Jesse Lally had officially moved on after his split from Michelle Saniei, and “The Valley” star’s new relationship with Lacy Nicole was one of the most talked-about storylines off-screen during season 2.
Jesse Lally’s Girlfriend, Lacy Nicole’s Work and Advocacy
While Jesse’s messy divorce played out on Bravo, Nicole stayed away from the spotlight. Instead, she focused on her philanthropy and advocacy. She served on the boards of several charities, including the Children’s Oncology Support Fund and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She also founded her own organization, Shame to Sparkle, dedicated to normalizing conversations about trauma and PTSD.
“Being a victim of a crime, a trauma, abuse, or any event that inflicts PTSD should not be a life sentence,” reads part of the foundation’s mission statement. Nicole, who described herself as a “survivor & childhood trauma expert,” also hosted a podcast of the same name, where she spoke with survivors, authors, and experts.
On social media, she often shared her struggles with invisible illnesses like endometriosis, furthering her advocacy for people with autoimmune conditions.
Jesse and Lacy’s Relationship Off-Camera
Jesse and Nicole went public in April 2024, making their red carpet debut at Sparkle’s Drag Spectacular benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. While Jesse often shared photos of them at events, Nicole rarely posted about him on her own Instagram.
By the time season 2 of “The Valley” was filmed, Jesse had decided to keep Nicole off-camera. “We had just started a new relationship [when filming began],” he told Entertainment Tonight in April 2025. “It’s hard enough going through a divorce in private — we were going through it on television. For the health of Isabella, we just decided it probably wasn’t best.” He added that Nicole had a positive influence on his daughter and described her as “such a stable, sophisticated woman.”
Even though Nicole never filmed, Jesse often referred to her as his “friend in Orange County” throughout the season. Things took a turn at the reunion when Andy Cohen confronted Jesse about Nicole allegedly showing up at Michelle’s Zen party after filming wrapped. Cameras reportedly started rolling again as tensions flared between Michelle and Nicole.
Andy didn’t hold back, telling Jesse, “If your girlfriend showed up today, you know what I would do? Stick a mic on her and get her in here.” Brittany Cartwright, Kristen Doute, and Jasmine Goode all agreed with Andy, pointing out that if someone steps into the drama, Bravo is going to capture it.
Nicole may have stayed away from the cameras (for now), but her presence was still felt. For Jesse, keeping his personal life separate from his Bravo life proved impossible.
Want even juicier Bravo tea? Sign up for Cocktail Party here!
