EXCLUSIVE!
Bravo
Lisa Vanderpump is saying goodbye to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the show that made her famous.
E! News confirmed on Wednesday that the upcoming ninth season will very likely be the last for the 58-year-old, who has appeared on the Bravo reality show as a cast member since its 2010 debut.
“Lisa will appear in the majority of episodes this season,” a production source told E! News. “She has not been filming at every event, but fans can expect to see her throughout. The show will return to Bravo in early 2019.”
Bravo and Vanderpump have not commented.
“Lisa has only filmed on a few occasions during the beginning of filming this season, and has been absent the remainder of the time,” a source told E! News. “She has been refusing to film and…her interactions with the ladies have been solely negative. Lisa has still not returned to filming and as of now has no plan to. It’s too far gone, and Lisa agrees that she shouldn’t return at this point.”
“The rest of the cast is over her,” another source said.
The news comes soon after cast members Lisa Rinna, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayneand Kyle Richards posted on their Instagram pages photos and videos of them on a trip to France. Vanderpump is not spotted, nor is Camille Grammer, who recently lost her home in one of Southern California’s massive wildfires, and new star Denise Richards, who also had to evacuate her ranch.
Rumors that Vanderpump plans on leaving The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have persisted for weeks. The rumors were fueled further after she was notably absent at Grammer’s October wedding, which was attended by several of their cast mates.
A source close to Vanderpump told People at the time that the reality star was “going through a lot right now,” citing heightened tensions with the Housewives and the recent death of her brother Mark. The source told the magazine, “Lisa’s choosing not to film during any of the group activities. Lisa doesn’t want to be around the women as a group, so she’s getting less filming time. But nobody has quit. She’s definitely still on the show.”
Earlier in October, Vanderpump told E! News she has been “more emotional” since her brother’s death.
“I think a lot of people who follow me and know me know that this year has been much more challenging for me than a normal year,” she said. “I have done 320 episodes of reality television. This year, there were certain things that felt very different to me. I’m not having a go at anybody, I never do, because it’s not who I want to be, it’s not who I want to be. I want to focus on things for the greater good and carry on doing what we’re doing and try to enjoy my life.”
Meanwhile, Vanderpump still has her Bravo spinoff series, Vanderpump Rules, SUR and other restaurants and her charity work; her rep told E! News on Wednesday that Vanderpump has been very busy planning Thursday’s Vanderpump Dogs Pet Gala, a fundraiser for the Vanderpump Dog Foundation.
Vanderpump and Caesars Palace are also partnering to open Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in early 2019.
—Additional reporting by Spencer Lubitz
