heart and doesn’t leave, it’s a real passion of mine, and I’m going to try my very best to be a voice. I feel like we did a really great job of that, especially with the PETA campaigns. It got people’s attention and got them talking. A lot comes down to people not being educated. If I can be a small part of opening someone’s eyes, I’m happy.
The name “Lala Kent” has become a brand in its own right. After everything you’ve been through, what does that name represent to you now?
Lala Kent is such a bad bitch. I don’t think people know this, but I got rid of my last name because it’s extremely difficult to say, and people always botch it. So, I took my dad’s first name as my last name. My childhood nickname was Lala. So, when I moved to LA, my childhood friends would introduce me as Lala. I remember going on Vanderpump Rules, and that was the first space where it was clear that Lala was no longer a nickname. And Lala is cool! There are times now when I go, “Where’s that girl? I want her back!” I’ve been so deep in Lauren the past couple of years. Lala Kent is like armor. When I think about Lala Kent, I think, “Damn, she’s got ovaries of steel.”
What can we expect from you in the coming months? Are there any new projects, collaborations, or dreams you’re about to bring to life?
I finally feel like my Lala is starting to come back. I took time to soul-search. I needed to understand what’s important to me. What makes me tick. I’m ready to create and scratch the itch. I feel inspired and motivated.
I hate when people say, “Big things coming!”, so I’m staying away from that! All I’m saying is I have finally found what I am passionate about. I’ll be starting these ventures from the ground up. It will take time, but I’m keeping my head down and staying focused.
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