Heavy "Vanderpump Rules" news.
“Vanderpump Rules” personality Peter Madrigal is opening up about not returning to the Bravo series.
On the March 1 episode of the “Bravo and Blaze” podcast, hosted by Jenny Blaze, Madrigal, who is still the manager of SUR, stated that he will not appear on the 11th season of “Vanderpump Rules,” which premiered on January 30. He said fans “won’t be seeing [him]” on the show because he was not offered any money to be featured in season 11.
“Basically, my choice was to come back to the show for free. Or not do it. That’s basically what happened. So I have been getting paid on this show since the inception of the show. And then they asked me [to] do it for free,” said Madrigal.
Madrigal clarified that higher-ups at Bravo did not explicitly “say for free.” Rather, he said he was told “they didn’t have it in the budget, any payment” for him to appear in season 11.
“I was like, ‘You know what? I’m not coming back,'” continued Madrigal. “Here’s the thing, I have been waiting a long time to say this. And I’ve been wanting to say it for a while. That’s exactly what happened. I got the phone call that basically said, ‘We want you back. But we’re not going to be able to pay you.’ That’s it. I was like, ‘Well, I’m not coming back.'”
Peter Madrigal Spoke About Dating Rachel ‘Raquel’ Leviss
While recording the March 1 “Bravo & Blaze” episode, Madrigal mentioned that he went on a date with former “Vanderpump Rules” star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss in the show’s 10th season. The SUR manager stated that he believed Leviss decided to date him to “cover-up” her affair with Tom Sandoval while he was still in a relationship with Ariana Madix.
Madrigal also shared that Leviss reached out and apologized to him about the situation in January 2024. He proceeded to read a text message from Leviss, where she stated that she was sorry for “calling him a starter pony” during a March 2023 “Watch What Happens Live” episode.
Madrigal shared that he let Leviss know he “accepted [her] apology” and appreciated her message.
While recording a May 2023 episode of “Vanderpump Rules” star Scheana Shay’s podcast, “Scheananigans with Scheana Shay,” Madrigal stated that he took issue with the “starter pony” comment. He stated that he believed Leviss made the remark as “a knock to Ariana because Ariana’s an equestrian.”
“It was a double insult,” theorized the 39-year-old.
Rachel Leviss Discussed Going on a Date With Peter Madrigal in ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 10
While recording the January 17 episode of her podcast, “Rachel Goes Rogue,” Leviss discussed going on dates with Madrigal. She said that some fans believed that they were already romantically involved when Madrigal “asked [her] on a date” for the first time. The 29-year-old stated that she decided to give Madrigal a chance because he is “a trusted, safe person.” She suggested, however, that she was not interested in having a relationship with Madrigal following her December 2021 breakup with her ex-fiance, James Kennedy.
According to Leviss, she got inebriated during her first date with the manager and “ended up crying to him about [her] heartbreak with James.” Leviss stated that Madrigal was “actually very supportive” during the emotional conversation.
Leviss stated that after the date, Madrigal messaged her to let her know he wanted to continue romantically pursuing her. The model said she told Madrigal she did not believe it would be a good idea due to her emotional state.
Leviss then said that “Vanderpump Rules” producers encouraged her to go on another date with Madrigal in season 10. She stated that while she had no desire to do so, she “felt that [she] didn’t have a storyline.”
“I told [producers], ‘Alright, I’m going on this date, but I’m going to end it with him on this date. I don’t want to lead him on,'” said Leviss. “And they said, ‘No. no. You can’t do that. You have to wait a week at least.'”
Leviss also stated that she believes Madrigal may have decided to date her to remain on “Vanderpump Rules” for season 10.
“Peter has been a character that hasn’t been in the main storyline for much of the time. He has always been in the outer circle,” said Leviss. “And he still gets an episodic rate. And his episodic rate is relatively high, since he’s been on the show since the very beginning. So I wouldn’t be surprised that he’s seeing this an opportunity to make his income. And part of his storyline to stay relevant with the show.”
New episodes of “Vanderpump Rules” air on Tuesdays on Bravo.