Nick Viall is planning on turning Scamanda into a teachable moment for his daughters. Nick shared that he watched the drama unfold between Summer House stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson in a new way as a dad to daughters. He is planning to use their story to teach his daughters a lesson about the reality of relationships.
“I have a 2-year-old daughter. And I have twin girls on the way,” Nick said. “Which means watching the Ciara (Miller), West, and Amanda saga unfold hits differently than it might for someone just here for the drama. Less analysis, more ‘I’m going to hear some version of this repeated back to me one day.’”
Why Nick Viall is talking about using reality TV drama as a parenting tool
Nick shared in a Substack essay that he judged West and Amanda for dating so soon after they ended their previous relationships. Amanda announced her split from estranged husband Kyle Cooke in January. Meanwhile, West was seen reconnecting with Amanda’s former BFF on Summer House just last summer.
“What would I actually want my daughters to understand when they inevitably recognize themselves in a story like this?” Nick asked. “Because they will. At some point, each of them will meet someone who doesn’t choose them the way they deserve to be chosen.”
Nick broke down how he saw things between the Scamanda main players. He saw Ciara as someone “who shows up” and someone willing to invest in something real without guarantees. He doesn’t think that’s naïve. Nick thinks she’s a good partner. But being good doesn’t always protect you,
“When you combine genuine empathy with inconsistency on the other side, you don’t get balance. You get ambiguity. And ambiguity is where people stay longer than they should,” he said.
As for West, Nick thinks he’s allowed to be confused, but his pattern of behavior is always the same. Instead of being upfront and closing the door neatly with Ciara, he kept it open and protected his “access” without making him choose.
And if his daughters relate more to Amanda than Ciara, he hopes they use “eighteen years of instilled values and self-respect” to guide their choices. However, he also hopes they lead with curiosity before judgment because people don’t make choices in a vacuum.
In the end, he knows he can’t teach his girls how to avoid people like West. But he hopes that they will recognize when they’ve crossed from “mutual exploration to one-sided investment.”
Summer House airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo, and streams on Peacock the following day.
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