DWTS Alum Dodges Question About Return to Show

Heavy/ABC "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity news update.

Ariana Madix was asked about her status on “Vanderpump Rules” in a new interview, but she skipped around the question.

In an August 2024 Q&A for Interview magazine, the “Dancing With the Stars” season 32 finalist spoke with Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth about her run in the musical  “Chicago.” Madix was very chatty about everything Broadway-related, but when Chenoweth switched gears to ask, “Are you coming back to ‘Vanderpump,’ or is it undecided?,” she didn’t have much to say.

“I don’t think there’s any word yet on any of it,” Madix replied, while not specifically addressing her future on the Bravo reality show.

In late April 2024, TMZ reported that Bravo put “Vanderpump Rules” on pause after 11 seasons. Sources told the outlet that the decision was made to give the cast a “break” after filming back-to-back seasons amid Madix’s ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s cheating scandal with their former co-star Rachel Leviss.

That same month, Madix was asked about her potential return to the show once production resumes. “I can’t or I won’t say [if I’m returning] but I think that ultimately, it would have to make sense for me,” she said during a fan appearance in Los Angeles, according to People magazine.

“Our show has always thrived, it’s always at its best when it is at its most authentic and its most real. And I have to be able to show up and be real and be authentic in order for it to make sense for me,” Madix added. “So that’s the question I would be asking myself going into it.”

Ariana Madix Reacted to a Bravo Star Who Hinted It’s Time For Her To ‘Walk Away’ From ‘Vanderpump Rules’

PeacockAriana Madix.

While she has yet to confirm her “Vanderpump Rules” status, Madix didn’t seem to take too kindly to a comment made by a fellow Bravo star. In an August 2024 interview on the “Lady Gang” podcast, “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” star Tracy Tutor insinuated it’s time for Madix to “walk away” from “Vanderpump Rules.”

“You have a responsibility, when you sign up for a show like this, to show up and be accountable, vulnerable, and aware,” Tutor said. “If there are certain people that aren’t willing to do that, perhaps it’s time for them to make a decision to walk away from the show, or for the network to say, ‘If you can’t give anymore, and you have these boundaries that are now in place, then perhaps it’s time for you to move on.’”

Tutor clarified that she wasn’t speaking about anyone “directly as it relates to ‘Vanderpump.’”

“I very much understand and relate to what Ariana has been through,” Tutor added. “I’ve been there myself, I totally get it. But maybe it’s no longer the best avenue for you and maybe that’s it’s your time to say like, ‘I’m signing off.’”

Madix’s “Vanderpump Rules” bestie Katie Maloney replied to an Instagram clip of Tutor’s remarks with a  two-word response: “Shut up.” Madix then tagged Maloney and wrote, “Queen.”

Ariana Madix Was Criticized For Walking Out of Filming During the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Finale

PeacockAriana Madix and Tom Sandoval on the “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 finale.

Madix has taken a lot of heat for how she handled what could ultimately be her final scene on “Vanderpump Rules.”  During the season 11 finale episode, titled “Plot Twist,” Madix walked out of a group event at Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery Tasting Room in San Francisco. Her walk-out came as Sandoval attempted to have a one-on-one conversation with her on camera.

Executive producer Jeremiah Smith tried to persuade Madix to stay. “Ariana, don’t do this,” the EP begged her on camera. “Don’t end like this.”

After Madix walked out, several of her castmates, including Sandoval and Lala Kent, accused her of not doing her job. “If you don’t want to film with your ex, don’t be on the show!” Sandoval yelled. “Seriously, don’t sit back on your lazy [expletive] and collect a [expletive] check for doing nothing!”

Kent accused Madix of becoming a diva amid the adulation she received post Scandoval. She also alleged that Madix threatened her co-stars’ livelihoods.

Madix defended herself during the “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 reunion. She told Kent, “If you wanna talk in show terms, me walking away from that conversation was a lot more interesting than me sitting there and having it.”

“Was that not a better ending to your season, to give you another season for another paycheck?” she asked