Katie Maloney claimed she was ready to move on Vanderpump Rules before the reboot of the Bravo series was announced.
On the December 4th episode of her podcast No respectsaid the 37-year-old reality star, “You know – like [well as] many people close to me — I did not plan to return.”
She went on to detail her decision not to return to the show after 11 seasons, saying, “Maybe it doesn’t matter at this point, but I made the decision a few months ago after this last season. I mean, I just needed to get on with my life. And that was before we knew the show was going to be put on hiatus, before any of that.”
Vanderpump Rules Rebooting! Bravo is axing the entire cast in favor of a new group for Season 12
The co-owner of The Something About Her claimed that she decided to say goodbye Vanderpump Rules after the Season 11 reunion, but before the series was “put on hiatus”.
“I talked to our producers about it and I told them my decision about it,” she said. “Personally, I felt ready to move on from the show. I felt that my life and the place I was in was moving in a different direction. Mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, I was ready to move on from the show.”
During her time on the show, Maloney married co-star Tom Schwartz in 2016 before the couple filed for divorce in 2022. In later seasons, she hit the dating scene after their split.
From left: Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney-Schwartz at a special Los Angeles screening of Lionsgate’s “Midnight in the Switchgrass” at Regal LA Live on July 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty
Vanderpump Rules‘ Katie Maloney announces she is ‘in love’ with new boyfriend on ex-husband Tom Schwartz’s birthday
“It’s been a long time. I’ve lived many lives and gone through so much on that show,” she said. “It just got to the point where I don’t know if I can live and grow and be the version of myself that I want to be on this show.”
The TV personality also spoke about the costars’ “fractured” dynamic after Ariana Madix ended her nine-year relationship with Tom Sandoval after discovering his months-long affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss in March 2023.
“The group and the dynamic and what makes the show that series would be hard to do because it ended up being so fractured,” she explained. “And a lot of us don’t hang out. Maybe there are some people talking to this person or these people hanging out or the two of them.”
She added: “But as far as a cohesive unit, it just doesn’t exist anymore.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/vanderpump-rules-reunion-2-052824--8fa5bbffa5a646fca0331f1bee8f0e65.jpg)
From left: Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix at the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ reunion.
Nicole Weingart/Bravo
Katie Maloney says she didn’t speak to Lala Kent after she wasn’t ‘super authentic’ VPR A reunion
Despite being ready to say goodbye, Maloney admitted that ending this period of her life comes with mixed emotions.
“The finality of it is surreal. It’s the realization that it’s not going to happen anymore. It’s final. It’s out there that it’s final,” she remarked. “It’s still a weird feeling that it’s done. It’s sad. It’s like closing a chapter is sad no matter what.”
Maloney also shut down rumors that the cast were “demanding tons of money” as she claimed negotiations for the new season “were not even discussed” before the reboot was announced.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Her comments come more than a week after Bravo made the announcement VPR will return for Season 12, but with a new lineup that includes servers, hosts and bartenders at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR and TomTom.
“The last 12 years of filming have been an amazing time full of laughs, tears and everything in between,” Vanderpump, 64, said in a press release. “I can’t thank enough those who shared their lives. How I love you all. In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another. Cheers to the next generation Vanderpump Rules.”
Vanderpump Rules can be streamed on Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education