Before Scheana Shay became a household name on Vanderpump Rules, she was a young dreamer navigating the glitz and grit of Hollywood, chasing her big break. In her explosive new memoir, My Good Side, the reality TV star pulls back the curtain on a scandalous chapter of her past: a steamy affair with actor Eddie Cibrian that unraveled when she discovered he was married to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville. In an exclusive excerpt shared by Entertainment Weekly, Scheana dishes on the whirlwind romance, the betrayal, and the fallout that helped catapult her into Bravo stardom.
A Chance Encounter Sparks a Sizzling Connection
In 2006, a 21-year-old Scheana was hustling at a private cigar lounge and restaurant in Los Angeles, a gig that brought her face-to-face with Eddie Cibrian, a charismatic actor who frequented the spot. Without a wedding ring in sight and no social media to tip her off, Scheana had no reason to suspect Eddie was anything but single. “I was broke, didn’t have a laptop, and couldn’t just Google him,” she writes in My Good Side. What started as flirtation quickly escalated into a physical relationship, with Eddie becoming her “weekly booty call” every Tuesday after her shift.
Scheana describes their connection as electric. Eddie wined and dined her, parading her around town with his friends and even posing for paparazzi shots without a hint of hesitation. To Scheana, there were no red flags—only the thrill of a budding romance. “He took me out, met my mom, and even helped me move,” she recalls, painting a picture of a relationship that felt serious, at least to her.
A Brief Detour with Jesse Metcalfe
Young and unattached, Scheana wasn’t ready to settle down. In 2007, she briefly paused her fling with Eddie when another heartthrob, Desperate Housewives actor Jesse Metcalfe, caught her eye. Fresh out of rehab, Jesse swept Scheana off her feet with grand gestures, like a shopping spree at Neiman Marcus where he told her to pick anything she wanted. Ever the considerate girlfriend, Scheana opted for a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses instead of something pricier, like a Louis Vuitton bag. “I was living a real-life fantasy,” she writes of her time with Jesse, which included sober dates to support his recovery.
But the spark with Jesse fizzled, and Scheana soon found herself back in Eddie’s arms. Their connection deepened, and Scheana began to envision a future with him—until a shocking revelation turned her world upside down.
The Heartbreaking Truth
One fateful night at the cigar lounge, a member pulled Scheana aside with a warning: Eddie was married. Stunned, Scheana confronted him, only to be met with denial. “He gaslit me,” she reveals in her memoir, admitting she trusted him enough to continue their affair. But the truth couldn’t stay hidden forever. Eddie was indeed married to Brandi Glanville, and their marriage was already unraveling, complicated further by Eddie’s simultaneous affair with country star LeAnn Rimes, who later became his wife.
When Scheana learned the truth, her relationship with Eddie came crashing down. The betrayal left her reeling, but it also set the stage for her unexpected rise to fame.
From Scandal to Stardom
Scheana’s affair with Eddie became a pivotal moment in Bravo history. After the fallout, Scheana landed a job at SUR, the West Hollywood restaurant owned by Lisa Vanderpump. In a calculated move, Lisa orchestrated a dramatic confrontation between Scheana and Brandi during Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 3, Episode 8, titled “Vanderpump Rules.” The tense encounter, where Brandi called out Scheana for her trysts with Eddie, served as the perfect launchpad for Lisa’s new spin-off series, Vanderpump Rules.
When Vanderpump Rules premiered in 2013, Scheana was the only cast member viewers already knew, thanks to her messy RHOBH moment. The show skyrocketed her to fame, cementing her as a Bravo staple across 11 drama-filled seasons.
A New Chapter with My Good Side
Now, with Vanderpump Rules undergoing a reboot and Scheana transitioning to Bravo’s spin-off The Valley, she’s seizing the moment to share her unfiltered story. My Good Side offers a raw look at her Hollywood journey, from naive hopeful to reality TV icon. The memoir doesn’t shy away from the messy details of her affair with Eddie, offering fans a front-row seat to the heartbreak and ambition that shaped her path.
As Scheana reflects on her past, she’s also looking forward, embracing new opportunities and proving she’s more than just a reality TV star. Her memoir is a testament to her resilience—and a juicy reminder that sometimes, the biggest scandals lead to the brightest spotlights.