Bravohas planned to take a break from filming their popular reality seriesVanderpump Rulesafter a tumultuous Season 11.Filming forthe reality seriespicked up fresh on the heels of “Scandoval,” and the fallout from the affair has been the main event this season. This, despiteAriana Madixinsisting that she not be forced to be in the same space with her cheating ex-boyfriend. While the friend group rallied around Ariana in the initial episodes and refused to includeTom Sandovalin group events, with help from the producers, he has slowly ingratiated himself back into the group.
Lala Kenthas long since decided it is time for Ariana to forgive her ex.Scheana Shayhas struggled with the thought of losing Sandoval as a friend, and her husband,Brock Davies, has taken it upon himself to force a confrontation between the pair whenever possible. AndTom Schwartz, Sandoval’s best friend and seeming ride or die, has pushed for his pal to return to the fold. In the most recent episode,Schwartz has even accepted the offer to be Sandoval’s roommate, if he actually succeeds in buying Ariana out of their shared home. With Sandoval’s seeming success in reintegrating into the friend group, what does production gain by the delay?
Vanderpump Rules
Best known as one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Vanderpump opens the salacious kitchen doors of her exclusive Hollywood restaurant and lounge, SUR.
What Is the Reason Behind the Production Pause?
The most obvious answer is, time.TMZreportedthat sources with “direct knowledge” have confirmedthe series will not be picking up filming this summer, and have not been clear about when exactly the series will be back.Production for the reality series would typically pick up cameras in May, and continue filming throughout the summer into July. The reported reason for the pause is that the producers wanted to allow the cast some time to fully distance themselves fromScandoval, as the repercussions from the affair have continued to affect the dynamics within the group throughout Season 11. The hope is that by taking a break from filming and allowing the cast to live their lives without cameras on them, there will be space for new and interesting storylines to develop and different drama to unfold that is not necessarily centered on Sandoval.
Why You Won’t Hear About Ariana Madix’s New House in the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Reunion
It’s unclear if this ends or continues Ariana Madix’s house drama on ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
The pause also buys production time as Ariana steps intoher new gig as hoston the hit reality series Love Island USA. It was recently announced that Ariana would be stepping in as host, replacingSarah Hylandafter a scheduling conflict arose. Reportedly,this will take Ariana to Fiji to film over the next several months. It seems that this break away from the cast will allow more space for Ariana to move beyond her anger at her cheating ex, and also allow the cast time to cool down after an intense Season 11 reunion.
While not mentioned by TMZ or theVanderpump Rulesproducers,the time from this pause will also allow for the"revenge porn" lawsuitthat Rachel “Raquel” Leviss has brought against Ariana and Sandoval to either be resolved, or to develop far enough that producers can begin to assess the damage.Ariana’s legal team recently responded to the suit, affirming she had not distributed the video that Leviss claims Sandoval recorded of her to anyone, and requesting the case be thrown out. Sandoval, however, may have a more difficult time refuting the claims in the suit against him, and the “pause” before filming picks back up seems like it will give theVanderpump Rulesproducers some time to see if they need to rehabilitate his image any further in Season 12.
Vanderpump Rules can be streamed on Peacock.
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