Vanderpump Rules had some incredibly shocking cast changes throughout the years, which have resulted in viewers wondering what happened to some fan-favorite cast members. Several original cast members have been fired from the show, like Jax Taylor and Stassi Schroeder, while others have chosen to leave due to their treatment on the show or behind the scenes. With various cast members leaving throughout the run of the series, it has been interesting to see the way departures are handled.
Originally airing in 2012 with a main cast comprised of Jax, Stassi, Katie Maloney, Kristen Doute, Tom Sandoval, and Scheana Shay, the Vanderpump Rules cast has grown considerably in recent years. With some cast members changing from season to season, the balance of the show can be different at times. While many of the original cast members are still on the show and are friends with those who have been fired or left, the storylines can be difficult to follow when they involve some members of the cast who are no longer present.
Jax, one of the original cast members of Vanderpump Rules, is the most notorious reality TV badboy. Originally joining the show as SUR’s bartender and Stassi’s boyfriend, Jax was known for his troubles in relationships early on in the series. After repeatedly cheating on Stassi and lying about it for the entirety of the first season, he spent the following season trying to get her back before finally letting her go, moving on with several other women before meeting Brittany Cartwright, whom he married. On the show, the couple has been through their share of turmoil, including another cheating scandal that nearly broke them up.
In 2020, it was announced that Jax was fired from Vanderpump Rules and would not be returning for the following season. Though Jax tried to position the departure as his own choice, representatives from Bravo made it clear he was not asked to return to the series. While Jax was polarizing during his time on the show due to his general behavior on and off-screen, once he was gone, his presence on the show was missed. His dramatic nature led to some of the most memorable moments in Vanderpump Rules‘ history.
Despite getting fired, Jax was able to make several comebacks on reality TV. He was a part of the House of Villains season 1, although he was the first of the reality TV villains to be eliminated. Shortly after Jax’s stint on House of Villans, he made another return to reality TV, this time on Bravo. His new show, The Valley, premiered on March 19 and was joined by Brittany and fellow alum Kristen. Jax even made a few appearances on episodes of Vanderpump Rules season 11.
Other than his return to reality TV, Jax is also going through it in his marriage. He and his wife Brittany announced their separation earlier this year, not too long after The Valley premiered. It’s unclear whether the two plan on reconciling anytime soon.
Brittany joined the cast of Vanderpump Rules as a recurring cast member during the fifth season after she began dating Jax. While many nay-sayers, including some of Jax’s closest friends, didn’t think the two would work out, Brittany and Jax proved them wrong. The pair not only got engaged on Vanderpump Rules, but they also got married and included some of their fellow castmates in their wedding party.
However, after a slew of firings in 2020, later that December, Jax was fired from Vanderpump Rules, and Brittany was fired along with him. In an Instagram comment she wrote (via Us Weekly), Brittany implied that she and Jax didn’t choose to leave the show on their own accord. “Do you guys really truly think we got to write whatever we wanted?” Brittany said after her departure statement was called out by fans. However, it seems Brittany and Jax are back in Bravo’s good graces as they recently appeared on See What Happens Live With Andy Cohen together discussing Vanderpump Rules season 10.
Those good graces from Bravo continued as Brittany was cast in the new series, The Valley, along with her husband, Jax. The show follows the lives of Jax, Brittany, and their fellow castmates as they navigate their new lives in the Los Angeles suburbs of The Valley. Now that Jax and Brittany are parents to their three-year-old son Cruz, The Valley was the best area for them to grow their new little family.
Despite both Jax and Brittany being fired four years ago, it seems they were easily able to make their way back onto reality TV. Now, with Jax and Brittany’s separation, this will only add to their storyline on The Valley. It seems Brittany won’t be leaving reality TV anytime soon, either.
Original Vanderpump Rules cast member Kristen was one of the most dramatic Vanderpump Rules cast members in the show’s history. Her relationship with Tom Sandoval was on full display during the first few seasons of the series, and though the pair cheated on each other countless times, they managed to remain cordial throughout the rest of Kristen’s time on the series. After getting fired from SUR, Kristen remained on the series and did her best to continue to keep up with the rest of the cast, but things had clearly changed for the former server.
Between Vanderpump Rules seasons 8 and 9, it was announced Kristen had been fired from the series for an incident involving fellow cast member Stassi and former SUR employee Faith Stowers, whom Jax had cheated on Brittany with in the past. Kristen left the spotlight for a bit after getting fired, doing her best to work on herself and ultimately publishing a self-help memoir, He’s Making You Crazy. However, Kristen returned to Vanderpump Rules season 10 later in the season, to comfort Ariana Madix after Tom’s cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss.
Even though Kristen was canceled after her Vanderpump Rules firing, and viewers thought they’d never see her on TV again, she made her return to The Valley alongside Jax and Brittany. Kristen is a main cast member on the show alongside her boyfriend, Luke Broderick, whom she met in June 2022 at a mutual friend’s wedding. The Valley follows Kristen and Luke as they navigate moving in together and whether or not Luke plans on moving from Colorado to L.A. permanently. So far, viewers are happy about Kristen’s return to her messy self on The Valley.
Max Boyens, who joined the cast during Vanderpump Rules season 7, was a quick-witted bartender whom the audience wasn’t entirely certain of during his time on the show. He had a fling with Dayna Kathan and, with other storylines going on, didn’t seem to hold as much attention as he could have. Max was fired during the string of firings between Vanderpump Rules season 8 and season 9 after several insensitive tweets he’d posted in the past resurfaced. While he was not a cast member with longevity, his firing and the offenses that led to it were still surprising.
Since Max’s firing, he has been mentioned in Vanderpump Rules season 11 quite a few times. It was revealed that Katie had hooked up with Max while they were out with mutual friends. It became a huge topic of conversation this season because Max is best friends with Tom Schwartz, Katie’s ex-husband. He also had a small appearance on an episode of The Valley for a moment; however, he was simply in the background. As for Max’s full-on return to reality TV, it is possible now that he’s been mentioned and around the Bravo cameras again.
Stassi was an original cast member of Vanderpump Rules, and aside from a brief break during the fourth season, continued to be a mainstay until she departed from the series. Known for her relationship with Jax, and her hot and cold friendship with co-star Scheana, Stassi’s attitude was ideal for reality TV. She is quick-witted and sharp-tongued, always armed with the perfect quip or phrase to put someone in their place. Stassi, who met her now husband Beau Clark through castmates Kristen and Katie, spent several years on the show as the resident drama queen.
Later on, in her appearance on the series, she began to settle down, but her time on Vanderpump Rules was cut short after she was let go between seasons 8 and 9. When reports of Stassi and Kristen filing a false police report against former co-star Faith surfaced, Stassi and Kristen were fired from Vanderpump Rules, citing racist motivations. Though the allegations were never proven, Stassi took the accusations seriously and took her firing as a chance to reflect on the behaviors she’d displayed in the past. Now a mother of two, Stassi has removed herself from the reality TV space for the time being.
As for whether she will return, it seems unlikely. During a podcast episode of The Toast, Stassi was asked if she watches Vanderpump Rules or The Valley. She said she doesn’t watch Vanderpump Rules but has watched The Valley. When asked if she wished she joined The Valley, Stassi politely said, “no.” Overall, it seems Stassi is focused on being a mom and author as she will be releasing her third book, titled, You Can’t Have It All, in September 2024.
Brett Caprioni joined Vanderpump Rules season 8, primarily working alongside Dayna and Max. Charismatic and intriguing, Brett caught the eye of several other employees during his time on the show, but his appearance was short-lived. In the infamous string of firings between Vanderpump Rules seasons 8 and 9, Brett was fired for some racially insensitive comments he’d made in the past online. He was the first to apologize for the comments, addressing his firing head-on and explaining that he was disappointed, but understood the decision.
Since then, Brett has seemingly put his focus on modeling, according to his Instagram page. However, he had a brief hiatus from social media from June 2023 to January 2024. Brett returned by letting his followers know he had a YouTube video coming out. As for whether he’d return to Vanderpump Rules or reality TV in general, that seems unlikely.