Kennedy was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and released on $20,000 bail
Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy has been arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The Burbank Police Department was called to Kennedy’s Los Angeles home on Tuesday, Dec. 10, around 11:30 p.m. “regarding an argument between a man and a woman,” a police spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.
“The investigation determined it was a domestic incident, leading to [Kennedy’s] arrest,” the spokesperson says. “[Kennedy] was booked for misdemeanor domestic violence and later posted bail. Formal charges are pending review by the Burbank City Attorney’s office.”
According to TMZ, who was first to break the news, citing a law enforcement source, a witness reportedly saw Kennedy, 32, get physical with the unnamed woman, although authorities did not see any injuries when they arrived on the scene. He was released on $20,000 bail, per the outlet.
It is unclear if the woman in question was the DJ’s girlfriend Ally Lewber, but the pair had been together earlier that night at Kathy Hilton’s annual holiday party. A source tells PEOPLE the pair spent much of the night apart and didn’t show much affection toward each other.
“He was acting so erratic, running back and forth to the bar and body-checking people along the way,” the insider claimed. “He appeared inebriated. Spent the evening mostly alone but when he did speak to people, he appeared irritated and rude.”
When the news broke, Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend and former VPR costar Kristen Doute took to Instagram to react, posting a screenshot of the TMZ article and writing, “Finally.”
Kennedy and Lewber, 28, began dating in January 2022, just over a month after Kennedy broke off his engagement to VPR costar Rachel (formerly Raquel) Leviss. They met at a concert for Tom Sandoval’s band, The Most Extras, and Lewber later admitted she had been a fan of the Bravo show.
Despite Kennedy’s controversial behavior in the past, which was documented on VPR, Lewber said “meeting him [was] different.”
“I gave him a chance to really show me who he is,” Lewber noted, adding that “he’s lovely.”
Following the alleged incident, Lewber stepped out solo on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Short Stories Hotel in Los Angeles for a New Year’s Eve with Windsor Celebration event. She smiled for cameras and was even snapped getting an ephemeral tattoo by The Tattoo Shop at the event.
Kennedy was also active on social media after the alleged incident, posting an announcement about an upcoming DJ gig on Instagram. “I can’t wait to be back at my favorite spot in DALLAS!!🔥🤠 @komododallas” he captioned the shot.
Kennedy has had a long struggle with alcohol, documenting his journey on VPR. In 2021, he celebrated two years of sobriety, announcing the accomplishment on Instagram.
“IM 2 YEARS SOBER TODAY💜,” he captioned the post. “Thank you everyone that has supported me and my journey so far. Here’s to many more years alcohol free #forlife (to anyone struggling trust me the light at the end is brighter then anything I could of imagined. and if I can do it you can too).”
That same year, he revealed he was “California sober,” meaning he still used certain substances like marijuana in moderation but did not drink alcohol. This garnered pushback from his then-costar Lala Kent (who is completely sober), but Kennedy defended his stance.
“It helped me quit the alcohol for good, you know what I mean?” he said. “I will quit weed also when the time comes. … I don’t feel like I should quit right now, you know? There’s no point.”