Four "Vanderpump Rules" cast members won't return to show after past racist actions resurface
Four cast members of "Vanderpump Rules" – Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni – will not be returning to the hit reality show, Bravo and production company Evolution Media confirmed on Tuesday. They made the announcement after past racist actions resurfaced.
Schroeder, who has been on "Vanderpump Rules" since season one, has been accused of being racially insensitive on social media and on her own podcast in the past. She and Doute, who has also been on the show since the beginning, were recently called out by fans for a 2018 incident involving former castmate Faith Stowers.
Stowers, one of the only people of color to appear on the show, spoke about the incident during a recent Instagram livestream. Stowers said Schroeder and Doute called the cops on her after reading a Daily Mail article about an African-American woman accused of stealing.
"They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people. And they called the cops and said it was me," Stowers said on Instagram. "This is, like, a true story. I heard this from actually Stassi during an interview," Stowers said, seemingly referring to Schroeder's past appearance on the B*tch Bible podcast, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Following Stowers' comments, both Schroeder and Doute released statements via Instagram on Monday.
"Racially insensitive comments from my past have resurfaced. It is important that I continue to take accountability for what I have said and done, while pushing myself to do better," Schroeder wrote. "I have grown significantly from the person I was then, and I am still filled with remorse and regret for the hurt I caused. I am grateful for the people in my life that continue to check me and push me to evolve into a more educated person."
She also directly addressed Stowers, saying: "My emotions over something that happened between our friends outweighed my logic, and there is no excuse for that."
In Doute's apology, the reality star wrote that although her actions toward Stowers "were not racially driven," she is now "completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement's treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions could have been to her. It was never my intention to add to the injustice and imbalance."
New "Vanderpump Rules" cast members Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will also not be returning to the show. In January, racist tweets from both men resurfaced. Co-star and executive producer, Lisa Vanderpump, addressed the tweets in a statement at the time that was obtained by ET.
"I do not condone any of the heinous comments made in the past by Max and Brett and I am glad they understand the severity of their offenses and have shown utmost remorse and contrition," Vanderpump's statement read. "I embrace a community of diversity and do not tolerate bigotry of any form within my workplace."
Vanderpump's statement went on to say that both men, who also apologized in their own statements, "have now matured as adults" and "have shown remorse for their prior reckless defamatory statements."
Neither Boyens nor Caprioni was fired from the show when the past tweets initially resurfaced, but both were asked to address the issue on the reunion episode, which aired last week and was hosted by Andy Cohen.
"I'm an adult now, and I cringe even thinking that I said those things," Boyens, who repeatedly used the n-word and tweeted derogatory language against Asians, said on the show. "We live in a generation now where saying some things, even if you are of that culture, is just frowned upon. I just want to say I'm just really, sincerely sorry. I'm not even — there's no excuse."
Caprioni also apologized for his use of the n-word, saying: "It wasn't okay then, it's not okay now."
The announcement about the four cast members not returning came before part two of the pre-taped reunion aired on Tuesday night, which was followed by a separate Bravo special on race in America, also hosted by Cohen.
CBS News has reached out to Schroeder, Doute, Boyens and Caprioni for comment.
