Katie Maloney Reveals that She Did Not Intend To Return To Vanderpump Rules
Credit: Bravo/NBC Universal
Vanderpump Rules star Katie Maloney took to her podcast “Disrespectfully” today to discuss the recent announcement that the show would be completely recast and “rebooted” for the upcoming twelfth season. Maloney starred on the show from day one, and viewers saw her engagement and marriage to fellow star Tom Schwartz, and eventually their separation and divorce. On November28, the creators announced that the show as we know it is over, and no original cast (except Lisa Vanderpump) will return.
Will it or won’t it was the discussion surrounding the show’s return for months, with many rumours and theories flying about. Maloney said today that “I didn’t plan on returning”, and “I had made a decision months ago after the past season, I needed to move on with my life.” Maloney said she made this decision in the Spring after the reunion and that she let producers know. She described that she felt ready to move on, and that her life and where she was at was going in a different direction, and that mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually she was prepared to move on from the show. She felt that she can’t be the version of herself that she wants to be while on the show.
One of the main issues with the original cast returning were the fractures within in the group and that the friendships no longer make sense or feel organic. Maloney said what she feels made the show what it was, didn’t exist anymore, and the audience agrees. Even though she knew she wasn’t returning, she said the finality is surreal. Its sad and the closing of a chapter. She says it wasn’t because people were demanding “tons of money” and that negotiations never reached the financial point. They just couldn’t make a show about these people anymore. She said the only fellow cast members she has spoken to about the announcement were Ariana and Tom Schwartz. She said Ariana is on the same page as her, while Tom is a bit more shocked.
On how she feels about the reboot, Maloney said “you can take the same recipe and try to make the same product but, I don’t know, it might not taste as good.” Reboots on Bravo have not had much luck lately, but people are also eager for the return to the early Vanderpump Rules days, when the cast was struggling actors and had genuine connections, hookups and fights. Time will tell if the reboot is as successful as the original, and no cast announcements or air date have been announced yet. Former Vanderpump Rules cast members Scheana Shay, Lala Kent and Tom Schwartz will be making appearances on season two of the spinoff The Valley, which should air in early 2025.
