THE VALLEY stars Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick are officially engaged, it was confirmed on Friday.
The co-stars on the new Bravo show had been dating for two years.
The happy news for Kristen, 41, and Luke, 32, was reported by Us Weekly, who also got exclusive proposal and ring snaps.
The outlet shared that Luke popped the question on a boat in Maui, Hawaii, earlier this week.
He told the Vanderpump Rules alum to watch for dolphins as a distraction as he got down on one knee at sunset.
“It was a total surprise,” Kristen told Us about the special moment.
The reality star and James Mae founder shared she cursed out loud when she saw her hubby pull out the ring.
Selected by close friend Kyle Chan, Brian worked with a jeweler to design a 14K white gold ring with a 4.27-carat Emerald cut diamond and half-carat worth of diamonds on the band and hidden halo.
The hidden halo represents the “love around the center diamond, named ‘Kristen.’”
“I knew from the moment we met that Luke was my person,” Luke told the mag. “I am so excited to continue this journey together, now as fiancés.”
THEIR ROMANCE
Kristen and Luke met while serving as a bridesmaid and groomsmen at Rachael O’Brien’s wedding in June 2022.
They kept their romance private for several months and started a joint podcast, Love, Sex, and What Else Matters, that November.
Inside The Valley star Kristen Doute’s new luxury $3.5k a month apartment featuring outdoor balcony & resort-style pool
In a 2022 episode of their podcast, Kristen revealed that she suggested Luke create a second Instagram account because she didn’t want him to “subscribe to the scrutiny” she experienced as a reality TV star.
“He’s such a kind, loving, good-hearted person who knows nothing about this world in Los Angeles – the podcast world, the reality TV world, the Instagram world that I have chosen to live in,” she said.
“We all know that. I made that choice. He didn’t deserve it.”
In March 2024, Luke discussed the joint decision to appear on TV for the good of their relationship and future.
“Here is the deal – this was discussed prior to us dating, making it official, that if we make it a thing, I have to agree to be on camera,” he told Entertainment Tonight.
“So I am following through with my side of the deal.”
Kristen added, “And my side of the deal is when we become parents, when the baby or the child is of school age, we no longer live in proper L.A.”
The Valley features fellow VPR alums Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, who announced their separation just weeks before the show’s premiere.
The Bravo series marks Kristen’s TV return after being let go from VPR in 2020.
STRUGGLES WITH SETTLING DOWN
During the first two years of their relationship, Luke split his time between Los Angeles and his home in Colorado.
He moved in with her full-time in 2024 but shared on their Bravo show that the move wasn’t easy.
“Everything I’ve built up in life, everything I’ve worked for has been accumulating in Colorado,” he previously said. “We also have a better circle, I think of people – true, down-to-earth, good people.”
In another scene, Kristen emphasized that California is “important” to her.
“I can’t leave California tomorrow or next year or the year after, but I think giving it a couple of years. I’ve moved three times in a year and a half. I can’t do it again.”
The couple seems to have found common ground now, agreeing they’ll move somewhere they both decide on once they have children.
‘TERRIFYING’ PREGNANCY LOSS
In November 2023, the couple revealed on their podcast that they experienced a miscarriage at six weeks.
During the episode, Broderick said that it had been “hard” and “f***** terrifying” for the couple in the aftermath of pregnancy loss.
I’m not pregnant today, but maybe next time we interview, I will be. Fingers crossed, we’re trying.
Kristen Doutr
He also expressed his continued support for Kristen, saying, “I just know that I have to be your rock here, and I want to.”
In an April interview with The U.S. Sun, Kristen said she hopes they’ll expect again soon.
“I’m not pregnant today, but maybe next time we interview, I will be. Fingers crossed, we’re trying.”
“I only feel comfortable talking about this because I know so many friends of mine have gone through this. I know so many women have been through this,” she shared.
She said she had a “blighted ovum,” which research shows is when an embryo does not develop or stops developing in the very early stages of a pregnancy.
“You always think, What’s wrong? What did I do wrong? Could I have done something different?” she said. “And my doctor and my friends have told me, inside and out, up and down, there’s no cause. They don’t know why.”
