The Viall Files – E1055: Going Deeper with Britani Bateman and Jared Osmond: A Situationship Deep Dive

Podcast: The Viall Files
Host: Nick Viall (plus co-hosts, including Natalie Joy)
Guests: Britani Bateman and Jared Osmond
Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this “Going Deeper” episode, Nick Viall and his co-hosts welcome Real Housewives of Salt Lake City couple Britani Bateman and Jared Osmond for an in-depth, candid discussion about the reality (and reality TV lens) of their on-again-off-again relationship. The conversation tackles public perception, family pressures, catty DMs, the challenge of being cast as a villain, and how unresolved trauma and reality TV editing amplify normal relationship struggles. Both Britani and Jared own their parts in the drama, reflect on messy breakups, and reveal how their “situationship” mirrors modern dating struggles at every age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jared’s Reluctant Reality TV Journey

• Origin Story (03:42–07:40): Jared opens up about joining RHOSLC not by design, but as part of Britani’s storyline after being pulled into her producer interview.
• Osmond Family Fallout (04:30–06:40): Being Donny Osmond’s nephew, Jared shares how appearing on reality TV has shocked and embarrassed his musical family—"My family has hated it... I've received comments from pretty much all of them, like, what are you doing?" (05:22)
• He admits to having never watched housewives before joining, and didn't expect to be such a focal point.

2. The “Villain Edit” & Reality TV Realities

• Editing and Ownership (09:41–11:33):
  • Jared expresses frustration at being cast as the show’s “villain” through selective editing, but ultimately acknowledges, “Everything I’ve said, I am not gonna sit here and tell you I didn’t. I have to own it, sure.” (11:25)
  • He acknowledges Bravo’s stance: “We can only use what you give us.” (10:47)

3. Anatomy of a Situationship: Breaking Up on Repeat

• Breakups/Pauses (13:31–22:22):
  • Jared and Britani admit to “breaking up almost every month,” which Jared reframes as “pausing” the relationship during emotional turbulence, especially related to show stress:
    • “Even as we walked on the river a few episodes ago and I looked terrible... I didn’t say, at least that wasn’t all of it. I’m like, ‘Hey if you’d just be stable, Brittany, for five minutes.’ I got so much hate for that.” (15:41)
  • Both are still processing complicated divorces, and the public nature of their dynamic strains relationships with their children.

4. Infamous Lines & Public Backlash

• Walk and Talk Fight (15:44–16:23):
  • Nick reads back Jared’s harsh comments:
    • "You want me to be your boyfriend. How about you just be stable for longer than five minutes?" (16:13)
  • Jared admits it was harsh and admits he “came off, you know, looking like kind of a jerk.”
• DMS and Leaked Messages (27:46–33:30):
  • Jared addresses a circulated DM portraying Britani as “needing drama to be relevant” and himself as the sole reason for her “job” on the show—"I give her relevance. I give her a talking point." (29:05)
  • He regrets the DM, says he retracted it, and that it was written in heartbreak and anger.

5. Relationship Dynamics: Accountability & Adaptation

• Nick’s Analysis (22:29–23:56):
  • Nick suggests Britani’s pattern of “breaking up” is actually a reaction to Jared’s inability to make her feel safe:
    • “It feels like she is just simply reacting to you. Fair?” —
    • Jared: “That’s extremely fair.” (23:55–23:56)
• Jared’s Self-Reflection (24:36–26:38):
  • Jared concedes that the breakups are mostly his fault, and that his own fear and “emotional unavailability” are a problem:
    • “I would say that the reason we break up is because of me.” (26:38)
  • He describes being supportive in practical ways (like helping around the house) but failing on the emotional front.

6. Engagement Drama and Lost Rings

• Engagement Timeline (26:42–27:44):
  • Jared and Britani were engaged; paused the engagement due to his “sketchiness” about marriage after trauma.
  • The engagement ring was stolen during Britani’s cabaret trip to New York:
    • "She took the ring out of the safe... It got stolen, we think at the hotel." (27:20)

7. Family & Children’s Reactions

• Children’s Disapproval (37:09–38:05):
  • Their adult children are not on board, especially after private matters became public on the show:
    • "The reason we've slow played, even with the engagement... is because we want our children to be on our team. And we know we need to show them some sort of stability before they will be." (37:22)
  • Jared recaps being booed in public, even at BravoCon.

8. Reactive Patterns & Gendered Commentary

• Instability Labeling (33:14–34:55):
  • Nick flags calling a woman "unstable" on TV as especially problematic—
    • "Any commentary around... Calm down, pipe down, you’re overly emotional, you’re unstable. There is no grace." (34:42)
  • Jared acknowledges hundreds of hate DMs and embarrassment.

9. Britani’s Perspective & Emotional Safety

• Britani’s Honest Assessment (51:51–59:06):
  • She found listening to Jared’s reflection “triggering” and confirms:
    • “I love him deeply... It’s not for lack of love. It’s like this hope that it’ll turn into something."
  • Britani notes the emotional pendulum: she was ready for a relationship early; Jared was not.
  • “As he’s growing into our relationship, I’ve been growing out of our relationship.” (58:23)
  • Indicates Jared has recently proven his emotional commitment, and for the first time, she feels secure and stable.

10. Attachment Issues, Therapy, and Modern Middle-Aged Dating

• Therapy and Growth (53:39–54:02):
  • Both have been in and out of individual and couples’ therapy.
• Attachment Styles (62:51–64:42):
  • Britani delves into how attachment styles (her daughter’s and her own) color their family dynamics and breakups.
  • She’s attempting to model healthy boundaries with her kids, e.g., not letting Jared come between her and her daughter:
    • "He will never come between my kids and me, ever. If anything, he wants to celebrate it." (63:25)

11. Messy “Pauses,” best friendships, and Emotional Stalking

• Breakups and Reconnections (64:42–68:29):
  • After an 8-month split, initiated by Britani, Jared won her back by persistent communication, including paying to DM her via Cameo:
    • "I started sending her... Cameo requests. She blocked on all platforms... And all of a sudden, it went from $3.99 a text to $15.99." (66:05)
  • Throughout even their "breaks," they continue daily contact—“Even when we’re dating other people... we haven’t missed a day together.” (60:00)
• Defining the Relationship (68:44–69:55):
  • Both agree that a lot of their so-called breakups are really pauses or timeouts.

12. The “Plane Incident” and Bravo Drama

• The “Plane Incident” (74:12–78:10):
  • Britani can’t share details before airing/reunion, but says if fans saw the real footage, “their minds would be blown. Literally.” (76:28)
  • She won’t repeat what was said, calling it “deplorable” and “unforgivable.”

13. Looking Forward: Will They Make It Work?

• Boundary Setting with Bravo (43:14–44:31):
  • Jared is “done with reality TV,” but may always be “part of the story” as long as he’s with Britani.
  • His priority is living up to his promise to his children to keep private matters off TV.
• Stability & Future Plans (84:39–84:54):
  • Both vow to “just show up every day and do our very best and communicate and try to get over our triggers. We’re going to choose each other and try.” (84:47–84:54)

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• Jared on Reluctance:
  • “I’m on a reality television show that, quite honestly, I don’t want to be on.” (03:55, Jared)
• On the Villain Edit:
  • “They’ll film for two and a half hours and I’ll get a two and a half minute edit. And it’s always the bad stuff.” (09:41, Jared)
• On Relationship Instability:
  • “We would literally break up every month. And it looks terrible because it is.” (13:31, Jared)
• Nick calls out the emotional cycle:
  • “It feels like she is just simply reacting to you. Fair?”
  • "That’s extremely fair." (23:55, Nick & Jared)
• Jared, taking responsibility:
  • “The reason we break up is because of me.” (26:38, Jared)
• Nick on gendered putdowns:
  • “Any commentary around... Calm down, pipe down, you’re overly emotional, you’re unstable. There is no grace. There is no ‘don’t shut your mouth’. Just keep your opinions to yourself. I learned that at 18 years old.” (34:42, Nick)
• Britani on shifting commitment:
  • “As he’s growing into our relationship, I’ve been growing out of our relationship… but now I feel really safe emotionally to stay and work there.” (58:23/82:20, Brittany)
• Jared on daily contact, even during breaks:
  • “Even when we’re dating other people, like... we haven’t missed a day together.” (60:00, Jared)
• Britani on emotional triggers:
  • “At the first whiff of disrespect, I am not willing to stick it out, I cut and run. And in that way, I have been unstable.” (70:45, Brittany)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 07:05–08:47 – How Jared was roped into filming (casting and story)
• 13:31–18:20 – Relationship volatility; repeated breakups
• 27:46–33:30 – The infamous leaked DM and fallout
• 42:20–46:59 – Jared on exiting the show and navigating being with a "Bravo Liberty"
• 51:51–59:06 – Britani joins, shares emotional parallels, reflects on where the relationship is now
• 64:42–68:29 – Reunion after 8-month split; persistent communication via Cameo
• 74:12–78:10 – The “plane incident” with Meredith and reunion tease
• 82:20–83:14 – Britani on defending their relationship, moving forward with less public drama

Tone & Style

The conversation is heartfelt, sometimes raw, and punctuated by banter and self-deprecating humor. Both protagonists oscillate between defensiveness and vulnerability. The hosts push for accountability but also provide empathy and context, seeking to reveal the real humans behind the “Bravo villain” or “messy storyline” stereotypes.

Takeaways

• Modern Situationships Aren’t Just for Gen Z: Jared and Britani, both in their 50s, experience the ambiguity, attachment struggles, and communication breakdowns familiar to younger daters.
• Reality TV Magnifies But Doesn’t Cause Problems: Their issues—instability, emotional unavailability, family pressure—are normal but become public and dramatic on screen.
• Public Scrutiny Hurts Both Relationships and Families: Both have adult children affected by the fallout.
• Growth and Stability Are Ongoing Choices: Both commit—again—to communicating and showing up, aiming for a “stable 2026.”

Final Thought

This episode lays bare how deeply reality TV can impact real relationships, and how, even at midlife, the line between “drama” and real vulnerability is thin and often misunderstood. If you’ve ever been in a situationship, or felt misunderstood in your relationship, there’s plenty to relate to—whether or not you’ve been cast as the “villain.”

Note: Timestamps are MM:SS and refer to the actual content; ads and intros have been omitted according to request.