Omg we found old pics of Vanderpump Rules’ Venus Binkley, and he’s literally unrecognisable
This can't be the same person
Venus Binkley might be the new kid on Vanderpump Rules season 12, but he’s already giving main-character energy at SUR.
On the show, he’s the self-appointed glue of the group, the friend everyone vents to, and the one who somehow ends up in the middle of Marcus, Kim and Natalie’s messiest drama.
Off camera, Texas guy Venus is trying to find his place in West Hollywood’s dating scene while slowly catching feelings for co-worker Marcus.
But before the confessionals and cocktails, there was a very different Venus… and these throwback photos prove it.
Prom night in an all-white tux
View this post on Instagram
This first throwback is peak teen-movie energy.
We’ve got the icy white tux, the mint bow tie, the dramatic pose and a date who clearly knows he’s a whole moment.
It screams small-town prom night before Los Angeles ever entered the chat.
Knowing that grown-up Venus now works the floor at SUR and tries to referee everyone’s drama, it’s cute to imagine him already loving a bit of spotlight and theatrics even back then.
That confident, slightly extra stance? Yeah, that carried straight into reality TV.
Cozy times with a curly pup
View this post on Instagram
Next up, we have ultimate sweet small-town vibes.
Wrapped in a chunky scarf, cuddling the fluffiest dog alive, this is a much softer side than the sharp confessionals we’re getting on Bravo.
You can totally see the empathetic, advice-giving Venus here, the one castmates describe as the confidant everyone runs to when their situationships go left.
Honestly, if he tried to mediate my friend drama while handing me a puppy, I’d listen to anything he said.
Moody city-lights main character
View this post on Instagram
Then we hit the artsy era.
The blurred street lights, the cap and jacket, the slightly off-camera stare… this is “I just moved to the big city and I’m figuring it out” coded.
Considering Venus left Texas for Los Angeles and sometimes feels out of place in the West Hollywood dating scene, this shot low-key feels like the start of that chapter.
It’s giving late-night walks after a SUR shift, replaying everyone’s drama in his head and wondering why he’s always stuck in the middle.
Tropical vacay glow-up
View this post on Instagram
Who is this beach god? The printed shirt, white shorts, sunnies, drink in hand, this is the kind of confidence we see when Venus is in full social-butterfly mode at SUR.
On the show, he’s often trying to stay neutral while his friends choose sides, but there’s nothing neutral about this look.
It’s very “catch flights and feelings,” which tracks for someone stepping into a maybe-more-than-friends storyline with Marcus while the rest of the group watches from the sidelines.
The chaotic school dance legend
View this post on Instagram
Finally, the grainy school dance pic that every yearbook deserves.
He’s bent almost in half, hair flying, clearly mid–dramatic move with a girl who’s half laughing, half concerned.
It’s pure chaos, but also pure foreshadowing… this is a man born for messy dance floors and messy storylines.
Now that he’s officially part of the rebooted cast and smack in the middle of a Marcus–Kim–Natalie triangle, it makes perfect sense that he’s always been a little extra.
For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.