While some things never change, the cast of Vanderpump Rules is used to a shake-up … and a touch-up.
Vanderpump Rules was introduced to Bravo viewers during a special episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in January 2013. Season 1 starred Lisa Vanderpump, who was a Beverly Hills Housewife at the time, Stassi Schroeder,Scheana Shay, Jax Taylor, Katie Maloney,Tom Sandoval and Kristen Doute. Tom Schwartz, Tina McDowelle, Peter Madrigal, Laura-Leigh, Frank Herlihy, Mike Shay, Kristina Kelly, Jen Bush and Jeremy Davidson all had recurring roles during the early seasons of the show.
By season 3, Schwartz was upgraded to a series regular and Ariana Madix and James Kennedy had joined the cast. Lala Kent, Faith Stowers and Brittany Cartwright started appearing in season 4.
While the show continued to focus on Stassi, Jax, Kristen, Katie, Schwartz, Sandoval, Ariana, Scheana, Kristen Lala and James through season 8, news broke in June 2020 that the network was cutting ties with Stassi and Kristen for their racially insensitive comments in the past.
Production on season 9 of Vanderpump Rules was subsequently suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic as Lisa’s restaurants, including SUR and TomTom, were closed.
“They haven’t canceled it, so there’s hope still. At least there’s not, like, anything definitive in that regard,” Katie told Entertainment Tonight in September 2020 about the future of the series, noting that the show will be different without Stassi and Kristen if it continues. “I try to picture and think about it, and it’s so weird. It’s weird. Yes, it’s definitely gonna feel different and look different, but it’s not like they’re not a part of my life, you know? So, it’s gonna be weird to have this part of my life that was very much on the show not on the show anymore.”
A few months after Bravo announced that the series would begin filming season 9, Lisa confirmed that the drama was already heating up.
“You can tell they’ve been locked up for a year,” the SUR owner jokingly told Entertainment Tonight in June 2021. “Everybody’s got a point of view, and they’re willing to air it and vent it.”
The restaurateur also spoke about how the show would look now that there was a smaller ensemble cast.
“I think it’s more mature, the show, but there are people that really like to have their opinion and that’s not going to change,” she shared at the time. “And they’ve certainly got a lot of them. … I’m surprised, actually, how amazingly quick, fast-paced and intense we’re in and we’re only a third of the way through, so it’s good.”
Scroll through for a look at how the cast members have changed over the years: