Vanderpump Rules’ James Kennedy Arrested on Suspicion of Domestic Violence

Vanderpump Rules’ James Kennedy Arrested on Suspicion of Domestic Violence

Vanderpump Rules James Kennedy was arrested for domestic violence.

Burbank police were called Vanderpump Rules on Tuesday, December 10, around 11:30 p.m. at the star’s home in Los Angeles, “due to an argument between a man and a woman.”

“The investigation determined this was a domestic incident that led to (Kennedy’s) arrest,” a police spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE. “(Kennedy) was charged with domestic violence and later released on bail. The formal charges remain pending review by the Burbank City Attorney’s Office.”

According to TMZ, which first broke the news and cited a law enforcement source, a witness reportedly saw Kennedy, 32, making contact with the unnamed woman, although authorities reported no injuries when they arrived at the scene were able to determine. He was released on $20,000 bail.

It’s unclear whether the woman in question was the DJ’s girlfriend, Ally Lewber, but the pair had attended Kathy Hilton’s annual Christmas party together earlier that evening. A source tells PEOPLE that the two spent most of the night apart and didn’t show much affection for each other.

James Kennedy and his girlfriend Ally Lewber.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images


Another insider told PEOPLE, “James behaved extremely aggressively throughout the night.”

“He was acting so erratically, running back and forth to the bar, checking on people as he went,” the insider claimed. “He seemed drunk. Spent most of the evening alone, but when he spoke to people he seemed irritable and rude.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Kennedy and the Burbank Police Department for comment.

When the news broke, Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend and ex-girlfriend VPR Co-star Kristen Doute responded on Instagram, posting a screenshot of the TMZ article and writing, “Finally.”

Kennedy and Lewber, 28, began dating in January 2022, just over a month after Kennedy called off his engagement to him VPR Co-star Rachel (formerly Raquel) Leviss. They met at a concert by Tom Sandoval’s band The Most Extras and Lewber later admitted that she had been a fan of the Bravo show.

“I had seen Vanderpump Rules. “During COVID, I went down the Bravo rabbit hole,” she explained to Andy Cohen during the show’s Season 10 reunion, according to BravoTV.com.

Despite Kennedy’s controversial past behavior, which has been documented VPRLewber said, “Meeting him was different.”

“I gave him a chance to really show me who he is,” Lewber noted, adding, “He’s great.”

Following the alleged incident, Lewber appeared alone at the Short Stories Hotel in Los Angeles for a New Year’s Eve Windsor celebration on Wednesday, December 11. She smiled for the cameras and was even photographed doing so an ephemeral tattoo from The Tattoo Shop at the event.

James Kennedy and his girlfriend Ally Lewber.

Todd Williamson/Bravo via Getty Images


Kennedy struggled with alcohol for a long time and documented his future journey VPR. In 2021, he celebrated two years of sobriety and announced the success on Instagram.

“I’M 2 YEARS SOBER TODAY💜,” he captioned the post. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my journey so far. Here’s to many more years without alcohol #forlife (to anyone struggling, trust me, the light at the end is brighter than anything I could have imagined. And if I can do it, you can too).”

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That same year, he announced that he was “California sober,” meaning he still used certain substances such as marijuana in moderation, but did not drink alcohol. This was met with resistance from his then-co-star Lala Kent (who is completely sober), but Kennedy defended his stance.

“It helped me quit drinking for good, you know what I mean?” he said. “I will also stop grazing when the time comes. …I don’t feel like I should stop right now, you know? There’s no point.”

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