“I didn’t think I’d cry this hard over a castmate… but losing Paige felt like the house just fell apart.”
In a deeply emotional turn of events behind the scenes of Summer House, newly surfaced private messages sent by Kyle Cooke reveal the shocking depth of his reaction to Paige DeSorbo’s departure — and just how much her absence has unraveled the dynamic of the once-close-knit cast.
While fans witnessed Kyle tearfully admit on Watch What Happens Live that he “sobbed” after hitting “post” on his tribute to Paige, what they didn’t see was the raw heartbreak he expressed in private group chats and DMs with close friends and producers — some of which were exclusively leaked to DailyMail+.
In one text, Kyle wrote, “It’s crazy, man. It feels like she took the light with her. I know it’s just a TV show to most people… but she was the glue holding this cast together.” Another message read, “I feel weirdly betrayed, but not by her — by the idea that we all said we’d keep going, and now she’s just… gone.”
According to multiple production sources, Kyle had known Paige was considering stepping away from Summer House, but “it didn’t register emotionally” until her announcement went public — and the reaction was immediate. “He broke down,” one insider said. “Not in a performative way. He was sitting on the couch shaking, crying. Amanda had to take his phone away because he kept re-reading the post and spiraling.”
Kyle’s emotional reaction took many by surprise — especially Amanda Batula, his wife, who later joked on air, “This man sobbed. I was like, ‘You’re fine,’ but he really wasn’t. He was devastated.” However, insiders tell DailyMail+ that Amanda wasn’t just amused — she was “taken aback by the intensity of it.” One source revealed, “Amanda didn’t realize how close Kyle and Paige had become off-camera. It hit a nerve.”
Behind the scenes, the loss of Paige has reportedly created a ripple effect. “She was the balance,” one longtime crew member shared. “The girls trusted her, the guys listened to her, and production loved working with her. Without her, everything feels more divided — and that’s before filming even begins for the next season.”
In fact, one message from Kyle, dated the day after Paige’s announcement, reads almost like a breakup text: “I know it sounds dumb, but it feels like we’re breaking up. Like our whole Summer House identity just changed overnight. She was my sounding board when Amanda and I fought. She called me out without making me feel like sh—. I already miss her.”
Sources close to Kyle say he’s now working through the transition by focusing on Loverboy and his marriage, but “he still talks about Paige all the time — her opinions, her energy, her timing on camera.” One friend described it simply: “He’s grieving the loss of the old house. Paige was the heart of it.”
As fans continue to process the sudden departure of one of Summer House’s most beloved cast members, the reactions from inside the house itself — particularly from Kyle Cooke — paint a far more emotional picture than anyone expected.
It wasn’t just a goodbye to a fashion icon. For Kyle, it was the collapse of the foundation he didn’t realize he needed. And as one final leaked message heartbreakingly confessed:
“Maybe I took her for granted. I thought she’d always be here. Summer just won’t be the same.”
