“Let’s not talk about it.”
After the highs of “Scandoval,” Vanderpump Rules producers were worried the show wasn’t delivering in Season 11, so says Scheana Shay.
During this week’s episode of her Scheananigans podcast, Scheana shared details of a conversation the VPR cast had with producers about the recently wrapped season and how it wasn’t meeting expectations.
“Alex Baskin has said that midseason, like, the show was not in a good place, it was, you know, ‘X, Y and Z needs to happen or we’re going to have a short season and the show’s going to be cancelled, and that’s it, you know, go live your lives,’” Scheana told guest Kiki Monique.
That conversation with producers led Scheana and other members of the cast to grow more frustrated with Ariana Madix and her refusal to have any meaningful interactions with her cheating ex Tom Sandoval on-camera.
“I think Lala [Kent] and I felt a lot of pressure after that day when it was like, well, we don’t want the show to get cancelled, you know, and not just for ourselves and our families but, like, there’s a crew of, I don’t know, 80, 100 people who work on this show.
“I said this at the reunion, which you didn’t see, but I was like, I feel like we’re doing our jobs also for all of these people,” Scheana said. “Like, we want to keep this going, and so when someone does just walk away, like, they don’t care if the show ends, it’s not just about us. There’s so many more people that do rely on this. That’s where it just got really hard because I’m like, I do understand and respect your boundaries, but it just made it really difficult.”
Despite producer warnings, the ‘VPR’ cast may not have met the challenge set to save the show. As The Ashley reported back in April, production is officially on pause and there’s no word on when, or if, the show will be back for a 12th season.
After two stressful seasons dealing with “Scandoval” and its aftermath, Scheana said she and her castmates are looking forward to having a break from filming ‘Vanderpump Rules.’
“I feel like this break is very needed, we’re going to go live our lives, enjoy summer,” she said on the podcast. “Lala is going to bake her baby, Ariana’s going go to Fiji, if that’s where they’re filming next season, back to Broadway. Katie [Maloney] is going to be busy with the sandwich shop, and the Toms [Sandoval and Schwartz] are the Toms, and James [Kennedy] is so booked and busy.”
As for the future of the show, Scheana’s uncertain but would like to come back, particularly if the next season focuses more on the lives and relationships of the female cast members.
“I honestly don’t know where we go from here,” she said. “I think we all would need to have conversations with our producers [and ask], ‘What are you expecting? What does this look like?’ because I do feel like this season was going in that girl-power direction and then, somehow midseason, it was like, ‘OK, well this isn’t a show about two groups of friends, this is a show about one group of friends, so we need to figure out how to do that.’
“That’s where, you know, more uncomfortable conversations were had and it was tough.”
Watch the full Scheananigans episode here:
(Photos: YouTube, Bravo)
9 Responses
Ppl divorce every day & no one addresses how awkward it is for the group of friends who liked each person. Adultery is crappy but in this case communication was worse. Sandoval needs to acknowledge & get therapy for his prblm taking criticism of any kind & his narcissistic personality disorder. Arianna & Katie both have no right to control who their exes are friends w/nor who they date. You ar we finished & by controlling your friends that way says you are insecure & need to do what Ariana did–find a new friend & forget about her Ex. You’ve grieved him now you’re in a dragged out court battle making lawyers more $’s. Just settle it. Stuff is stuff. Arians you have talent–don’t waste it. Go out w/your notaries positively & become the entertainer you want to be ! Katie will manage & her Mom will guide her w/the bistro. You must move now while still known for your talents! As for Lala–after this 2nd pregnancy get checked for ADHD & being bi-polar. It will help you raise your girls. I c wish to our Lord my Mother would have done so. It took me yrs to set boundaries & not bedd CD triggered. The child feels unloved &. unwanted b/c their successful mom keeps impulsively doing things the family won’t allow. If y o u c don’t want a depressed child or suicidal teenagers —own your crap now & if need be take low doses of whatever the Dr prescribes–go natural wherever possible 1st. VPR is done ! Boring & irritating season !
If Ariana does not want to be around Tom she just needs to exit the show her and her friend Katie both cause they both are miserable even though they have a good business going on
Scheana knows if the show gets canceled she will be back on welfare and food stamps. VPR is the only thing keeping her lifestyle going. It’s either get a job or borrow another grand from Sandoval. Her man doesn’t work. Same for LaLa. She has two kids. She needs that paycheck to survive.
GTFOH. Like anyone believes that Scheana was or is concerned about the 80-100 people that work on the show.🤣My guess is that it’s damn hard to work behind the camera. Long hours and probably REALLY shitty pay in comparison with the cast themselves whose egos probably need a different camera lens.
VPR has been boring for years. I didn’t care about the Tom’s. Katie & Schwartz shitty marriage, Scheana jumping from guy to guy and Lala who basically had a storyline from screwing her married sugar daddy to then getting dumped by sugar daddy. VPR should have been canceled years ago. The Scandoval storyline was the best it had been in years because we as viewers were emotionally invested.
I don’t give a rats ass about Lala baking babies, getting her lips even more inflated or sitting on her high horse passing judgement on everyone else. Scheana is a weirdo and literally brings nothing and her extreme suck up to Lala is just gross to watch. Are we supposed to tune into both Tom’s midlife crisis with different hair color and different chicks? Wish Ariana and Katie success at the sandwich shop but I’m not about to watch rye bread baking for an hour though I’m sure it would be simply must see TV.
VPR can take Teen Mom and exit stage left please.
Exactly!!! Well said!
You said everything I was thinking but couldn’t be bothered to type.
Yes, scheana. We all know production influenced you and Lala. You’re still responsible for not having a spine. Ariana was always loyal to you and you threw that away for a paycheck that probably ended anyway.
I have another thing to say, too: why is the anger with Ariana for breaking up the friend group by not talking to Sandoval… instead of the anger being with Sandoval for cheating and causing everything in the first place?! The internalized misogyny of these women is scary, considering they have daughters.