Viewers of The Valley have watched Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick’s romance evolve. They met at a wedding, were immediately intimate, and proceeded to have a long-distance relationship. Now, they have a child, but it is anything but easy. Their postpartum romance has taken a drastic turn, and fans are not happy with Luke’s behavior, but Kristen is begging for them to cut him a break. Keep reading for more details.
Rumors Of A Kristen & Luke Split Run Rampant
Clips for Season 3 of The Valley came out, showing Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick struggling in their engagement. They had just welcomed their daughter, Kaia Lily, but the passion was on pause. Kristen’s postpartum was through the roof, and she did not feel good about herself, which is perfectly normal. However, Luke was desperate to be intimate with his fiancée and just wanted her to feel the same way as he did. They were seen fighting back and forth, and, in real-time, it appeared that the duo had called it quits.
Kristen was not wearing her ring or posting Luke on social media. Eventually, she came out and confirmed that they were very much still an item. As the season began in April 2026, it was clear that Luke did not understand what Kristen was going through. She did not feel attractive, and her Postpartum Depression was real. Fans lashed out at Luke and were tired of his attitude so soon after she had Kaia:
- Ugh his whining about sex. Yes, intimacy is important in a relationship, but the woman is only 3 months postpartum. Just because the dr clears you does not mean you’re physically or mentally prepared for that. She said she was struggling with her body image and he just tries to mansplain. He gives Utah vibes. IYKYK
He has been extremely complimentary of Kristen Doute, but has received immense backlash. Now, Kristen is begging The Valley fans to cut Luke some slack:
“ … I want people to give Luke a little bit of a chance, because … I don’t feel like there are resources for the first-time dads.”
She noted that she has been extremely lucky to be surrounded by supportive mothers. That has not been the case for Luke.
All Of These Red Flags
Of course, The Valley fans have felt off about Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick’s relationship from the beginning. He was based in Colorado when they met, but was traveling back and forth to California. Then, she wanted to have a baby so he would be around during her ovulation time periods, so they would have their best chances. Luke proposed, and then they got pregnant, which was all they ever wanted. However, she lost her free and fun self postpartum, and that was something Luke had no idea how to deal with. That being said, viewers believed the writing was on the wall all along:
For now, Kristen Doute is hopeful that things will work out, but time will tell if they can truly reconnect.
Do you think that things will work out for Kristen and Luke? Let us know and watch The Valley Wednesdays on Bravo.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
