As dramatic and scandalous as Vanderpump Rules is, the drama continued behind the scenes with production and one of the main cast members, Scheana Shay. After Season 11’s dramatic finale, Shay took to various podcast episodes and interviews, discussing production’s disappointment with some of the cast members (primarily Ariana Madix) for not fulfilling their duties as reality TV stars. However, the Executive Producer of Vanderpump Rules, Alex Baskin, has denied Shay’s claims.
Season 11 saw the aftermath of the affair that took over the world’s media. After Tom Sandoval cheated on his girlfriend of nine years with her close friend, Rachel Leviss, the cast’s dynamic changed. Friendships and relationships were broken, and more importantly, fans questioned if there was a future for the series. The future of the series was at the forefront of Shay’s mind when she made some surprising comments about the inner workings of the series, which were later questioned by Baskin. Continue reading to learn exactly what Shay alleged, how Baskin responded, and what this could mean for a possible Season 12.
The Vanderpump Rules Executive Producer Slammed Sheana Shay’s Comments
Reality Tea reported that in June 2024 — after the Season 11 finale — Schena Shay went on her podcast to discuss how the finale went down behind the scenes, giving more intel as to why she acted so emotional and aggressive towards her best friend Ariana Madix behind her back. Her words, however, were refuted by the show’s executive producer, Alex Baskin.
“I know Alex Baskin has said that midseason, the show was not in a good place.”
Shay continued saying “It was, you know, ‘X, Y and Z needs to happen. Or we’re going to have a short season, and the show’s going to be canceled and that’s it.’”
Shay is referring to the final event that took place as the show’s finale. In the episode, things were leading to Ariana Madix having a sit-down conversation with her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval. As a friend to both, Shay pushed for this conversation to happen. When Madix made it clear she had no intention of talking to Sandoval and left the event, Shay and other cast members were upset that Madix didn’t stay for the confrontation.
Fellow castmate Lala Kent broke the fourth wall and showed her frustration with Madix for not giving the audience what they wanted. As reality TV stars, Kent and Shay felt Madix wasn’t doing her job, thus risking everyone else’s jobs without a season.
Shay and Kent felt Madix didn’t show the ins and outs of her life on camera, which wasn’t fair to their cast members who fulfilled their roles. Shay then alleged production was manufacturing a sit-down between the former couple for better ratings, which is why she felt so strongly about Madix’s behavior.
In response to Shay’s claims, Baskin told Variety “I think that was a pretty dramatic, heightened account of what happened.” Looking back on the conversation he had with Shay, Baskin refuted her claims.
“We did get the entire cast together, and we thought we had hit a point in the season where I actually think that they were impacted by what was happening on social media,” the producer said.
“We basically were telling them to drown out the noise, and to make the show that they had made over the previous 10 seasons — and that didn’t mean we asked them to manufacture anything.”
Baskin continued explaining what he asked of the crew. “It didn’t mean that we gave them any specific talking points. “It just meant that we had made a show that worked because it was everybody rowing in the same direction, and reacting to each other. And we’ve gotten away from that. So we thought that we had to intervene in that sense.”
Shay explained on her podcast how the cast meeting affected her. “I think Lala and I felt a lot of pressure after that day when it was like, ‘Well, we don’t want the show to get canceled.’” This notion led to Shay and Kent wanting more from Madix.
Contrary to Shay — and in support of Baskin — Kent shared a different take on events compared to Shay’s. In an episode of Two Ts and a Pod, Kent said, “What I gathered from that meeting was not what Scheana gathered.”
“I have never been a puppet to production. I in no way, shape or form felt that production was trying to get me to lean one way or the other.”
While Baskin, Kent, and Shay all have different interpretations of events, the outcome can still affect a possible new season.
The Future Of Vanderpump Rules Is Up In The Air
The finale of Season 11 was a dramatic one for Vanderpump Rules fans as it left fans wondering about the future of the series. A big reason why the show may not return is because the friend dynamics have changed dramatically.
Now that the cast is divided between Team Ariana and Team Sandoval, things are not looking good for Bravo fans.
Reality Blurb reported that Vanderpump Rules was put “on pause” after the Season 11 reunion. This meant the series would take an indefinite hiatus from filming until things worked out among the cast.
Executive Producer Alex Baskin shared that production will have a “clearer picture” of the direction of the show in a “few months.” Because of how “intense” the season ended, everyone needed a break to recoup and recharge.
“I think we will do an analysis of what else we need to consider for the show — and that’s who returns, and what the complexion of the cast looks like,”
Even if Vanderpump Rules does come back for another season, Andy Cohen questions Ariana Madix commitment to the show. For the past two seasons, Madix has been through the wringer because of her breakup. According to Reality Blurb, Cohen is “unsure” if Madix would come back for another season.
Since the breakup, Madix’s career has grown in a multitude of ways. She received brand deals with Uber, DSW, Bic, and Bloomingdales (among many more), as reported by Variety. Madix is also the new host of Love Island: USA. With so many opportunities, she isn’t just relying on Vanderpump Rules for money. Madix also opened the long-awaited sandwich shop, Something About Her, with fellow cast member Katie Maloney.
Although Sheana Shay felt like the cast had to fabricate or embellish situations to make the series sell itself for another season, Alex Baskin’s words prove otherwise. Now that Vanderpump Rules is on pause, time will tell if a new season is on the horizon.