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Topics: Ariana Madix, Bravo, Entertainment, VPR
Marissa Dow
The season 11 Vanderpump Rules finale had everything: live music, tears, gratuitous gold lamé — and that was just Scheana and Brock. Tom Sandoval’s unquenchable thirst to bend Ariana’s ear finally came to a climatic (or anti-climatic, if you ask the cast) end when she disengaged Meredith Marks style before he could get a narcissistic word in edgewise. Katie and Lala have been going through it, and dragging in former VPR stars along the way. James and Ally seem happier than ever, but Scheana and Brock aren’t in a great place (maybe if Brock spent more time getting in touch with his own emotions instead of managing Ariana’s that could help? Just spitballing!). TLDR this cast is on its last leg, and fans are dying to know if Ariana is going to be the first domino to fall. Is Ariana leaving Vanderpump Rules behind for good? Here’s what we know.
Though our predictions are still unconfirmed, it seems like now more than ever Ariana Madix is primed to leave Vanderpump Rules ahead of the 12th season. While the production pause that sent Twitter into a speculation spiral could indicate the network was willing to work around Ariana’s Love Island shooting schedule in Fiji, it more likely was a cultural reset to allow organic storylines to regenerate amongst the cast exhausted by Sandoval’s bullshit, according to Andy Cohen. To make matters worse (at least for her cast mates who are apparently depending on Ariana for a paycheck) it was recently announced she’d be returning for a second run in Chicago as Roxie Hart starting Aug. 1, 2024.
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Technically, depending on if her Chicago run gets extended or not, Ariana will be free from Broadway obligations by the end of August. It seems like there’s not a world in which she is invited back to Vanderpump Rules (if the show continues at all). So it’s definitely possible time-wise if her fall calendar remains clear that Ariana could make it all work. But the question is why would she want to? And that’s a question that’s a lot hard to answer.
Ariana’s talent is proving to be much larger than a cheating scandal, and the more opportunities she receives the quicker she’ll outgrow VPR. The truth is, though the show was based on the concept of young hopefuls trying to bartend their way into the elite circles of Hollywood, the show has always worked best when its stars shine brightest on the main stage at SUR.