Roxanne 
Luke Broderick never imagined that reality TV would become part of his life story. As he puts it, it was “never in my wildest dreams” that he would find himself on a show like The Valley. But everything changed when he crossed paths with Kristen Doute, a fan-favorite from Vanderpump Rules, at a mutual friend’s wedding in Colorado a few years ago. Today, Broderick, who is engaged to Doute and expecting a baby girl, is navigating the ups and downs of fame on Bravo’s The Valley—even if it means clashing with a few co-stars along the way.
The drama between Broderick and longtime Vanderpump Rules star Jax Taylor has made headlines since the first season of The Valley. The tension between the two was evident from the start, with Jax expressing his concerns about Broderick’s relationship with Kristen. According to Luke, the distrust runs deep between him and Jax: “I know I can’t trust him. I think everyone should agree with that,” Broderick said during an interview with Decider. “And he doesn’t feel he can trust me because of Kristen. If he tells me something and it gets to Kristen, it’s going to get spread around.”
Their mutual distrust has created a divide that doesn’t seem likely to mend anytime soon. But it’s not just the strained relationship with Jax that has put Broderick in the spotlight. In this week’s episode of The Valley, Broderick found himself involved in a messy bit of drama when Danny Booko shared rumors that Jesse Lally accused his ex-wife, Michelle Lally, of sleeping with a billionaire for money in a group chat. This led to Broderick passing along the gossip to Brittany Cartwright, who then relayed the news to Michelle. Things quickly escalated, with Michelle breaking down at a Dave & Buster’s, further adding to the chaos of the situation.
When asked about his decision to share the gossip, Broderick doesn’t mince words: “It was coming out one way or another … It’s one of those things, Danny tells it to me on camera and I’ve got to say it. I just might as well speed things up.” He added, “I want to say the exact words in the exact way that Danny told me so there’s no mistranslation down the road.” In hindsight, Broderick doesn’t regret his actions, stating that it’s a game of “telephone,” where things often get lost in translation.
Despite the drama surrounding him, Broderick’s take on the situation is rather pragmatic. When asked if sharing the gossip affected his friendship with Danny, he responded candidly: “I don’t want to be in that chat,” referring to the boys’ group chat that excluded him. “I’ve never had an invite, I’ve never been interested in being in the boys’ chat.” But despite his exclusion, Broderick maintains that it didn’t affect his relationship with Danny: “It did not come between Danny and me, though.”
As for his rocky relationship with Jax, Broderick says there’s a glimmer of hope for a future of mutual understanding. “I’ve seen him a couple of times and it’s like I’ve seen him, but I don’t feel like I have gotten to know him much better,” Broderick admits. “It’s kind of like trading favors with your friends’ ex-husband. We hang out. I don’t know how to put this into words, but it’s just like there’s something in between keeping us from getting to know each other better. It’s probably a total lack of trust.”
Broderick doesn’t mince words when talking about how Jax’s behavior compares to Jesse’s. While Michelle Lally claims that Jesse is much worse than Jax, Broderick begs to differ. “I think it would suck to be married to Jesse, but not as much as it would suck to be married to Jax,” he shares. “Jax is just more chaotic, I feel like. They both drink, they both party, they’re both very full of themselves. But, from what I’ve seen between Jax and Brittany over the years, I think Jax is just more diabolical.”
He continues, acknowledging that while both men share similar traits, Jax’s erratic behavior makes him harder to reason with. “Jax is just more chaotic…he’s always going to deflect and spin something to throw something at you instead of taking ownership.” In contrast, Broderick believes that Jesse is actively working on becoming a better person: “I think he is actually headed down a path of becoming a better man.”
However, the drama doesn’t stop with the tension between Jax and Jesse. Another scandal recently came to light about Jesse’s girlfriend, with rumors swirling that she had allegedly been involved with a Baywatch actor. Broderick, however, didn’t pay much attention to the gossip. “I only have so much space for the drama in this group,” he says, acknowledging that he had heard the rumor but quickly dismissed it. “It’s not something I put any real thought into.”
In the world of reality TV, the drama is ever-present. But for Broderick, it’s not just about the chaos—it’s about staying grounded and making the most of his time in the spotlight. While his relationships with some co-stars remain fraught with tension, he’s focused on what matters most: his growing family and the future with Kristen. As the season continues, Broderick’s journey promises to be just as unpredictable as the drama that surrounds him.
