Lisa Vanderpump revealed if Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval still own a portion of TomTom and teased Stassi Schroeder‘s upcoming role on season two of Vanderpump Villa during an interview on Tuesday.
While also addressing the original cast’s reaction to the reboot of Vanderpump Rules, confirming if a season 12 cast has been chosen, and teasing the OGs’ potential return to television, the 64-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum admitted that while Schwartz, 42, and Sandoval, 42, who will close their Schwartz & Sandy’s bar at the end of this month, are part owners of TomTom, they don’t own much.
“[They own] two and a half percent,” she stated during a December 10 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I love them dearly, and especially Schwartz I’m very close to, so yeah, I think there’s still room to grow the TomTom brand and be smart about it. There’s a lot of cache.”
As she remains in touch with Schwartz following his exit from Pump Rules, Lisa is also close to Stassi, 36.
“Stassi did join us [for Vanderpump Villa season two],” she shared. “I was always very sad that Stassi was kind of axed [from Pump Rules] at the time, but I think that was a sign of the times. That was this knee-jerk reaction, and I think it was an overreaction. I’ve always been an advocate of young people learning from their mistakes. I hated this cancel culture. I think probably anybody in this day and age, if you look back on their past, they would be canceled.”
Speaking of how Stassi was different on her Hulu series from her days on Pump Rules, Lisa said that while she’s “still Stassi,” motherhood has changed her.
“I’ve always had a very good rapport with her. I really connect with her. I think she’s very bright. I think she’s intuitive. She’s not as naughty as she used to be because she’s a mother, but she’s still got that assertive wit,” Lisa noted, signaling her classic lines in Vanderpump Rules, like, “I don’t know what I did to you, but I’ll take a Pinot Grigio.”
When asked why she believed that recasting Pump Rules was the right move, Lisa admitted that the series began to feel like it was losing its storylines after the group moved on from their gigs at SUR Restaurant.
“It’s always sad for me to let go of something that I was so emotionally attached to, but I do feel that there’s always a lot of story when there’s a nucleus. It’s not a reality show that’s kind of splintered,” she reasoned. “They’re people that have to work together so they become very close very quickly, sometimes a little bit too close too quickly. Also, the kind of dynamics in a restaurant is always quite interesting.”
Looking back at the cast’s reaction to the reboot news, Lisa admitted that she anticipated more drama.
“We thought maybe it’d be more explosive and there’d be more sh*t flying around and hitting the fan,” she laughed. “[But] it has been pretty calm, I have to say. I speak to [James Kennedy] and I speak to Schwartz, [Lala Kent], and I haven’t really heard anything negative.”
As she prepares to go into production on season 12 in 2025, Lisa confirmed a new cast has been chosen.
“I have an existing group, but there’s always room for [new] people because it’s West Hollywood. People are always coming through the door, ‘Can I have a job,’ [but] it’s not their primary ambition,” she revealed, sharing that the new season would be “different” from years past.
“I never try and replicate,” she explained.
As for the OGs’ futures on television, Lisa hinted that they would soon return to the small screen.
“I produce The Valley as well, even though I’m not so involved in that at all, but they [all] kind of came from my stable of young people. But yes, I think they’re all kind of big vibrant characters, and we’ll see all of them in some respect,” she suggested.
