By ALICIA RANCILIO | Associated Press
“Vanderpump Rules,” the Emmy-nominated Bravo reality show that launched countless memes, merch, podcasts, endorsement deals and scandals, is recasting its 12th season — apart from its namesake, Lisa Vanderpump.
Bravo said in a press release Tuesday that the upcoming season would feature “a new group of close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors.”
The series debuted in 2013 as a spinoff to “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” executive produced and starring Vanderpump, a restaurateur. It focused on the personal lives of select staff at her West Hollywood restaurant, SUR, with Vanderpump in the role of both boss and maternal figure.
With in-fighting, cheating scandals, changing alliances and non-stop drama, the cast seemed destined to be followed by reality TV cameras.
“They’re 20-something and they’re young and they’re hot,” said Vanderpump of the cast in an interview ahead of the series premiere. “They want to play and they’re waiting for their dream and unfortunately their dream isn’t really to work at my restaurant.”
Bravo did not elaborate on its decision to cast a new group, but said the cast would be announced later and the new season would go into production next year.
“I can’t thank enough those who have shared their lives. How I love you all,” Vanderpump said in the statement. “In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another.”
As the original cast became more famous, they stopped working at SUR and launched their own ventures (and podcasts): Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval opened a restaurant and bar called TomTom with Vanderpump as a majority owner. The Toms, as they’re known, branched off with different owners for a second bar called Schwartz & Sandy’s — on Monday, they announced that venture would be closing its doors.
In 2023, the show reached a different level of attention and wider audience with the revelation of what became known as “Scandoval”: It was revealed that Sandoval, who lived with his longtime partner and co-star, Ariana Madix, had been having an affair with another cast member, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. News broke after filming wrapped on Season 10, but cameras were picked back up to film the aftermath for an additional episode. It was followed by a three-part reunion that took place weeks after the discovery.
The cast, sans Leviss, returned to filming for Season 11 with Sandoval attempting to make amends with the others. Madix would film in group scenes with Sandoval but refused to interact with him 1:1, leading to friction within the group. During this year’s reunion, Madix tearfully said to Sandoval, “I just want you away from me.” Shortly after, it was revealed the show was “on pause.”
While many key “Vanderpump” cast members have not released statements or did not immediately respond to requests for comment, a few shared complicated feelings online.
“im feeling at peace with closing this chapter and im excited for everything that is to come,” Madix posted on Instagram. “i don’t know that these were the best days of our lives, but they were definitely something special.”
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The scandal and its fallout, though, made Madix America’s sweetheart. She received a plethora of endorsement deals, was cast on “Dancing with the Stars” and on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” She also was named the new host of “Love Island USA.” Earlier this year, Madix opened a sandwich shop in Los Angeles called Something About Her with another “Vanderpump” star, Katie Maloney.
“It’s a mixed bag. But I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Maloney, whose rocky relationship with now-ex-husband Tom Schwartz was chronicled in the series, in an Instagram story. “Thank you for the memories and the love the last 11 years.”
“I have such mixed feelings right now. It’s no secret I do not like change. This is the exception,” Lala Kent posted on Instagram. Kent previously told The Associated Press she benefited from Scandoval with the sale of merch. She — along with current and former cast members — also devoted episodes of their individual podcasts to dissecting the drama.
Kent, Shay and Schwartz will make appearances on the second season of the successful “Vanderpump” spin-off, “The Valley,” which will air next year. That show stars Kristen Doute, a former “Vanderpump” star who along with Stassi Schroeder was fired in 2020 for racially profiling a Black co-worker. Two others, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni, were also let go at the time over tweets with racial slurs.
Bravo will also air a retrospective for the original show in 2025.