Bravo Lisa Vanderpump on Watch What happens Live @Home
Lisa Vanderpump gave an update on what’s going on with Vanderpump Rules. The longtime Bravo star, 60, acknowledged that the network has yet to announce that the reality show was picked up a ninth season following a production shut down due to COVID-19, but she teased that she thinks the show could return once restaurants are able to open safely. She also touched on the major cast shakeup that includes the departure of six stars on the Bravo hit.
While speaking with Cosmpolitan, Vanderpump addressed rumors that Vanderpump Rules won’t be coming back.
“Well, they haven’t announced it, but I think it’s a show that is a beloved part of people’s lives,” she said. “We’ve lost a couple of people recently, you know, from the cast, but for the most part, the cast was very big. There’s a lot of original players there, and the restaurants just opened, so as soon as we could do something safely. But Bravo has to announce that. I can’t say anything.”
Vandrpump also told Entertainment Tonight that there will always be plenty of storylines for Vanderpump Rules.
“There’s always a lot of stories, because it’s legitimately a restaurant with a lot of young people,” she told the outlet. “ We’ve lost a couple of people along the way, unfortunately, but there’s still a lot of people that the audience know and love that they’re still involved in Vanderpump Rules.”
Vanderpump Previously Teased She Would Want SUR to Be Reopened at a Larger Capacity Before Resuming ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Vanderpump dealt with the shut-downs of four of her restaurants during the pandemic, but Bravo fans’ eyes are on SUR, the WeHo hotspot that has served as the centerpiece for Vanderpump Rules since 2013.
LVP told E! News that SUR is currently “ open but again it’s just outside and so we want to get that up and running.” She also teased that the restaurant would need to be open at a larger capacity before filming would resume.
“I think a lot of people want that show back because in the restaurant business there’s always a smorgasbord of stories and relationships and there’s a lot of the original cast,” Vanderpump said. “We want the restaurant to be back to at least 50 percent capacity before.”
Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval told Page Six that producers “want to do another season and they have every plan and intention of doing that” once it is safe.
“It’s just because of the industry that we’re in, they don’t want to see us just like sitting in our houses,” the TomTom partner said. “You also have a lot of restrictions when it comes to productions as well and liabilities and things like that.”
Vanderpump Also Revealed That It Wasn’t Her Decision to Fire The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Cast Members at the End of Season 8
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Last summer, Vanderpump Rules veterans Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute and newcomers Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were fired from the show after their racially insensitive past behavior was unearthed. Six months later, longtime cast members Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright also announced they were leaving the show.
Of the firings, Vanderpump told Cosmo she feels that Bravo did what they had to do.
“I think Bravo dealt with it appropriately, “ she said. “I think people should learn from their mistakes, but Bravo kind of brought the gavel down on them and actions have consequences, and I support their decision. I would like to see young people learn from their mistakes, but that wasn’t my decision.”
While viewers won’t get to see Schroder and Doute address their past behavior on camera, in a previous chat with Entertainment Tonight, Vanderpump said viewers will see a new and more diverse cast when Vanderpump Rules returns
“There are new cast members!” she said. She added that the lack of diversity in previous seasons of the show was due mostly to her staffers’ personalities.
“It’s really up to people that want to be front and center,” she said. “I mean, I’m always all about that. Our companies are like the United Nations.”
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