If there’s one thing The Valley knows how to do, it’s stir up drama that keeps the Bravo fandom divided. And this week, the spotlight was once again on Danny Booko. The actor, dad, husband, and apparently, the latest target of the Capernas. Jason Caperna, along with help from Janet Caperna, has been trying to paint a narrative that doesn’t seem to represent who Danny is to his core. Most fans were hoping the couple would slow down for a second.
Not every struggle with boundaries is a diagnosis. Danny’s comments on this week’s episode may have raised eyebrows, but assuming he’s battling addiction based on one scene? That feels more like projection than analysis.
Why is Danny Booko getting called out for drinking on The Valley?
During the cast trip to Santa Barbara, Danny had a bit too much fun, which resulted in him needing a nap. Instead of understanding he might just be tired, Janet wrote a whole narrative about how she was uncomfortable after she watched Danny take a swig of tequila while in the pantry. It didn’t help Danny’s case that he acted inappropriately at a Halloween party with Jasmine Goode.
On The Valley: After Show, Jason noted, “That’s fine. That can happen. It’s when the next day you gaslight everybody and say, ‘I had one seltzer and one shot.’ It’s calling that crouched down swig with the closet door closed a shot, which is not how I consider a shot, and when it was boldfaced lies in response, that’s when it kind of set my plan off track,” he explained. “He’s saying he’s confused because at that point his story is that he had two drinks but in actuality he had 25 drinks.”
But Danny has stood strong against the accusations. During the same show, the voice actor replied, “I was like, ‘What are you trying to say here?’ And he was just all over the place, trying to do this, trying to say that, and then he was getting really frustrated, and I couldn’t get out a sentence, and his veins [were] popping out. For him to come at me as hard as he was, I was very surprised and caught off guard.”
Danny’s reveal that he sometimes hides his drinking isn’t an admission that he’s an alcoholic
During The Valley, Episode 11, things got interesting thanks to the boys’ summit. Long story short, life coach Scott was hired by Jesse to talk the men through their issues. But after the group hug, the meeting took a turn when Jason and Jax Taylor started to once again accuse Danny of having a drinking problem. This is a group that runs on tequila, tension, and text threads gone rogue. So when Danny mentioned that he sometimes drinks in secret, it was like throwing a match into a wine-soaked powder keg. Coach Scott explained to the group that Danny chose this behavior because all men are “sneaky and squirrelly.”
The explanation felt icky. Number one, he was speaking for Danny. Two, it felt like he was saying all men’s behavior could be excused away because “boys will be boys.” As an outsider watching the pow-wow, it very much felt like Danny was being forced to admit that he sometimes hides the number of drinks he brings back from the bar. I didn’t like it. As a long-time Bravo viewer, I can’t forget that Danny’s wife, Nia Sanchez, has made it clear she doesn’t love drinking culture. And in a group where boozy brunches are practically a cast member, Danny’s in a tough spot. So yeah, maybe he sneaks a drink now and then. But maybe just maybe it’s not deep. Perhaps it’s just human.
The Valley fans feel bad for Danny Booko
Even with all the chatter from Janet, Jax, and Jason, a lot of fans are actually feeling for Danny. And they should. Because no matter how great his life looks, he’s clearly struggling with something we’ve all faced: how to be your full self in a friendship where compromise is constant. Danny is constantly having to defend himself when he should feel he has a safe space within this group. Danny isn’t out here doing shots at daycare, and he’s not slurring through confessionals. As a viewer, it feels more like Danny might be trying to find the right balance, but his co-stars are more interested in a storyline.
The Valley viewers have watched him try to be the nice guy. But Danny is slowly starting to become fed up. At the end of the day, Danny’s not perfect. But he’s not pretending to be either. And if reality TV is supposed to reflect real life, then maybe we should let people show their struggles without instantly turning them into storylines—just a thought.
The Valley is available to stream on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
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