Michelle Saniei is currently starring in season 3 of “The Valley,” where she is in her single-girl era after her breakup with boyfriend Aaron Nosler. But in real life, Saniei is dating rapper and music producer Dr. Dre, which came as a shock to Bravo fans and even her castmates.
Saniei and Dr. Dre were first spotted leaving the restaurant Nobu Malibu in late April, where photos captured them holding hands. Since then, both stars have remained tight-lipped about their relationship until recently, when Saniei gave a surprising update on where things stand.
Michelle Saniei Confirms Dr. Dre Romance
“The Valley” star Michelle Saniei and Dr. Dre have been going strong ever since being photographed holding hands as they left Nobu restaurant in Malibu, California, on April 25.
Speaking briefly to People in June, Saniei gave an update on her relationship with the rapper, stating, “We’re spending time together and we love being in each other’s company.”
Saniei shared that she had met Dr. Dre through a mutual friend. That friend is believed to be Ashley Palmer Gilkey, the general manager of Aftermath Records. Saniei has shared several photos with Gilkey on Instagram, including posting a sweet tribute to her in honor of her birthday in April.
When People asked Saniei what her ex-husband, Jesse Lally, thinks of her newfound romance, she refrained from answering and shared, “For now we’re just keeping everything super private. I’m just living my life.”
According to People, after six years of marriage, Saniei and Lally announced their split in March 2024, with their divorce finalized in October 2025. The former couple also shares a daughter named Isabella. Season 3 of “The Valley” follows Saniei and Lally as they navigate the final stages of their divorce while amicably co-parenting their daughter.
‘The Valley’ Cast Open up About Saniei’s Relationship With Dr. Dre
GettyAccording to TMZ, many of Saniei’s “The Valley” cast members were unaware of her relationship with the 61-year-old music mogul. However, Saniei seemingly anticipated the media attention that would come along with dating Dr. Dre and chose to keep the romance out of the spotlight.
Speaking to The Daily Dish, Janet Caperna revealed that she learned of Saniei’s romance with the rapper like the rest of the world.
“I feel like Michelle, she’s a very private person in general. So I feel like whenever she’s dating anybody, she normally likes to go on a couple dates first and make sure she’s feeling the person before she’s telling all of us,” she told the outlet.
GettyCaperna continued, “She doesn’t want to get invested in somebody that she’s like, ‘Oh, that didn’t end up working out for me.’ But I called her, and I got a little bit of tea, and I made sure to set a lunch date as soon as I’m back so I can get all of the tea.”
Meanwhile, Brittany Cartwright shared on her “When Reality Hits” podcast in May that she was incredibly supportive of her co-star and friend’s relationship, but did not have many details to spill to her listeners.
“I will always support Michelle. I love her,” Brittany said. “Don’t really know what’s going on. Don’t know if it’s serious. Don’t know if it’s fun. Don’t know much about anything. But still, I love Michelle. So that’s my girl and I support her always,” she continued.
Lally also shared that he did not get any word from his ex-wife about her new relationship, telling TMZ in April, “Yeah, I saw it on social media the same way as everyone else.” However, Lally appeared supportive of Saniei, adding, “Michelle’s divorced and she’s single and whatever makes her happy is cool.”
