James Kennedy’s Bizarre Behavior at Party Preceded Domestic Violence Arrest, Says Nick Viall

Reality TV star James Kennedy, known for his role on Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” found himself in hot water this week after being arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence. However, according to former “Bachelor” star Nick Viall, Kennedy’s erratic behavior began hours earlier at a swanky holiday party hosted by Kathy Hilton.

On a recent episode of his podcast, “The Viall Files,” Nick dropped some behind-the-scenes tea about what he witnessed at Hilton’s bash on December 10th. Nick and his wife, Natalie Joy, even snapped a pic with James and his girlfriend, Ally Lewber, at the party. However, things took a weird turn shortly after.

Nick recounted a strange interaction he observed between James and a friend he’d brought to the event. Apparently, James, in a move that Nick described as “insane,” started “barking orders” at his supposed “best friend.” “James walks by, and then James turns around and he says to his friend… ‘Hold this! Now.’,” Nick recalled. The friend, seemingly used to this treatment, simply took the drink and James walked off.

This odd encounter happened just hours before James’s arrest at his Los Angeles home. Police confirmed they responded to a 911 call about an argument between a man and a woman, which ultimately led to James being charged with misdemeanor domestic violence. While it hasn’t been confirmed whether the woman involved was his girlfriend, Ally, the timing certainly raises eyebrows.

TMZ, who broke the news of the arrest, reported that a witness saw James get physical with the unnamed woman, though police didn’t observe any visible injuries. James was later released after posting $20,000 bail.

Adding fuel to the fire, an insider who was also at Hilton’s party told PEOPLE that James was “acting super aggressive all night long,” “running back and forth to the bar” and “body-checking people.” They also noted that he “appeared inebriated” and spent most of the night alone, but was “irritated and rude” when he did interact with others.

It seems like there’s more to this story than meets the eye. We’ll keep you updated as more details emerge about this developing situation. What do you think really went down that night? Let us know in the comments!