"He and I have been through a lot in the last six months or so, and right now, we're coworkers. And that's it."
Dayna Kathan's budding romance with TomTom general manager Max Boyens has become a storyline on "Vanderpump Rules," after she made her debut on Season 8 of the Bravo series.
But the newcomer told TooFab they're no longer an item, explaining that viewers will get to witness when and how things went south as the season unfolds.
Dayna also updated us on her relationship with Scheana Shay following the latter's apparent apology at Pride.
Admitting she was a fan of the show in its early seasons, "never in a million years" did Dayna think she'd soon call these people her coworkers.
"I had watched the first few seasons but didn't watch the last few because mostly I didn't have cable," she told us. "Like, I moved to California and was just like, 'Well that's an expense I'm not gonna have right now.' So I just hadn't really watched it, but yeah, I loved the show, loved the people."
The newbie's "strong personality" has won over many fans, but she says she's also earned a few enemies.
"With the sweet will always come the sour, but I do think for the most part, I've gotten a pretty positive response, and I'm really grateful for that," she said. "But like, I have a really strong personality, so I just went into it thinking most people are gonna hate me, so seeing people like me has been cool, but there's still assholes."
"In my life personally, I've been through some really horrific shit," she added, explaining that that's why she doesn't "sweat the small stuff. I've always been a strong person. I was bullied really bad in eighth grade. I used to be this sweet, bubbly kid and just went through this really hard year, and it seriously toughened me up and taught me a lot and really carried throughout the rest of my life. I'm just not a doormat."
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View StoryWhich is exactly how she's handled conflict with Scheana, a show OG and a victim of bullying herself. Dayna said the two have "kind of come full circle, but we haven't filmed the reunion yet, so I'm a little nervous for that." We all know how those can go.
Fans recently saw Lisa Vanderpump ask Scheana if she was jealous of Dayna, which prompted a surprisingly defensive and emotional response from the former. Not only was Dayna dating her ex (Max), but some viewers also felt Scheana was intimidated by the new girl.
"Scheana just has a way of spinning things, and I think she's always really concerned about saving face, so she will deflect at all costs," Dayna told us. "That was fine. That's her defense mechanism. But I believe that Lisa and everyone else around us was like calling a spade a spade. Like, you are jealous, so just own that and move on."
"When she says a bunch of times that I 'irked' her, she didn't interact with me enough for me to give her any type of impression by the time I had irked her," she added, "so it was obviously something else."
And while Dayna does believe that "something else" had to do with Max, she doesn't think it was all Max.
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View StoryAs far as details surrounding her split from Max are concerned, Dayna says we're simply going to have to "tune in this season." When we asked if they were at least on decent terms, she said it all "depends on the week."
"He and I have been through a lot in the last six months or so, and right now, we're coworkers. And that's it," she said. Oh, and having to see him every day at work "sucks ass."
When we asked if any of her female coworkers' warnings and stories about Max turned out to be true, she was hesitant to answer.
"I do feel for Max in the way that I also think that people were quick to try to put him on blast about things he was actually telling the truth about," she explained. "There were lies. Even back then, I knew some of that was true, but it was just more about, 'I'm not gonna judge someone for their past and go into something with an open mind.' That's just the kind of person I am."
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View StoryDayna's currently "single and ready to mingle," though she says "to date, nothing has really changed" in the guy department.
"I'm still working at SUR and TomTom, and my dating life is the same. No one asks me out ever," she said, of course prompting us to point out the obvious: Some men are intimidated by beautiful, confident women.
"I've heard that before, but it's like, the person I'm gonna be with is gonna be someone so secure and someone who's like happy to make the first move," she told us. "If I liked someone, I would make a move, but I'm also really, really picky. And it takes a lot to hold my attention."
"Vanderpump Rules" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
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