Kristen Doute is clearing up what she really said about Zack Wickham amid an increasingly complicated friendship battle on “The Valley.”
During a recent episode of “The Valley: After Show,” Kristen pushed back on claims that she accused Nia Booko of manipulating Zack following his brief reconciliation with Janet Caperna.
“Do I think Zack is manipulated? No,” Kristen said.
The conversation traces back to a photoshoot where Zack’s changing relationships with the group became a major topic. Kristen admitted she was “really, really mad” during the discussion but insisted her comments weren’t about Nia controlling Zack.
“What I was saying was that Zack was sh-t-talking Janet a bunch. And I stand by that I was mad,” Kristen explained. “Zack is an almost impossible person to manipulate, and I will stand here, and now, on this hill I will die on, when people say that like, I can convince Zack to feel certain ways, it is the opposite. Zack can convince me of feeling certain ways but not about certain people.”
Brittany Cartwright Says She Heard Something Very Different From Kristen Doute
Brittany Cartwright and Lala Kent remembered the conversation differently.
According to Brittany, Kristen specifically pointed toward Nia when discussing why Zack’s feelings had changed.
“She actually told us it was Nia, not her, that was making Zack feel some type of way, and then everybody denied everything the next day. It was wild,” Brittany said.
Nia acknowledged hearing about the allegation but suggested her comments to Zack may have been misunderstood.
“Maybe they heard me giving Zack a hard time, but me playfully giving my friend a hard time is not going to whatsoever sway his opinion. He’s going to do what he wants,” Nia said.
Zack also rejected the idea that anyone was controlling his decisions.
He accused some of his co-stars of attempting to create problems between him and Kristen by suggesting she was influencing his friendship with Nia.
“I’m sorry, [but that] is on such solid ground. I would never. Like, you can’t get through that,” Zack said of his friendship with Kristen.
Zack Wickham & Brittany Cartwright’s Longtime Friendship Hits a Rough Patch
@ZackWickham is one of the few redeeming factors of #TheValley. Point blank. Period.
— HI BABY GORGEOUS! (@Kathryn0687) August 6, 2026
The manipulation debate isn’t the only friendship problem Zack is dealing with on “The Valley.”
His relationship with longtime friend Brittany has also become strained, with the two acknowledging that their nearly decade-long friendship has recently hit a rough patch.
Brittany recalled confronting Zack about whether he believed Kristen and Nia over her.
“I asked Zack like, ‘Are you really gonna believe like, Kristen and Nia over me?’ And he immediately is like, ‘Yes,'” Brittany recalled.
Zack confirmed he “100 percent” believed Kristen and Nia.
That response didn’t sit well with Brittany.
“Zack and I have years of friendship. We’ve known each other for almost 10 years before he ever even moved to LA, so then to not even like, question, ‘Oh, maybe Brittany’s telling the truth about this,’ yeah, that hurts,” she said.
Kristen suggested Brittany’s continued friendship with Janet was contributing to the tension. Zack agreed that their differing views of Janet have affected his relationship with Brittany.
“I think that’s what puts more of a strain on our relationship,” Zack explained.
Brittany Cartwright Says the Zack Wickham Drama ‘Breaks My Heart’
Brittany believes Zack may still be upset that she remained close with Janet after his own friendship with Janet deteriorated.
“I think he still like, had some kind of like, anger towards me about that, and I think it’s just grown because I’m still super close to her, super close to him, [and] he thinks I’m choosing her side all the time,” Brittany said. “But that’s not what it is.”
She also suggested Zack wanted her to “blindly take his side,” something she wasn’t willing to do.
Brittany admitted the situation has been emotional and expects watching it unfold on “The Valley” to make it even harder.
“And I think whenever I finally get to watch these episodes, I’m gonna be really hurt, I’m gonna cry, because he’s been my friend for so long and he’s like, ride or die,” she said.
Zack acknowledged their relationship has become “a little bit rockier,” but insisted he hasn’t given up on the friendship.
“I’m ride or die, and I’m not dead yet, so we’re good. But I’m just standing my ground for once,” he said. “It’s not gonna go anywhere.”
Brittany, meanwhile, said she doesn’t want the drama to change how she approaches her friendships.
“I have trained myself, unknowingly, to accept that from people and it just breaks my heart because he never did that to me before, so it makes me sad,” she said.
“The Valley” season 3 reunion continues with part 2 on Wednesday, August 12 on Bravo.
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