Not all Bravo relationships are destined for the long haul. Sometimes, we only get a small window of time to follow a couple, as was the case with The Valley‘s Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei Lally. But what a season it was!
When we first met Jesse and Michelle during Season 1, Episode 1 of The Valley, they were hanging in their kitchen with their daughter, Isabella. “Jesse and Michelle are definitely the bougiest out of the group,” shared Janet Caperna before Jesse went on to explain that he’s a self-described “douchebag.” Throughout the season, we got to know the couple a bit more — and eventually saw their demise play out in Episode 12.
“Did you think I would never leave you?” asked Michelle in the episode. “I just thought you had such strong family values that you would do whatever it takes to fix any problem and not just abandon the problem,” Jesse answered.
Still, Michelle stood up for herself. “I’m not abandoning anything,” she said. “I’m trying myself. I’m being honest that I lost a lot of those feelings for you.”
Ahead, discover Jesse and Michelle’s full relationship timeline.
Are Jesse and Michelle Lally from The Valley still together?
Nope! As fans know, Jesse and Michelle split right after the first season of The Valley wrapped filming — their breakup was showcased a bit during the Season 1 finale.
Post-split, Michelle explained more in a confessional interview. “I finally hit that point where I knew, ‘I’m done and I want to move on and I want to get divorced and start my own life,'” she explained. “There’s no question that I made the right choice.”
Still, the pair have a long history to look back on. Keep reading for all the information on their past relationship.
Jesse and Michelle Lally began dating in the mid-2010s
If Instagram posts are any indication, Jesse and Michelle’s relationship became serious in 2016 when they started posting each other on social media. During an episode of The Valley, Jesse shared that they first met at an office meeting. Later, he asked her for a coffee … and things quickly escalated.
“I was like, ‘Why don’t we meet for coffee?’” he explained. “I walked in and immediately took off her jean shorts and we have been together ever since.”
Jesse Lally proposed to Michelle Lally in November 2017
Jesse popped the question during a trip to Paris. In some episodes, you can spot photos from that fateful (and lovely) day around their house.
Jesse and Michelle Lally got married in October 2018
Less than a year after the romantic proposal, the pair tied the knot at Beaulieu Garden in California.
Jesse and Michelle Lally welcomed their daughter in April 2020
After announcing their pregnancy in October 2019 (“We are PREGNANT!! Over the moon to announce the newest edition to the Lally Family. A healthy baby girl due April 2020,” wrote Jesse on Instagram), Jesse and Michelle welcomed their sweet daughter in April 2020. Her name? Isabella Bunny Lally.
“Originally due April 22, Isabella was one of our first choices for a girl’s name and we found out that Queen Isabella of Spain was born on April 22, 1451. Bunny after Jesse’s grandmother Berna May Burnette ‘Bunny’ Butler,” explained Jesse on Instagram.
During Episode 12 of The Valley, Jesse also said that April 2020 was like “hugs and kisses” for the couple — an exceptionally happy time in their relationship.
Jesse and Michelle Lally filmed The Valley during the Summer 2023
During Episode 12, Jesse said that the pair planned to spend the summer of 2023 filming and working to come to a middle ground in their relationship. “Every time I take six steps forward, she takes six steps backward,” he added.
Jesse and Michelle Lally Originally Split In October 2023
Michelle asked Jesse for a divorce just days after filming wrapped in October 2023.
“I had the conversation with Jesse at the beginning of October that it was no longer going to work and I wanted to file for divorce,” Michelle explained during an April 2024 episode of the “When Reality Hits” podcast. “Jesse and I have actually not been together since October, and since then, we were free to date and do whatever we want.”
Jesse and Michelle Lally Announced Their Split in March 2024
Right before The Valley Season 1 was set to premiere, Jesse and Michelle confirmed they’d called their relationship quits.
“There’s a major storyline about our life where I try to work on myself throughout the entire summer to be the best version of myself,” Jesse told Us Weekly at the time. “And if the best version of myself aligned with the best version of herself, then our marriage would make it. People evolve. If your marriage and relationship doesn’t evolve with it, it will never work, no matter how bad you want it.”
Did Michelle Lally cheat on Jesse Lally?
While The Valley was airing, rumors began to swirl that Michelle had cheated on Jesse with a famous unnamed director. Still, Michelle denies that anything romantic happened with the film professional — they just regularly communicated at the famous hotel near the Lally home.
“There were a lot of actors and actresses and directors and just wealthy individuals that I meet on a constant basis,” Michelle shared. “And I think that was very twisted in a lot of ways.”
Jesse and Michelle Lally Filmed a Relationship Update in March 2024 for The Valley
On March 2, 2024, cameras picked up at the duo’s house where Jesse was now living alone. Michelle was bringing Isabella home after some time at her place. “Michelle told me three days after we wrapped the cameras that our relationship was over,” Jesse explained in a confessional. “It made me feel like a f-cking idiot. It made me feel like I was blind and blindsided.”
Jesse went on to explain that they’d decided to have 50/50 custody of Isabella and their dog Malibu. They’d also split their business. “Right now we are in a sh-t storm kaleidoscope of divorce,” Jesse said.
While there was a lot of paperwork to work through and logistics to discuss, Michelle wanted to expedite the process. “I don’t care, I just want to get divorced,” she said.
Who is Michelle Lally from The Valley dating?
In May 2024, Michelle confirmed she was dating financial advisor Aaron Nosler.
“It is serious,” she shared in the conversation mentioned above when asked about her relationship status. “Dating has been very good for me. We instantly clicked, and we like the same things, so it’s just been really positive. I’m super happy with him. Him and I get along really, really well.”
As it turns out, Isabella has even met her mom’s new beau.
“Isabella loves him,” she added. “He’s great with children and with Isabella, and I couldn’t ask for anything more right now.”
Jesse has also been dating since their split.
Jesse and Michelle Lally Were Happily Coparenting in May 2024
During a May 2024 conversation with The Daily Dish, Michelle commented on her and Jesse’s status as co-parents, saying it had been “amazing.”
“I didn’t realize that [Isabella] really was paying attention to us fighting,” she shared. “It was affecting her a little bit. Just having tantrums and just being a 3-year-old. .. I think [it] was not healthy for her.”
Nowadays, Isabella seems happier. “I think now that she sees us look really happy, it’s been good for her overall,” the mother added. “She’s been doing a lot, lot better.”
