Credit: Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo
Lisa Vanderpump addressed Tom Sandoval’s rumored lack of involvement at Tom Tom. She also shared an update on Stassi Schroeder, and she suggested she’s not opposed to her return on Vanderpump Rules.
After Tom’s affair with Raquel Leviss, his longtime friends disowned him, seemingly scared of getting swallowed in the backlash. Some have compared it to the Red Scare – the real danger is the raging fanatics on social media, who continue to wail that any of Tom’s friends get blacklisted.
Speaking with Us Weekly, Lisa was asked if the rumor about Tom’s position at Tom Tom will be addressed in the upcoming season.
“Oh yes, we talk a lot about that,” said Lisa. “It’s complicated, but you have to watch it. There was a lot of backlash and I don’t think quite the punishment fits the crime when it’s the whole world against you.”
Lisa pointed out how Scandoval was mentioned even at Adele‘s concert – and the “presidential speech.”
“I think it was a lot for him to deal with, so I was there to try and facilitate some kind of cohesion,” she continued.
Lisa also shared an update with Stassi – who was fired after her own scandal. Almost four years ago, co-star Faith Stowers said Stassi and Kristen Doute called the cops on her with a false claim.
“I do keep in contact with [Stassi] and she’s doing very well,” said Lisa in an interview with E! News. “Our children play together—well my grandchild and her daughter. It’s all good.”
Lisa suggested that she isn’t against Stassi’s possible return.
“I think when you’re young and stupid, you make mistakes,” she said. “I get a little tired of this culture of like, ‘OK, they made a mistake, let’s get rid of them.’ When you feel like you’re a mother and you’re in for this ride, you want to say, ‘No, let’s learn from it. Let’s learn from it and see the growth and move forward.’ So, when Stassi and Kristen and they all got fired, that was a huge loss to the show.”
“Jax has been a pain in my ass since we started,” Lisa added, “and he is this season.”
Addressing Tom’s past affair with Raquel, Lisa explained that “it’s very complicated” in the new season.
“As executive producer, I really wanted them to show the depth of emotion,” she said. “However hard it was to watch, however hard it was to go through with Tom. I wanted the cast to also not just look at what had transpired, but try to remember the friendships and the growth they’ve had.”
“Look, none of them are perfect,” she continued. “What he did, we know. But you’re gonna see this season it’s totally different from the last season. And that’s the extraordinary thing about Vanderpump Rules: It keeps moving and sometimes in directions you don’t expect.”
