Michelle Saniei, formerly known as Lally, has a new podcast, Pursuit of Sassiness, which she dropped slightly ahead of Season 2 of The Valley. We gave it a listen, hoping for breadcrumbs about the drama we might soon expect to see on Bravo. Instead of gossiping, however, Michelle gave us truths, focusing on the events that shaped her childhood and present narratives.
The Valley featured a decent-sized cast in Season 1. In Season 2, the cast has grown. Partners of three stars are joining, alongside a handful of Vanderpump Rules alums. Therefore, in Season 2, background intel might be tough to get across, as many hotheads will be battling it out for the lenses of their production teams.
In detailing her personal information via her podcast debut, Michelle is giving us the tea she might not have been able to pour on The Valley. To help prepare our readers for Season 2, this is what Michelle shared in Episode 1 of Pursuit of Sassiness.
Michelle Saniei had a happy childhood, but her family fell apart when she was 12
First, Michelle is no longer a Lally. She has changed her name back to Saniei. Then, Michelle begins her podcast, Pursuit of Sassiness, with an explainer: She is shy and quiet, yet she wants people to get to know the real her. By creating this podcast, Michelle can help explain her thought processes, aided by her lifelong narratives, as various storylines collide on The Valley.
As for her childhood, Michelle has “two immigrant parents that came to LA in 1985. My mom is from Culiacan, Mexico, and my dad is from Tehran, Iran. They were both born and raised in their countries and decided to move to LA in their thirties. My dad was super intelligent [and] strict with me, and he spoke five languages, hence why I have a little accent.”
When Michelle was 12, something shifted in her father. His behaviors pivoted. This switch led to her dad asking Michelle for permission to divorce her mother and leave their home “because he didn’t think it was safe for me to be around. And I said yes,” Michelle candidly explained.
Overnight, her life changed. They moved to an area her mother could better afford. This move saw Michelle going from being the “Mexican Persian girl with an accent” in LA to “the white girl” at “a Mexican school” in San Diego. “So I was just always out of place,” she adds.
Michelle Saniei put herself through college before settling on real estate, a path Ryan Serhant helped forge
After high school, Michelle knew she needed to attend college. College was important to her father, plus her siblings had degrees, so Michelle wanted one to fit in. However, money was tight, so Michelle put herself through school with paychecks from Hooters. Little did she know, on the other side of the country, her future costar, Brittany Cartwright, was also serving wings in matching orange hotpants.
When Michelle graduated with a business degree, she turned to real estate. “My brother was a very successful lender, so I graduated and moved in with [him] while studying to get my real estate license. And I was his assistant,” Michelle explained. She sold 19 houses, earning the title Rookie of the Year at Coldwell Banker in her first year as a realtor.
I love Ryan Serhant. So does Michelle, as this Bravo-turned-Netflix realtor helped Michelle in the early days of her career. After her brother put Ryan on her radar, Michelle reached out to him. Ryan responded, setting up a meeting with Michelle, which eventually led to Michelle working on his team before she eventually went out on her own.
Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei started strong, but over time, their marriage grew rocky
When Michelle landed a spot at Hilton and Hyland, she met Jesse Lally. Jesse followed her down the street one day, but Michelle was on her phone, so he never got a second to speak with her. Therefore, Jesse reached out to Michelle on Facebook in 2015, writing her a cheesy bit about air conditioners. His lines worked.
Michelle agreed to grab coffee with him, but as Jesse talked nonstop about himself, Michelle realized that he was “not husband material.” So, Michelle decided to “use him as a booty call” instead. Their situationship then became a business pairing. As their bank accounts grew from their joint real estate transactions, so did their bond.
In 2018, Michelle and Jesse tied the knot. In 2020, they had their daughter, Isabella. At the hospital, Michelle pleaded for an epidural, but Jesse wanted a natural birth (NOT YOUR CALL, JESSE). Thankfully, after arguing back and forth with him, the nurses listened to Michelle.
After bringing Isabella home from the hospital, “This is the part [where] my marriage became a nightmare,” Michelle revealed.
Through Jesse Lally, Michelle Saniei met Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, their costars on The Valley
Before I recap this nightmare, I will first summarize what Michelle said about another nonfunctioning duo, Brittany and Jax Taylor. While Michelle and Jesse were married, they were “constantly going out [and] meeting people,” Michelle began. One night, they ran into Jax and Brittany. “Apparently, Jax and Jesse were roommates over 20 years ago,” Michelle began, adding, “They lived in New York City, and they were trying to be actors and models.”
After New York, Jax and Jesse “had a falling out,” but Michelle did not wish to touch on this. She does not know “what happened, and I think that is their story to tell,” she explained. However, Jax and Jesse “reconnected once Jesse and I were married, and [Jax] introduced me to Brittany. I remember when Brittany and I first met, we talked about how old we were, we’re the same age, then she mentioned she was a Hooters girl, and I said it too,” Michelle recalled.
Michelle Saniei recalls the events of her separation and divorce from Jesse Lally
With good(ish) friends at their side, and a beautiful daughter to raise, Michelle and Jesse were living the dream. Except dreams can quickly transition into nightmares, as Michelle explained in her debut episode of Pursuit of Sassiness. Children change relationships, making lifestyles and priorities shift. But when only one side participates, tears start to form.
“It was a very lonely time for me, but my world at the time was my daughter in my home,” Michelle stressed. Unfortunately, Jesse “continued his life as if he was still” single, while Michelle “was expected to be at home.” Then, Jesse “stopped communicating with me. He was gone all the time,” Michelle further noted.
“I felt like I grew, and he was going backwards in life. And I stayed, I stayed as long as I did because the unknown is super scary,” she admitted. Michelle broached the idea of divorce, but Jesse wept, promising to turn things around. Then, Bravo came a-calling, landing her family a spot on The Valley in Season 1. Sadly, right before their cameras picked up, her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and this, combined with her failing marriage, made filming rough.
After filming, Michelle realized “it was now or never.” She initiated a divorce. Soon, we will see what happens to this pair as they navigate life apart in Season 2 of The Valley.
The Valley is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – DID YOU LISTEN TO MICHELLE’S PODCAST DEBUT? WHAT FACT STRUCK YOU THE MOST?
