Andy Cohen told listeners on his Radio Andy podcast that Amanda Batula left the Summer House reunion set for what he estimated was “At least 15 minutes, but I'm going to say 20. I'm going to say 20 or more.” The remark was his clearest timeline for a backstage absence that unfolded during part 2 of the reunion, filmed Tuesday, June 2.
Batula had stayed backstage through an all-cast break and, when producers cut back to the set, explained she needed to “touch up” her makeup before returning. Cohen’s estimate gives a specific duration to a moment viewers already knew was tense: the conversation that followed centered on Batula’s relationship with West Wilson and how it evolved after her January split from Kyle Cooke.
On camera, Batula conceded she felt “embarrassed” by the situation and said the two had discussed their status privately. “We've talked about that privately and, like, what this would look like and what this meant, which is the only reason I feel like I'm sitting here next to him right now,” she said, adding that she wanted to reach a point where she could be honest with Ciara. “I wanted to get to a point, selfishly, where maybe I felt… I understood what was going on, because I was going to have to be honest with Ciara no matter what.” Batula also said plainly, “No matter what. I felt embarrassed to have to say I have feelings and have kissed West, and he's seeing someone else. I felt embarrassed having to say that to Ciara.”
The reunion cut to confrontation despite Batula’s claim of private conversations. Cast members pressed her on camera: Lindsay Hubbard asked, “Why isn’t her boyfriend going after her?” and Ciara Miller urged, “You should go after your girl.” Mia Calabrese offered the blunt assessment, “I mean, yeah, it's embarrassing.” West Wilson, who was also questioned, said, “I didn’t know if the questions were going to come back to me.”
That clash is the friction point viewers will replay: Batula says she and West had privately negotiated what their situation meant, but the group publicly pressed her about embarrassment and his commitment, turning a behind-the-scenes dialogue into an on-camera confrontation. Batula even told producers she needed to step away mid-segment: “I think I need to take a break for a second.” Cohen’s confirmation that the break lasted a minimum of 15 minutes — and his guess of 20 or more — sharpens the pageant of emotion by putting a number on how long she remained off camera.
What remains unanswered is the simplest but most consequential detail: what actually happened during that 15 to 20-plus minutes. Neither Batula’s “touch up” explanation nor the reunion footage explains why she stayed away through the entire cast break or whether any off-camera conversations altered how she returned to the set. Cohen’s timeline makes that silence more conspicuous.
The cast will get a second round when part 3 of the Summer House reunion airs Tuesday, June 9, at 8 p.m. ET, and Sling viewers can stream the episode (Sling TV’s National Streaming Day deals are currently running). The length of Batula’s absence has shifted the focus: however the next episode unpacks the off-stage minutes, it will determine whether her private conversations with West hold up under the panel’s public scrutiny.
