Jesse & Michelle Break Down the Surprising Reason They're "Nowhere Close" to Being Divorced
Michelle Saniei accused ex Jesse Lally of "trying to prolong" the legal process on The Valley After Show.
Michelle Saniei tearfully lamented in The Valley Season 2's third episode that she just wanted "to f–king get divorced and never talk to" Jesse Lally ever again. About a year and a half into their marital split, however, the estranged pair still hasn't made much progress.
Providing a divorce status update on The Valley After Show, Jesse claimed that he and Michelle "should've been able to" legally end their marriage in September 2024. However, a mediator "messed up" by not filing certain paperwork, and now they're "nowhere close" to finalizing the divorce.
From Michelle’s POV, though, Jesse is intentionally "trying to prolong" the proceedings, and she has a theory why that might be the case.
"A part of me thinks that he does it because he does not want me to remarry," The Valley cast member, who's currently living with boyfriend Aaron Nosler added separately in the above After Show clip. "He's like, ya know, let's just do this forever so that she can't move on and get married and have kids again."
What Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei are arguing over in their divorce
Though Jesse and Michelle already agreed on a 50/50 custody arrangement for their 5-year-old daughter Isabella Bunny Lally, it seems most other factors remain as points of contention amid their ongoing divorce battle.
Jesse said he knew the process wouldn’t be smooth as soon as Michelle moved out of their home and "fights" started over everything from artwork and furniture to dividing the silverware. However, she claimed to only want her fair share of the assets.
"He thinks that he's entitled to everything, and that I'm not entitled to half — or anything," Michelle alleged, before revealing that Jesse also wants her to pay him back for half of their 2018 Napa Valley wedding, despite the nuptials being "all [his] idea." The total wedding price tag: $140,000.
"At the time, he was making a lot more money than me. And he's like, 'I got it, it's fine.' So, he took care of most of the bill," she elaborated. "And he's now saying, 'Oh, you promised me that you would pay me half of the wedding back.'"
Ultimately, Michelle, who said her ex refuses to deal with her directly on legal matters, hopes to hash things out in mediation.
"If not, we have to go to court," she explained. "I've been trying to not do that, but there's like 20 different points that he wants from me."
Jesse Lally is representing himself in the divorce
Perhaps further complicating matters, Jesse is representing himself in the proceedings, and according to Vanderpump Rules' Scheana Shay, he "nitpicks at every point" to where his objections have become "ridiculous" and "laughable."
Meanwhile, Jesse called the "back and forth" with Michelle’s attorneys "fun," joking that he's even considering going back to school to be a lawyer. "I'll litigate you over anything," he quipped.
Michelle said she's tried to reach out to Jesse directly at times to save on legal fees, but he's refused to engage with her, rather than her attorney. "I'm like, 'You understand that every single time you email my lawyer, and they email you, I get charged?' And he's fine with it," she stated.
Get more divorce details in the above The Valley After Show clip, and don't miss how Jesse and Michelle are navigating co-parenting amid their personal drama.
