‘The Valley’ star Michelle Lally clarifies stance on Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill: ‘I’m not homophobic’

She’s putting the ally in Lally. 

“The Valley” star Michelle Saniei Lally tells Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast that she is “not homophobic” despite speculation that she supported Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“To be honest, I don’t follow politics. I don’t know exactly what that bill does. So I don’t talk about it because I don’t have an opinion because I don’t know what is yes, what is no,” Lally says. 

“I don’t believe any of those things,” she elaborates. “Like, I am not homophobic in any way.” 

“The Valley” star Michelle Saniei Lally tells Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast that she is “not homophobic” — despite what her castmates have said. michelle.saniei/Instagram Lally’s co-star Janet Caperna implied that the former made comments expressing her support for Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Getty Images for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

During the March 26 episode of the new Bravo reality show, Lally’s castmate Janet Caperna revealed in a confessional that the luxury real estate agent made comments implying that the latter agreed with Governor Ron DeSantis’ ban on Sunshine State schools instructing on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

“Michelle, Brittany [Cartwright] and I were at dinner a few months ago and Michelle said something along the lines of, ‘”Don’t Say Gay” laws protect children.’ And I’m like, ‘No, no, no … you’re wrong,’” Caperna said, recalling an off-camera girls’ night out.

“I thought maybe she got swept into an algorithm that maybe is teaching her some things that are not true.”

“To be honest, I don’t follow politics. I don’t know exactly what that bill does,” she says. michelle.saniei/Instagram In 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on Sunshine State schools instructing on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Getty Images

Caperna relayed details of the conversation to co-star Jasmine Goode — who is openly bisexual — and alerted her that Lally’s purported stance on the situation may be a “teachable moment.” 

“I just said to Jasmine … ‘We were talking about this bill and I think she might support it? But I don’t know,” she told her husband, Jason Caperna, in a separate scene.

“I was like, ‘But, since it’s related to the LGBTQ community, if you happen to hear her talking about it and sense the same thing I did, it might be a teachable moment.’”

“Michelle, Brittany [Cartwright] and I were at dinner a few months ago and Michelle said something along the lines of, ‘“Don’t Say Gay” laws protect children,'” Caperna (third from right) said on the show. Felix Kunze/Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo Lally, pictured here with daughter Isabella, clarifies that she is an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. michelle.saniei/Instagram

That information eventually made its way to Goode’s fellow queer “Valley” castmate, Zack Wickham, who later told Kristen Doute. 

The “Vanderpump Rules” alum eventually discussed the issue on camera, convoluting Caperna’s initial assessment of Lally’s alleged homophobia with her being a Republican and racist, too. 

Lally tells “Virtual Reali-Tea” that all three claims are false. 

Kristen Doute eventually discussed the issue on camera, convoluting Caperna’s initial assessment of Lally’s alleged homophobia with her being a Republican and racist, too.  Casey Durkin/Bravo Lally tells “Virtual Reali-Tea” that all three claims are false.  Getty Images

“We were trying to figure it out and finally, we got where this conversation came from which was a long time ago and it wasn’t really a conversation,” she says of the original “Don’t Say Gay” discussion. 

“It was just a dinner and I might have made a comment but that turned into something so much uglier and it was very upsetting because Kristen had the opportunity to tell me this before filming and that’s the first time she mentions it? And she did add and twist a lot, so it was hard to deal with.”

The mom of one — who shares a young daughter named Isabella with estranged husband Jesse Lally — emphasizes that she is “not racist” or “any of these things” Doute made her out to be. 

“It was just a dinner and I might have made a comment but that turned into something so much uglier,” says the luxury real estate agent, pictured here with estranged husband Jesse Lally. Felix Kunze/Bravo “Like, the person who married Jesse and I, he’s our best friend and he’s gay and I embrace anybody and everybody,” she says. michelle.saniei/Instagram

Conversely, Michelle emphasizes that she is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, further noting that her and Jesse’s shared best friend — who is a gay man — was the officiant in their October 2018 wedding. 

“I have so many [gay] friends,” she says. “Like, the person who married Jesse and I, he’s our best friend and he’s gay and I embrace anybody and everybody.”

“The Valley” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.