“Vanderpump Rules” has started filming for its 11th season, but the full cast is not yet confirmed.
While several cast members, including Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz, James Kennedy, and Lisa Vanderpump, have been spotted filming, there could be some new faces on board soon, according to a new report.
Here’s what you need to know:
Producers Are Looking for New “Vanderpump Rules” Cast Members
In the past, “Vanderpump Rules” has focused on the lives of employees at Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant, SUR. But in June 2023, an insider told Entertainment Tonight that for season 11, Bravo “is looking to bring in some new cast members” tied to the veteran cast.
The source claimed that longtime cast members Katie Maloney and Lala Kent are “looking in their external friend groups to see who might be a good fit for the show” and that producers are having “outbound conversations” with people outside of the SUR circle.
This isn’t the first-time newcomers have been added to the cast of the Bravo reality show since its debut in 2013. Ahead of season 8, Vanderpump’s employees Brett Caprioni, Max Boyens, Danica Dow, Dayna Kathan, and Charli Burnett all joined the cast at once, according to BravoTV.com.
At the time, it didn’t go over so well with the OGs. While speaking with ET, Maloney noted that some of the newcomers were “just too young,” while Scheana Shay agreed that some just didn’t “fit in” with the rest of the cast. And Jax Taylor said point blank: “I don’t really want them around. So, they can go.”
Lala Kent admitted that she found that season hard to watch. “I was like, this is what even is this?” she said on the “Behind the Velvet Rope With David Yontef” podcast in 2021. “Like way too many new faces, way too big of storylines for people that are brand new. Like no one’s invested in these people.”
Burnett was the only one from the group who returned for seasons 9 and 10.
Lisa Vanderpump Played Coy About the Return of Raquel Leviss for Season 11
The status of one longtime cast member still remains in limbo. Months after her headline-making cheating scandal with co-star Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss has not officially signed on for season 11. Following a brutal grilling at the season 10 reunion in March 2023, Leviss checked into a mental health treatment facility.
“They have all signed back on except for Raquel,” a source told ET, noting that Bravo is negotiating with Leviss’ team about her possible return.
In an interview with TMZ, Vanderpump was asked for her thoughts regarding Leviss possibly returning to filming so soon after leaving a mental health facility. “That’s her decision,” Vanderpump said of the former SUR waitress.
When asked if the cast should go “easier” on Leviss should she come back, Vanderpump replied, “I think it’s up to everybody individually. They all make their own decisions, clearly, as we’ve seen… and not always the right ones.”
“Vanderpump Rules” cast member Lala Kent previously told TMZ that after witnessing Leviss break down at the reunion, she thought, “Oh, we may be dealing with someone who maybe shouldn’t be on this type of platform.’”