Danny Booko is apologizing after his recent behavior on The Valley sparked backlash from viewers.
The Valley star issued a public apology to his wife, Nia Sanchez Booko, after recent episodes showed the couple struggling through a difficult chapter in their marriage. The tension came to a head during a blowout fight over a drag competition, with Danny feeling like Nia was not helping him prepare enough.
The argument became even more intense when both Danny and Nia broke the fourth wall by reminding each other they were still wearing microphones.
Following the episode, Booko took to Instagram to address what viewers saw and apologize directly to Nia.
“To the person I love most, my beautiful wife [Nia Sanchez Booko], I am so sorry,” Danny wrote on Wednesday, May 20. “Watching these last few episodes back hasn’t been easy.”
Danny admitted he was embarrassed by what played out on camera.
“It was a difficult season of life and a version of myself that I’m embarrassed by and not proud of,” Danny continued. “A short fuse, stress, alcohol and lack of sleep are never a good combination, but that’s not an excuse. I should never have taken any of it out on [Nia].”
Booko also acknowledged that filming The Valley while trying to balance marriage, parenthood and everyday life created an overwhelming situation.
“I love, honor, and respect you deeply, and I did not show that in some of these moments,” Danny wrote to Nia. “Nia, I love you so much. I’m grateful for you, our family, and this beautiful, chaotic life we’ve built together. I thank God for you every day.”
The public apology came just hours before Danny was scheduled to appear on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen alongside Luke Broderick. However, Danny ended up canceling the appearance.
Andy Cohen addressed Booko’s absence on air and said he did not believe Booko backed out because of the criticism surrounding the latest episodes.
“[Danny] booked a job and had to cancel to work,” Andy explained. “I believe him because if he canceled because he was scared to come here, we would have heard from our publicist that he’s not up for it.”
Andy added that Danny will still have to address everything when the cast films the reunion.
“Listen, he’s coming to the reunion so he’s going to deal with it!” Andy said.
The Valley fans got more insight into Danny and Nia’s tension during the latest After Show episode. Danny pushed back on the idea that their issues were because they welcomed their fourth child, daughter Adelaide, last summer.
“This is number four,” Booko said on the After Show. “You think I haven’t done this three other times? I know exactly how to support my wife.”
Nia, meanwhile, explained that while she and Danny have tense moments, the argument viewers saw does not fully define their marriage.
“One thing with me and Daniel, in our relationship in general, yes, we have tense moments; yes, we can be short with each other,” Nia said. “Sometimes we’re in this beautiful season where everything is really good, and sometimes it’s not. And what people will see through this window of time is, there were so many tense moments, and we were short with each other and had short fuses a lot.”
Danny and Nia have often been viewed as one of the more stable couples on The Valley, which made their recent blowups even more surprising for fans. The couple has been open about the pressures of raising a growing family while navigating reality TV, and this season appears to have captured them during one of their harder moments.
While Danny is owning his behavior and making it clear that stress is not an excuse, viewers will likely hear much more when The Valley reunion airs.