These were the best days of their lives, but now the original cast of Vanderpump Rules is saying goodbye to the hit Bravo show.
On Tuesday (November 26), the network announced the Emmy-winning series Vanderpump Rules will return for its 12th season with an entirely new cast. Lisa Vanderpump, the matriarch figure and owner of several restaurants and bars staffed by the cast, will be the only original Vanderpump Rules star to return.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off debuted in 2013, featuring Vanderpump’s then-staff at her West Hollywood mainstay SUR Restaurant & Lounge: Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney, Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Stassi Schroeder. Over the years, the cast has grown to include Tom Schwartz, Ariana Madix, James Kennedy, Lala Kent, and Brittany Cartwright.
However, a bombshell cheating scandal nicknamed “Scandoval” shocked both the cast and longtime fans of Vanderpump Rules last year. Sandoval, 42, and Madix, 39, ended their nearly 10-year partnership after it was discovered that the TomTom Restaurant & Bar co-owner had a months-long affair with their Vanderpump Rules co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, Kennedy’s ex-fianceé.
The fallout of Madix and Sandoval’s relationship was documented during the season 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules, while season 11 saw the exes completely avoid each other during filming.
Now, the original cast of Vanderpump Rules has shared their bittersweet reactions to the news of the reboot.
Ariana Madix
Madix has stayed booked and busy despite the Vanderpump Rules cast shake-up. She was named the new host of Peacock’s Love Island USA, which became this summer’s most-watched series on streaming across the U.S. She also placed third during season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, and is set to perform in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
On Instagram, Madix posted a carousel of throwback images taken during her days on Vanderpump Rules over the years. The first image showed Madix behind-the-scenes during her confessional interview, followed by group shots of herself with her female co-stars.
“vanderpump rules, you will forever be that girl,” she began the lengthy tribute. “i was up til 4am looking for all the right pics and the right words, but there’s no post or caption that could ever encapsulate everything. i am forever grateful to have been a part of such an incredible cultural phenomenon.”
In the caption, Madix gave a shout out to the official Instagram accounts for Bravo, the show’s production company Evolution, and Vanderpump herself for all the experiences over the last 10 years.
“thank you to every single crew member, producer, and our showrunners. seeing you guys every summer was like coming home to see family! that i will miss very much but you have my number so… just text me,” she continued. “thank you especially to the fans. you’ve been the constant over the last decade your love and support is what I’ll miss the most about it ending. you made this show what it is.
“to the fans who have shown up for us, old and new, it’s all because of you that we are here. im feeling at peace with closing this chapter and im excited for everything that is to come. i don’t know that these were the best days of our lives, but they were definitely something special,” Madix concluded her post, referencing the lyrics to the show’s iconic theme song, “Raise Your Glass.”
However, noticeably missing from her tribute was her ex-partner Sandoval and fellow cast member Kent — who recently went on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she revealed that she hasn’t spoken to Madix since season 11 wrapped.
Tom Sandoval
Just days after announcing that his restaurant and bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s, was closing, Sandoval took to Instagram to pay tribute to the end of Vanderpump Rules. The reality TV star simply reposted an Instagram Story from Bravo executive producer Andy Cohen, which pictured Sandoval alongside his original co-stars making their “clubhouse” debut on Watch What Happens Live.
“Thanks @bravoandy,” he wrote over another Instagram Story repost, along with a red heart emoji.
Tom Schwartz
Sandoval’s best friend and longtime business partner, Tom Schwartz, shared a poignant Friends-themed tribute to the fan-favorite Bravo show. The Instagram video, which was set to the Friends theme song “I’ll Be There for You,” compiled clips of some of the most iconic moments from Vanderpump Rules over the years.
“How the last 12 years replays in my mind,” Schwartz captioned the post.
Katie Maloney
On her Instagram Story, the Something About Her sandwich shop co-owner posted an image from her early Vanderpump Rules photoshoot, in which she could be seen wearing SUR’s memorable paisley-printed uniform.
“It’s a mixed bag,” Maloney wrote. “But I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for the memories and the love the last 11 years.”
Maloney, whose relationship and subsequent divorce from Schwartz was a focal point of Vanderpump Rules, went on to share several throwback photos with her female cast members — most notably her “Witches of WeHo” best friends Schroeder and Doute, who were fired from Vanderpump Rules in 2020.
Scheana Shay
The “Good As Gold” singer took to Instagram to share a series of photos from Vanderpump Rules over the years, including one image of herself wearing SUR’s minidress uniform as well as several photos with the cast.
“The end of an era, and the start of something new,” she wrote. “I don’t even know where to begin….well maybe first off, thank you to everyone who’s checked in on me. We had one hell of a run! I never could have imagined while shooting the pilot for VPR that it would become what it has, nor go on for as long as it did.
“To the fans who’ve been with us from the beginning, and to everyone who joined along the way, THANK YOU. Putting our lives out there isn’t always easy, but every time one of y’all reached out to say our stories resonated with you made it all worth it!” she continued.
Shay also thanked Evolution, Bravo, and NBC for “the experience of a lifetime,” adding: “I will forever be grateful for the opportunities this show has generated and for the memories we’ve made along the way.”
“We truly have worked with the best cast, crew and been part of so many special moments in each other’s lives. Cheers to the next chapter! The rest is still unwritten…”
Lala Kent
Kent, who joined the cast of Vanderpump Rules in season four, followed suit by posting an Instagram carousel of old photos and videos from filming the Bravo series over the years.
“Where to begin,” she began her caption. “I was a young girl from Salt Lake City who made her way to L.A. I would introduce myself as Lauren, but because my childhood best friend referred to me as Lala, my nickname quickly stuck. SUR was a place that became home. I found myself not only sipping on vodka sodas there, but behind a hostess stand… it still to this day is the most intimidating job I’ve ever had.
“A short time later the opportunity to be on a show called Vanderpump Rules landed in front of me. I have such mixed feelings right now. It’s no secret I do not like change. This is the exception,” Kent continued.
“I want to say thank you for rocking with us for so many years. This show changed my whole life. I’m unbelievably grateful for every moment. I’m unbelievably grateful for Bravo, for NBCU, for our crew, the entire cast, and most importantly all of you. We rocked this b**** until the wheels fell off.”
James Kennedy
Kennedy — who appeared as Doute’s then-boyfriend on season three, before becoming a full-time cast member the following season – posted a statement to his Instagram account. The DJ admitted he was “holding back some tears” as he wrote the tribute, telling fans that it’s “been a pleasure being a part of Vanderpump Rules and filling your TV screens with our lives over the past decade.”
“I’ve dedicated my life to this show and I’m forever grateful to everyone who tuned in,” Kennedy said. The reality TV star went on to explain how “all of my dreams are finally coming true” after DJing festivals such as Neon Carnival, EDC, and Stagecoach, as well as landing a residency in Las Vegas.
“And I have all of you to thank,” he added. “It’s been a wild ride and I’m excited to see what the future holds. Although this is a bittersweet ending, for me, this is just the beginning! THANK YOU.”
