Amanda Batula is pulling back the curtain on her finances from Summer House and beyond.
Batula, 33, began the Monday, June 30, episode of Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast by explaining she had a marketing job for five years — three of which she was filming Summer House — with a salary of about $50,000 per year.
When Tartick, 36, asked whether Batula made more than that amount during her first season of the Bravo show, she replied, “I think less. … More than half.” — a.k.a. Batula made more than $25,000 on season 1 of Summer House.
In recent years, Batula has expanded her career to include creative and branding with husband Kyle Cooke’s Loverboy, her own swimwear line and content creation. Now, as she balances being an influencer, Batula said she strives to align herself with brands that are authentic to her.
When asked what the largest deal was that Batula turned down, she replied, “Maybe in the hundred thousands.”
“It just didn’t make sense for me,” Batula explained. “It didn’t feel authentic. It wasn’t something that I used or would use, and that’s a big thing for me. If it’s not a product that I currently use, a brand that I currently purchase, or something that I could see myself incorporating into my lifestyle, I’m not going to do it.”
She continued, “I pride myself on honesty and authenticity and I think that’s a big part of reality TV also, is always being truthful. So I want to continue that. Even though I’m doing these brand deals and selling stuff, I’m not going to sell you something that I don’t use.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, Batula weighed in on the idea of prenups after not signing one ahead of her marriage to Cooke, now 42, in 2022.
“I messed up major. I don’t know if it was the movies we watched growing up or the tabloids, but prenup had such a negative connotation,” she explained. “It was connected to divorce. It always felt so messy. You would see celebrities, prenup this, prenup that. It didn’t feel like a smart thing to do, so we didn’t sign one.”
Batula, however, thinks “everyone should sign a prenup” and equated the idea to health insurance.
“Protect your assets, for them to protect theirs. You have no idea what is going to happen. You think you’re in love and happy now, it could end really messy, and then what, you’re screwed,” she said. “Everyone should get a prenup. Hear it from the girl that didn’t get one.”
When Tartick noted that Batula has had “success” since exchanging vows, she quipped, “I should have protected my assets.”
