Britani Bateman’s Love Story: The 50th Breakup, the Spreadsheet Strategy, and Why She Still Can’t Say ‘Never’ The love

# **Britani Bateman’s Love Story: The 50th Breakup, the Spreadsheet Strategy, and Why She Still Can’t Say ‘Never’** The love life of *The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City* star Britani Bateman has long been the stuff of reality TV legend—messy, dramatic, and impossible to ignore.

At 55, the former child star turned cabaret performer and author is still navigating the highs and lows of her relationship with Jared Osmond, the *American Idol* alum whose on-again, off-again romance with Bateman has become a cultural shorthand for tumultuous love.

Their dynamic, marked by public breakups, reconciliations, and an almost mythic endurance, defies easy explanation. But in a candid conversation during a recent promotional stop in New York, Bateman offered a rare glimpse into the chaos—and the lingering affection—that keeps them tethered.

What makes their story so compelling isn’t just the sheer number of times they’ve split (she estimates “50” at this point) but the way their relationship exists in the public eye: a mix of adoration, frustration, and an undeniable pull that neither seems able to resist.

Bateman, mid-promotion for her cabaret show *What About Me?* at 54 Below, spoke openly about the exhaustion of it all—how she’ll swear off Osmond only to find herself reconsidering days later. “You know, it’s always complicated,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of years spent in this cycle.

“When I think, *never, ever, ever again*, I’m like, *Okay.* And then we’ll start talking again. Like, never say never.

I’ve learned to never say never.” The irony wasn’t lost on her: Osmond, who was supposed to join her in New York for the interview, had once again become the exception to her own rule. --- ## **A History Written in Public Breakups** The Bateman-Osmond saga has played out in real time for years, each chapter punctuated by Instagram videos, tearful confessions, and occasional public reconciliations.

Their most recent split, announced in February was framed as Bateman walking away from “something and someone I truly love.” Osmond’s response—a statement calling her video a “eulogy” and admitting he’d “love her forever”—revealed the depth of his own investment, even as the relationship remained in limbo.

“Right now we’re not together because I called it quits again,” Bateman said recently, the words carrying the resignation of someone who’s said them too many times to count. Yet the subtext was unmistakable: the quits, like the reunions, are never final.

What’s striking about their dynamic is how it exists outside the usual scripts of celebrity romance. There’s no grand gesture, no dramatic reconciliation—just the quiet, stubborn reality of two people who, despite everything, can’t stay apart.

Bateman’s family, she notes, has long accepted Osmond as part of the fold, even as they’ve had to endure the fallout of her past relationships.

“They have every reason to be guarded and protective,” she said, “and they love Jared.” The praise is telling: Osmond isn’t just a boyfriend to her; he’s a fixture in her life, a man who’s earned the trust of her children and even her father. “He’s such a good dad,” Bateman said.

“He’s done wonderful things for my family.” The catch? So has the toxicity of their relationship, which has left scars—particularly with her daughters, who have publicly criticized her for prioritizing men over them.

The estrangement, though reconciled, remains a raw topic, one Bateman hints she’ll address more fully in her upcoming book, *Dating Fight Club*, a project that blends memoir with a no-nonsense approach to modern romance. --- ## **The Spreadsheet and the Search for Something New** If Bateman’s relationship with Osmond is a whirlwind, her approach to dating in its absence is nothing short of methodical.

To avoid the emotional rollercoaster, she’s turned to what she calls a “system”—a spreadsheet, no less, where potential suitors are evaluated against a rigorous set of traits. “I do two or three dates a night to keep it efficient,” she explained, the logic of a corporate strategist creeping into her love life.

“If date number one goes well, you get bumped up to date number two. It’s a system that works.” The traits column is non-negotiable: a man must check every box before advancing.

It’s a far cry from the impulsive romances of her past, and a clear signal that Bateman is done with half-measures. Yet even as she embraces this clinical approach, she’s not immune to the of spontaneity.

A recent trip to Fire Island—where she performed *What About Me?* for the first time in front of a live audience—was a high point, a moment of pure joy amid the dating grind.

The energy of Cherry Grove and the Pines, she said, was electric, and the single drop party for her hit song felt like a celebration long overdue. But the contrast between her newfound discipline and the old patterns of her life with Osmond is undeniable.

She’s dating “up a storm,” she admits, but the question lingers: Can she ever fully walk away from someone who’s been part of her story for so long? The answer, for now, remains elusive.

Osmond’s absence at her New York show wasn’t just a scheduling conflict—it was a reminder of how easily they slip back into old habits. “He was supposed to be here today,” Bateman said, the implication hanging in the air.

“That’s how never say never works.” --- ## **What’s Next: The Book, the Show, and the Unanswered Question** Bateman’s next act is already in motion.

Her cabaret tour, *What About Me?*, is gaining momentum, and her book—tentatively titled *Dating Fight Club*—promises to dissect the chaos of modern love with her signature blend of humor and honesty. But the real story may be what happens when she finally turns the page on Osmond for good.

Her daughters’ criticisms, the public scrutiny, the sheer exhaustion of the cycle—all of it suggests she’s at a crossroads. Yet the pull of familiarity is strong.

“I don’t know if we’re actually right for each other,” she said, the uncertainty cutting through the bravado. “But right now, no.

Right now we’re not together.” The release of *RHOSLC* Season 7 in September will likely reignite the conversation, as fans dissect every glance, every hint of tension between Bateman and Osmond. But the truth is, their relationship has long outgrown the confines of reality TV.

It’s become a cultural touchstone—a reminder that love, even in its messiest forms, doesn’t always follow the rules. For Batani Bateman, the question isn’t whether she’ll say never again.

It’s whether she’ll mean it this time.