Summer House Stylist Claps Back at Hair Critics with Love It or Hate It Energy

When Amanda Batula showed up to the Summer House season 10 reunion part two, her hairstyle became the second-biggest plot twist of the night—and that’s saying something given she was also fielding questions about dating her former best friend’s ex.

The look in question was divisive, to put it mildly: a ponytail-bun hybrid where the top half of her brunette hair was slicked back into a small bun while the bottom half cascaded freely down the back of her neck. It’s the kind of style that screams“I didn’t have time to fully commit to either option,”which apparently resonated with Bravo viewers in wildly different ways.

Amanda’s hairstylist, Olivia Halpin, was ready for the backlash. On Instagram June 3, she leaned into the polarizing reception with the caption“the bun you love to hate,”essentially giving a knowing shrug to the internet’s mixed reactions. And mixed they were. One critic complained it was“giving I am running to the bathroom to puke and gotta get the hair out of the way,”while another said they’d never admit to letting someone create such a look. A third viewer echoed the informal vibe critique, writing“it’s very‘i woke up like this,’but not at all in the way that Beyoncé intended.”

But here’s where it gets interesting: Olivia had defenders too. Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Bronwyn Newport commented“I love your buns,”and another viewer pushed back on the Amanda hate by insisting“the bun is so cute.”The stylist didn’t engage in a back-and-forth battle—she let the work speak for itself and let the internet decide.

Of course, the hair was almost a footnote compared to Amanda’s actual bombshell moment. The 34-year-old confirmed she’s dating West Wilson, the ex-boyfriend of her former best friend Ciara Miller. During the reunion, Amanda and West both insisted their relationship didn’t turn romantic until after she and Kyle Cooke announced their January breakup. West told host Andy Cohen,“When we were out, I kind of looked at Amanda, and I was like,‘Am I f–king crazy or is there a little something going on here?'”Amanda was quick to clarify that everything between them was“PG”until they went public with their romance on Instagram Stories March 31, with West adding,“This isn’t a sex scandal. This was, like, hanging out.”

So while the bun debate will likely rage on until the reunion finale airs June 9 at 8 p.m. on Bravo, at least we know one thing for certain: sometimes the hairdo is just the appetizer before the real relationship drama hits the table.