Producers of the Bravo series reportedly feel the need to give that stars a break in the wake of Scandoval, which has divided the cast as the camera rolled for the current season 11.
- May 1, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Vanderpump Rules" may be returning later than usual. Fans of the reality TV series will have to wait a little longer for season 12 of the show as it is shaking up its production timeline, according to new reports.
A source close to the cast has confirmed to Deadline that the Lisa Vanderpump-led series will not film this summer. The show reportedly breaks the production schedule's norm for the sake of the cast's well-being as it allows them a break.
The show had traditionally kicked off production in May and kept cameras rolling through June and July to coincide with gay pride events in West Hollywood, a weekend where Lisa's establishments like Sur and TomTom get a lot of foot traffic.
However, TMZ, which first reported the news, states that Bravo and co. feel the stars need a break in the wake of Scandoval, which has pretty much dominated the storyline of the current season. The eleventh season picked up filming right after Tom Sandoval was caught cheating on Ariana Madix with her then-best friend Rachel Leviss a.k.a. Raquel Leviss.
The cast has been divided in the aftermath of the affair, not allowing them time to process the events amid the intense reactions from the real world as everything played out in front of cameras. With the production break, sources say producers want to let the cast do their own thing a bit without jumping right back into another summer of filming to give room for some big developments and new drama to capture.
The break may also accommodate Ariana's new hosting gig. The 38-year-old model/actress was announced as the new host of "Love Island" for season 6, replacing Sarah Hyland. She will be filming the Peacock dating competition in Fiji.
Recently, when asked about her future on "Vanderpump Rules", Ariana got coy. "I can't or I won't say [if I'm returning] but I think that ultimately, it would have to make sense for me," she said to the audience at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April.
While it's unknown when the production will resume, the sources stress that the show is not canceled. It's also claimed that the break won't last a year.
