Vanderpump Rules has reportedly been put on pause ahead of its upcoming 12th season.
While the cast typically begins production on new seasons in the summer months, producers have allegedly decided to give the cast a break in hopes that the time off will allow new storylines to develop among the group, which was rocked by “Scandoval” at the end of season 10.
“Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,” a source told Page Six on April 30. “The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show.”
As Pump Rules fans well know, cameras picked back up for additional season 10 scenes when Tom Sandoval, 41, was caught having an affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, in March 2023 by then-girlfriend Ariana Madix, 38. Then, just months later, the cast began filming season 11.
As a result of the back-to-back seasons, the majority of the show’s drama has been based around “Scandoval.”
“Producers are excited to catch up with everyone when cameras eventually go back up,” the insider continued, noting that they were hopeful that new situations would arise by the time filming begins later this year.
In addition to giving the cast a break, the source said producers were allowing each cast member time to decide whether they wanted to come back to the show.
“Our show has always thrived, it’s always at its best when it is at its most authentic and its most real, and I have to be able to show up and be real and be authentic in order for it to make sense for me,” Ariana said at a book festival last month. “So that’s the question I would be asking myself going into it.”
Although Ariana received a lot of support in the months that followed the reveal of Sandoval’s affair, her relationship with one-time bestie Scheana Shay, 38, became strained amid season 11 as Scheana reconciled with Sandoval.
“Things definitely aren’t where they were a year ago,” Scheana recently told Page Six of her relationship with Ariana, adding that the reunion didn’t help.
“[But] look,” she continued, “we are a very resilient group. We’ve come back from a lot. I feel like things that have happened over the past year hit differently than anything that’s ever hit this group. But never say never. I think right now we all just kind of need some time and space to just focus on our own careers and families.”
Also on Tuesday, Deadline reported that Ariana’s hosting gig on Peacock’s Love Island USA season six impacted producers’ decision to wait to film season 12 since they want to wait until she returns from Fiji.
As for The Valley, the spinoff will not be affected by Pump Rules‘ delay and will continue with its planned filming schedule.
While a second season hasn’t been confirmed, the ratings on the series, which features Jax Taylor, 44, Brittany Cartwright, 35, and Kristen Doute, 41, have been impressive, bringing in Bravo’s best seven-day premiere audience in over nine years.
Having the two shows on different filming schedules will also allow for more crossovers between the casts.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.