“Vanderpump Rules” had “no path forward” with its legacy cast members, according to a new report.
The bombshell shake-up announced by Bravo on Tuesday was “completely driven by creative” decisions and had nothing to do with salaries, a source told People.
“There weren’t any negotiations happening between the cast and the network where money was even discussed,” the insider claimed.
Another source insisted to the magazine that a “new group of close-knit SUR-vers” has been chosen for Season 12 of the Bravo reality show due to ongoing “fractions” among its now-ousted stars.
“There had been a long pause in production, and nothing had really changed among the cast since the reunion,” the insider explained. “Everyone was still stuck in their feelings and refusing to bend.”
That said, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, Scheana Shay, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and James Kennedy were “understandably upset” by the news, according to the report.
“No one was necessarily surprised … it’s all coming to an end,” the source said. “It’s more relief that they finally have an answer.”
Adding that “the group ties to SUR and Lisa [Vanderpump] were practically non-existent” at this point, People’s insider continued, “It just didn’t make sense to continue. This is an attempt to recalibrate and bring the show back to the thing that made it such a success to begin with.
“It’s a fresh start, and the players they have are interested and motivated to participate. Fans will be happy with what they see. It’s going to feel like a return to form.”
When “Vanderpump Rules” premiered in 2013, it featured Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor and more reality stars working at Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant.
By the time Season 11 aired last year, none of the main cast members were employed at the establishment.
Instead, Maloney, 37, and Madix, 39, worked to open their Something About Her sandwich shop, while Sandoval and Schwartz, both 42, ran their TomTom bar and Schwartz & Sandy’s lounge.
News broke Monday that Schwartz & Sandy’s will close its doors in December, nearly two years after viewers boycotted it over Sandoval cheating on Madix with co-star Raquel Leviss.
“Other priorities and commitments have taken hold,” he wrote in an Instagram statement.
The following day, Page Six confirmed that “Vanderpump Rules” will start production next year after scrapping its current cast.
“In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another,” Vanderpump, 64, said in a press release. “Cheers to the next generation of ‘Vanderpump Rules.”
Schwartz had hinted at the bombshell overhaul two weeks prior, telling Page Six exclusively that “all good things come to an end.”
He and his co-stars released social media statements Tuesday, with Schwartz posting throwback clips and Madix reflecting on the “incredible cultural phenomenon.”
