Scheana Shay revealed on her Scheananigans podcast recently that, despite being divorced from ex-husband Mike Shay for nearly eight years now, she isn’t planning to part ways with his last name anytime soon.
As fans of Vanderpump Rules may remember, Scheana and Mike– who goes by his last name “Shay”– got engaged during Season 2 of the Bravo series, married in Season 3 and split up during Season 5. The two have been legally divorced since April 2017.
Despite the divorce and the fact that Scheana went on to marry husband Brock Davies in 2021– the same year the couple welcomed their first child together– Scheana has continued using the last name “Shay” for years.
While answering fan questions on a recent episode of her podcast, Scheana was asked about her decision to keep her ex-husband’s last name, and furthermore, if there was a reason she chose to use “Shay” on the cover of upcoming book, My Good Side. Scheana did explain her decision to stick with her ex’s last name, but not before reminding fans that she has answered this question many times over the years.
“I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to address this, but no matter how many times I do, I feel like it’s still probably one of the things people ask about the most,” Scheana said.
The ‘Good as Gold’ singer then explained that she has “built a professional career as Scheana Shay,” but if she had it to do over, she may have never changed her last name in the first place.
“ … then I’m altering my professional name around a man who I’m obviously no longer with,” she added.
Scheana, who was born Scheana Marie Jancan, then noted that her situation is “unfortunately, something only women in the workforce have to deal with” after getting a divorce.
“ … it’s like we lose some of our professional credentials and brand recognition and also we’re signaling that we’ve been unsuccessful in our personal lives,” Scheana said of those who decide to change their last name after getting a divorce. “You know having to essentially do, like, a coming out as a divorcee and it’s like, ‘I’m no longer Scheana Shay, I’m now Scheana Jancan again, [or] Scheana Marie,’ it just, it wasn’t for me.
“Women are already coming into the workforce at a disadvantage and changing your name every time you have a relationship update, it’s just a further disadvantage,” she said. “And frankly, there are much bigger things we should be concerned about than a name, so let’s not make it harder for one another out there.”
Watch a clip from the episode below.
