NeNe Leakes, Kenya Moore and more Bravo stars are speaking out following Vanderpump Rules firing Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Brett Caprioni and Max Boyens.
On Wednesday, June 10, Lisa Vanderpump broke her silence on Instagram, writing, “I love and adore our employees and I am deeply saddened by some of the lack of judgment that has been displayed,” the business owner, 59, wrote, adding she “condemns all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment.”
The longtime Bravolebrities are “in shock” and “devastated” following the network’s decision to terminate their contracts, an insider exclusively told Life & Style. “They really didn’t think they would be fired,” added the source. Stassi, 31, and Kristen, 37, have been main cast members on-and-off since season 1. Newcomers Brett and Max were also let go after racist tweets from 2012 started resurfacing online.
Bravo announced the four SURvers would not be returning next season on Tuesday, June 9. The shocking news came on the heels of former castmate Faith Stowers accusing the ladies of past racist behavior during season 4, including calling her hair “nappy” and reporting her to the police for a crime she was not involved with.
“There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African American lady,” the Ex on the Beach alum, 31, told Floribama Shore star Candace Rice during a June 3 Instagram Live. “It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people. And they called the cops and said it was me.”
The “Straight Up With Stassi” podcast host allegedly admitted to reporting Faith, who is the only black cast member to ever appear on VPR, to law enforcement during a now-deleted episode of the “Bitch Bible” podcast in 2018. Kristen even tweeted the article and insinuated Faith was behind the crime. “Hey tweeties, doesn’t this ex #pumprules thief look familiar?” the He’s Making You Crazy author wrote at the time. “I didn’t wanna go there but I’m going there.”
Stassi and Kristen both issued public apologies over the situation on Instagram. While a second insider exclusively divulged to Life & Style “the show will go on,” they acknowledged “it won’t be the same” without two of its main characters.
“It’s a new world and everything about the landscape of reality TV is changing. A lot of people at Bravo recognize now that they didn’t really represent everyone,” the source continued. “Bravo made some mistakes, but they say now is the time and they are committed to making a difference.”
The ladies spoke out about the firings in a statement on June 12. “Stassi and Kristen acknowledged what they did was wrong, have apologized and been punished,” rep Steve Honig told Life & Style. “Without casting aside their actions or the impact of those actions, they want to move forward as part of the solution in ways that are productive, meaningful and sincere. Both of them recognize actions speak louder than words and that is what will guide them as they move forward.”
Keep scrolling to see what other Bravo stars are saying about Vanderpump Rules’ firings.