Lisa Vanderpump is speaking out about the recent news regarding the recasting of Vanderpump Rules and revealing if the existing cast’s salaries were taken into consideration.
While also weighing on the closure of Tom Schwartz, 42, and Tom Sandoval‘s bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s, sharing who she will and won’t remain in touch with, and reacting to Kristen Doute‘s pregnancy, Lisa, 64, teased the OGs’ potential transition onto The Valley and discussed their possible cameos on season 12.
“It wasn’t just my decision. It’s the network. Everybody really thought about it,” Lisa explained of the recasting decision during a December 5 interview on Access Hollywood’s Housewives Nightcap. “I think it was like, we told the story. It was time to go back to the original premise of the show, which was so fascinating … It was time to go back to grassroots.”
According to Lisa, the dynamic between the existing cast “became complicated” after Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix, 39, with Raquel “Rachel” Leviss, 30.
“This one didn’t want to film with this one and this one wouldn’t be in the same room as that one and that’s not what it was about,” she shared. “[But] I think we had a great run … It’s been 12 years, 11 seasons … I cannot minimize and I don’t want to, the importance of how great that cast was and how open they were.”
“I love them all, but it was time to call it a day,” she added. “[But] of course, I’m sad to see.”
As for whether money was a factor, Lisa said, “That’s Bravo’s decision, and I’m not privy to that. Of course, the show did become expensive. It’d been on for many years but I wasn’t privy to that decision.”
Just as the Pump Rules firings were confirmed, Schwartz and Sandoval, 43, revealed that they were closing their restaurant — an announcement that Lisa didn’t expect.
“It was a hard blow. I didn’t know that Schwartz & Sandy’s was gonn a be announced, that they were closing on the same day that we were announcing Vanderpump Rules, which was not good timing at all,” she admitted. “I’m very sad to see Schwartz and Sandy’s close because that was such a struggle and it was a very difficult time to start a restaurant business.”
Regarding whether or not she was worried about the cast after they lost their roles on the show, Lisa noted that the majority of those featured on previous seasons “haven’t lived a life without reality television as a grown-up.”
“But I think they’re all kind of pretty individual, likes [James Kennedy], he’s got a very successful DJ career … Most of them kind of landed on their feet,” she shared.
As she looks ahead to her new cast on Pump Rules, Lisa said she plans to stay in touch with many of her co-stars.
“Some of them, they really make an effort,” she explained, “Schwartz is wonderful. I don’t really think Schwartzy’s changed since he came on the show. That’s good and bad but I definitely have a close relationship with him and James. I’ve seen remarkable growth with [James] and Lala.”
That said, Lisa noted that she wouldn’t be in contact with “a couple” of cast members.
“Kristen, I never talk to her,” she disclosed before reacting to her recent baby news.
“How on earth did that happen? Who’s the father? Do we know? I’m not really involved in The Valley,” she explained.
Although Lisa isn’t hands-on with the Pump Rules spinoff, she shared that some Pump Rules alums would “probably” be featured on future episodes of The Valley.
She then gushed over Stassi Schroeder, 36, who joined the cast of her other show, Vanderpump Villa, for season two, earlier this year.
“I always have been [friendly] with her, even though she’s not the easiest person sometimes, she can be a little prickly. But she’s just a wonderful character,” Lisa stated. “She’s a very smart young woman. She’s done great with her life and she’s great on Vanderpump Villa.”
Lisa also commented on the possibility of the OGs making guest appearances on season 12.
“I think we’ll definitely be filming at TomTom … and I think Schwartz is going to be more involved in that, but right now, [we] haven’t even started it,” she said.
Vanderpump Rules season 12 will begin filming in 2025.