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‘Vanderpump Rules’ May Not Be Canceled, But the Show ‘Won’t Be the Same’ After Cast Firings
Will Vanderpump Rules get canceled? “The show will go on,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style, after Bravo’s hit reality TV series saw a huge cast shakeup when OG cast members Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute and newcomers Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were fired after the resurfacing of racist behavior. “But it won’t be the same,” the insider adds.
“It’s a new world and everything about the landscape of reality TV is changing. A lot of people at Bravo recognize now that they didn’t really represent everyone,” the source continues. “Bravo made some mistakes, but they say now is the time and they are committed to making a difference.”
With four new openings, the cast may see a broader range of personalities in the future. “There’s no shortage of young attractive replacements in Hollywood, but Andy [Cohen] and Bravo are steadfast in showing some diversity from here on out,” the insider adds.
The network announced the firings on Tuesday, June 9. “Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules,” read a statement obtained by Life & Style.
Boyens, 27, and Caprioni, 31, had just joined the cast for season 8 of the TV series. Shortly before they made their respective debuts, they came under fire for resurfaced tweets where they each used the n-word and racial slurs. They both issued separate apologies at the time.
Schroeder, 31, and Doute, 37, were accused of racial profiling by former Pump Rules costar Faith Stowers. Stowers, 31, appeared on the show during seasons 4 and 5, and her story line consisted of an affair with Jax Taylor while he was dating his now-wife, Brittany Cartwright.
After the Black Lives Matter movement gained international attention following the death of George Floyd, Stowers opened up about her experience on the show as a person of color on the “all-white” cast. Stowers revealed after she exited the show, Schroeder and Doute accused her of being a suspect in a string of robberies that were allegedly committed by another woman of color.
“There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African American lady,” Stowers explained during an Instagram Live with MTV’s Floribama Shore star Candace Rice on June 3. “It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people. And they called the cops and said it was me.”
Schroeder and Doute, who have each starred on Vanderpump Rules since season 1, both issued apologies for their behavior toward Stowers before their firing.
Vanderpump Rules premiered in 2013 as a spinoff of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. and followed the lives of the staff members at RHOBH alum Lisa Vanderpump‘s posh SUR restaurant in West Hollywood.
