Amidst the pandemic and rise of the BLM protests in 2020, controversy arose concerning several among the Vanderpump Rules cast. Longtime alums Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute were fired by the Bravo network at the time, after their former co-star, Faith Stowers, came forward about how they called the police on her over a fake incident. Then, newcomers Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were axed from the show due to the discovery of racial slurs on their social media. It’s been two years since all of that transpired, and matriarch Lisa Vanderpump has shared some honest thoughts on possibly bringing those controversial stars back into the fold for the potential tenth season.
In the months following the dismissals, Lisa Vanderpump had in fact vocalized her desire for the stars to be given a second chance. She said that Bravo had been “reactive” and that she would’ve preferred to watch the 30-somethings work out their misdeeds on-camera. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight more recently, the Vanderpump Rules executive producer continued to stand firm in those views. She said:
I was very open about hating the whole cancel culture kind of sentiment, because they're young and they are silly, and they make mistakes. I think on the show we see a lot of that. It was the sign of the times. I understand why Bravo had to do that, to make a stand, but I always believe in people learning from [their mistakes,] getting second chances, and growing. There are a lot of mistakes we all make when we are younger, and we are not always held accountable. ... I would have slapped their wrists, smacked their bottoms, and said, 'OK, let's work through this and let's have a better understanding of empathy and really grow from this situation.'
Interestingly, some rumors surfaced back in March, alleging that Stassi Schroeder was returning to the show. Neither she nor Bravo have confirmed the speculation, but it doesn’t seem altogether likely. The network has been embroiled in racial controversies on a number of fronts, including for The Real Housewives of New York and Below Deck. What's more is that NBCUniversal, Bravo and others are now being sued by NeNe Leakes, who alleges that there was a workplace culture of discriminatory practices during her time on RHOA. So the idea of Schroeder and other contentious castmates coming back at this time wouldn’t look good, to say the least.
Regardless, though, Vanderpump Rules has yet to even be greenlit for another season. Bravo has been busy making structural changes across the board, including the cancellation of Shahs of Sunset after nine seasons and retooling the lineup for RHNY. However, Lisa Vanderpump seems to think her namesake show still has more to offer. She told the outlet:
We are 10 years in, but I think this show is always evolving. There is just so much content, because these relationships are so authentic. There are always a lot of stories to tell. I can't say whether it’s coming back yet because I don’t know... You have to wait and see.
Truth be told, there are a lot of storylines to work with for a potential tenth season. Namely, the remaining alums have been rocked by one major breakup after another in the off-season. Both the DJ James Kennedy/Raquel Leviss and Lala Kent/Randall Emmett engagements are off. Not to mention, Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz are divorcing after nearly three years of marriage and 12 years total of being together.
I, for one, would be interested in seeing how Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz’s awkward living situation fares post-divorce, as well as how it all might affect their longstanding friendships as a group. But like I said, Stassi Schroeder et al probably won’t see a Vanderpump Rules return anytime soon – no matter if Lisa Vanderpump is in their corner to this day. While we await news of a renewal, fans can check out old seasons of the reality series with Peacock Premium.
