A woman has shared how she left behind her life of being a successful model to become a stay-at-home girlfriend, but soon started to resent the daily routine she once ‘aspired’ to have
The rise in stay-at-home girlfriends has surged in popularity thanks to day-in-the-life videos on social media – but it didn’t go to plan for one woman.
The decision to stay at home, look after the family and be a homemaker rather than go out and work has been popularised online, known as being a ‘trad wife’, yet it’s nothing new. However, women who aren’t married are starting to adopt this lifestyle too, including Kendel Kay who chose the ‘soft life’ and gave up her financial independence, instead relying on her mega-rich boyfriend Luke Lintz, the CEO of a PR company worth millions.
Despite living a life of luxury thanks to her boyfriend, Kendel has now found herself living off her savings and in an ‘identity crisis’ after breaking up with Luke and sacrificing her successful modelling career.
The ex-model moved 3,000 miles to be with her boyfriend – of just a few weeks – and left her modelling career behind her to adopt the stay-at-home girlfriend role. Kendel would spend hours in the kitchen cooking dinners and cleaning, while her beau worked to pay their rent, bills and lavish holidays.
She would regularly share videos of her ‘idyllic’ glam life under the TikTok name @kendelkay, but while it looked like the perfect life, Kendel is now single and grew deeply unhappy in a life so many of her followers ‘aspired’ to have. She said it’s “risky” to adopt this lifestyle, especially if you don’t have a “safety net” to fall back on, as reported by The Sun.
She recalled that the loss of independence was “the worst” and called it “fragile” to be in a position to rely on someone else. Kendel met Luke while on holiday in Mexico, and he asked her to move to Puerto Rico to live with him there – and she was more than happy to do so. She gave up the lease on her flat and moved into Luke’s impressive beachside townhouse.
“Luke was providing financially for me from the start. He would pay for dinners, international travel, and any joint expenses such as groceries, meals and taxis. But when it came to personal luxuries, like manicures and clothes, I would buy those myself, as I was still earning from my OnlyFans and marketing work, plus I had savings.”
However Luke asked her to quit doing OnlyFans, to which she agreed as he was already “providing” for her. But this meant when she gave up working she ended up doing a lot more for Luke.
“I would make him coffee and breakfast, then do a long skincare routine and chores, then a workout. I’d also make us dinner. Friends and family just assumed I was still working. I’d always hoped to be a stay-at-home mum one day, and it felt like things were heading along that path,” she said.
However the glossy life started to fade, and Kendel admitted she was starting to become unhappy. “The chores took over my whole life. I couldn’t leave the house for more than a few hours – it was like taking care of a child. I started to feel restricted like I was being kept in a box.”
She revealed she didn’t feel like she had financial freedom like she did when she was single, and started to be resentful when he would be working. They agreed to temporarily split, and Kendel went back to California to visit her family, when Luke then broke up with her over the phone.
Instead of being upset, the model said she felt “relieved” she could “feel free again”. Luckily she had savings to live off, but said it was still “painful” to adjust to life again.
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