BREAKING NEWS: Vanderpump Rules’ Scheana Shay Breaks Silence on James Kennedy Arrest: ‘He Needs to Get Help’ .giang

Scheana Shay is addressing her former Vanderpump Rules costar James Kennedy‘s recent arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.

While breaking her silence on the matter during the Dec. 27 episode of her Scheananigans podcast, the reality star, 39, admitted she hoped the incident was Kennedy’s “rock bottom” and revealed how she’s been supporting his girlfriend, Ally Lewber, during this time.

Shay began by telling fans she’s remained silent out of respect for “Ally’s privacy as she requested and I didn’t wanna add to any headlines because she’s going through enough right now.” Despite her initial plans to keep the topic off her podcast, she admitted she understood how “that’s coming off.”

“I have spoken to Ali. I check in with her often. I always have,” she explained. “But I know it seems like if I stay silent, y’all somehow think I support his behavior, which I absolutely do not.”

Shay added that she’s also had “a lot of empathy” for Kennedy’s ex-fiancée Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, whom she lent her home and support to during their friendship. While Leviss “always told me that James was never physically abusive,” she added that “abuse isn’t limited to just physical, and ultimately, it led to her exiting that relationship.”

Following his arrest, Leviss, 30, reflected on her past relationship with Kennedy, which ended in Jan. 2022.

“Being in an abusive relationship is confusing because you believe in the potential of your significant other and can’t comprehend how someone who says they love you is intentionally hurting you,” she shared on her Instagram Story without naming Kennedy, 32. “Bad times can be few and far between, it’s easy to minimize the abuse and want to believe the person is capable of change.”

Shay noted that she hopes Kennedy can learn from his mistakes.

“I do hope that James views this as a rock bottom moment and is serious about than just committing to a healing plan versus just seeing this as something that’s gonna like ruin the world tour or residency or whatever,” she continued, adding that she’s seen his name removed from certain shows and called it a “direct consequence to his actions.”

“He needs to get help and not just to prevent Ally or some other girl from being subjected to abusive behavior in the future, but to give himself a chance to live life with healthy relationships,” she said. “And I know he wants those things for himself, and he needs to give himself the proper tools to deal with his trauma that doesn’t involve projecting it onto others.”

The “Good as Gold” singer looked back at her own relationship with her husband Brock Davies and how he’s made “some bad choices in his early twenties.” After working on himself, Shay said Davies isn’t the “same person he was,” otherwise “I wouldn’t have married him.”

“He’s an incredible partner and father, and, you know, he’s made some mistakes. But he’s grown. He’s learned from his past. And I thought James had too. Hopefully, now he finally will,” she added.

On Dec. 10, Kennedy was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence after the Burbank Police Department was called to his Los Angeles home “regarding an argument between a man and a woman,” a police spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.

“The investigation determined it was a domestic incident, leading to [Kennedy’s] arrest,” the spokesperson said. “[Kennedy] was booked for misdemeanor domestic violence and later posted bail. Formal charges are pending review by the Burbank City Attorney’s office.”

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According to TMZ, a law enforcement source claimed a witness saw Kennedy become physical with the unnamed woman though authorities didn’t see any injuries when they arrived on the scene. He was eventually released on $20,000 bail.