Getty James Kennedy of Vanderpump Rules.
James Kennedy’s sobriety is a storyline on the ninth season of “Vanderpump Rules.”
The DJ opened up in the premiere episode of the Bravo reality show to say his life is going “great” now that he quit drinking.
“I’m actually doing better without the alcohol,” Kennedy said in a confessional.
But in another scene, Kennedy’s longtime boss, Lisa Vanderpump, confronted him about how he still crosses “boundaries” in how he speaks to people. During a meet-up with Kennedy at SUR, Vanderpump whipped out screenshots of text messages he sent to her son, Max Todd. In the texts, Kennedy repeatedly called Todd “fat” and “miserable.”
Kennedy admitted the texts were “horrible” and explained that he had a blowout with his friend of 10 years over a restaurant bill at the West Hollywood hotspot, Dan Tana’s. He admitted he freaked out at Todd and even threw water at him while at the upscale eatery, then feared Todd was going to hit him. The argument drew the attention of everyone at the restaurant.
Max Todd Accused Kennedy of Being on Drugs
Vanderpump later arranged for her son and Kennedy to meet at her Villa Rosa estate to hash things out. She noted that out of everyone in the world, her son has always been on Kennedy’s side and that their friendship was “worth saving.”
Once he was face to face with Kennedy, Todd questioned if he was using drugs.
“I don’t understand why you were so aggressive,” Todd said to Kennedy. “All I said was ‘Hey, by the way, they charge $10 for a split plate.’ And then you just went off. It doesn’t make any sense. I thought you were on drugs, mate.”
“Well we both took that pre-workout pill,” Kennedy clarified.
Kennedy explained that he and Todd took a vitamin supplement to get energy before working out.
“We both tried it that day,” Kennedy said. “It made me hyper, alpha male. That’s what it was meant to do. I haven’t taken it since that day.”
Todd questioned why he was fine after taking the pill and Kennedy was not. He then reflected on his long and difficult friendship with the DJ.
“Every time we went out you drank,” Todd said. “It was an escapade of belligerence. …Do you understand how many f***ing times I’ve had to deal with you? To be slapped in the face like that, it was the final straw for me.”
Kennedy then apologized for his harsh words and nasty texts that he sent his friend, but Todd wasn’t forgiving—and even went so far as to ban Kennedy from his parents’ restaurant, where he works.
“I don’t want you at SUR,” Todd told Kennedy. “Because you’re an a**h***.”
In 2016, Kennedy talked to The Daily Dish about his friendship with Todd.
“Well Max is my best friend, and we do everything together,” he said at the time.
Kennedy Has Been Vocal About His Sobriety, But His Fiancé Said He is More of a ‘California Sober’
GettyJames Kennedy (L) and Raquel Leviss.
“Vanderpump Rules” fans have watched Kennedy’s journey to sobriety after his fiancée Raquel Leviss gave him an ultimatum in 2019. He originally quit drinking after being fired from SUR during season 7 of ‘Vandeprump Rules,” but had a relapse, per Distractify.
In the new “Vanderpump Rules” episode, Leviss said Kennedy was set to mark two years of sobriety. But she added that he still does “smoke weed every single day.”
“I guess you could say James is a California sober,” she said.
“California sober” is a controversial approach to addiction recovery that includes drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in moderation, per Healthline.
Just ahead of his two-year milestone, Kennedy told E! News that focuses on “gratitude” to help him maintain his alcohol-free lifestyle.
“It’s the feeling of being so thankful for my sobriety,” he said. “I wake up every day thanking God that I’ve got it. My life has just gotten so much better from quitting drinking. I’m never hungover, I’m able to focus on my music so much more. My relationships and friendships are excelling. When I see these amazing things happening right before my eyes, why would I want to go back?”
READ NEXT: Lisa Vanderpump Reveals Status of Relationship With Stassi Schroeder