Here’s the real reason the OG Vanderpump Rules cast wasn’t asked back
The process of rebooting was messy
It’s official: Vanderpump Rules is back on our screens with a fresh-faced season 12 cast, and yes, it’s a little surreal watching SUR chaos without the OGs.
The internet keeps asking the same question: why didn’t Bravo just bring everyone back for one more messy hoorah?
The short version is it wasn’t one single thing, it was a mix of fractured friendships, a show that drifted far from its SUR roots, and producers realising the old formula couldn’t realistically “reset” itself.
And then Lala Kent spilled a pretty major behind-the-scenes bombshell.
The OGs weren’t asked back
Bravo didn’t frame it as “you’re fired,” but the outcome was pretty much that.
Season 12 moved forward with an entirely new cast, with Lisa Vanderpump as the central returning figure.
The biggest reason that keeps coming up is that the core friend group was simply too fractured to film as one ensemble anymore, especially after Scandoval and the tense season 11 aftermath.
Apparently, there was a long pause in production where nothing shifted emotionally, and the network felt there was “no path forward” with that group dynamic, per People.
Then there’s the very practical, very “this is literally the premise of the show” issue.
By this point, a lot of the cast’s day-to-day lives weren’t meaningfully connected to SUR the way they were in early seasons.
Bravo’s own announcement leaned hard into returning to the restaurant engine, new servers, hosts, bartenders, situationships, frenemies, the whole deliciously chaotic vibe.
And for anyone whispering, “Okay, but was it money?” People reported the reboot decision was creative-driven and happened before salary talks even began.
Lala Kent dishes on the reboot process
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Now for the tea that makes it all feel even more final-season-that-never-was.
On her podcast, Lala revealed that producers actually floated an idea for a short “farewell” season 12 with the existing cast, think six to eight episodes, more check-ins than full ensemble drama. The kicker? They wouldn’t even have to film together if they didn’t want to.
According to Lala, the OGs were still being “felt out” for that format while casting conversations with the new crew were happening.
She also said she got the call that the original cast wasn’t returning about a week before the reboot announcement went public in 2024.
And Lala’s personal take was basically “What’s the point?” She said she didn’t see a reason to do it, and she implied other castmates weren’t exactly jumping at the idea either.
All in all, Bravo couldn’t get the old dynamic back in a way that made sense for the show anymore, so they chose a clean reboot instead of a forced, fractured encore.
Reality Shrine reached out to Bravo for comment. For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.