Faith Stowers Says Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute 'Shouldn't Be Shunned for What They Did'
Faith Stowers is speaking out after Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute's Vanderpump Rules firing.
Although the reality stars both issued public apologies for their past racially insensitive actions towards Stowers, she doesn't want them to be "shunned for what they did" — even though Stowers says Schroeder, 31, has not reached out to her directly to apologize.
"Stassi has done nothing," Stowers, 31, tells PEOPLE about hearing from Schroeder.
"She made a statement, but that was it," Stowers says of Schroeder's public apology, which was shared on Instagram this week. "I haven't seen anything from her privately," Stowers continues, adding that the Next Level Basic author "hasn't apologized directly."
As for Doute, Stowers says, "Kristen DM’d me after receiving pressure from people to."
But more importantly, though, Stowers wants them to learn from their mistakes.
"When they do realize the power that they have, I want them to utilize it for good. They shouldn't be shunned for what they did, that won't help them. I want them to listen and learn," says Stowers.
"Maybe we will see good things from Stassi and Kristen down the road," she adds.
PEOPLE has reached out for comment from Schroeder and Doute.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bravo confirmed that Schroeder and Doute will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules, on which they have both starred since the show's debut in 2013. Cast members Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni — whose years-old racist tweets resurfaced last winter — will also not be coming back.
Their exits come days after Schroeder and Doute both posted lengthy statements on Instagram in response to a past incident with Stowers. Last week, during an Instagram Live chat with Floribama Shore star Candace Rice, Stowers — who appeared on seasons 4 and 6 of the Bravo series — recalled a time when Schroeder and Doute spotted a tabloid article about a black woman wanted for theft, and called the police to pin the crimes on her.
"There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African American lady. It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people," Stowers said during the June 2 conversation. "And they called the cops and said it was me. This is like, a true story. I heard this from actually Stassi during an interview."
Stowers tells PEOPLE she is feeling "good about" what has happened, but didn't expect "it would get this big."
"I brought it up two years ago and I felt I wasn't being heard and now I'm being heard. I feel like Bravo and Lisa [Vanderpump] have also let me know that they're in support of me by making sure consequences came with those actions," she says.
After news of the firings broke, Vanderpump, 59, released a statement in which she said, "I condemn all forms of racism."
Desiree Stone/Getty Faith Stowers
In 2018, Schroeder confirmed calling the cops about Stowers during an appearance on the Bitch Bible podcast. At the time, Doute tweeted a link to a news story about the woman at large at the time, writing, "hey tweeties, doesn't this ex #pumprules thief look familiar? someone put her on mtv & gave her a platform for press. I didn't wanna go there but I'm going there."
"Racially insensitive comments from my past have resurfaced. It is important that I continue to take accountability for what I have said and done, while pushing myself to do better," Schroeder said in a portion of her statement posted on Sunday. "I have grown significantly from the person I was then, and I am still filled with remorse and regret for the hurt I caused. I am grateful for the people in my life that continue to check me and push me to evolve into a more educated person," she wrote.
Meanwhile, Doute shared her own statement on her social media. "I have been taking some time to really process what I've been seeing, feeling and learning. And I need to address something specifically that happened a few years ago with my former castmate, Faith Stowers," she wrote.
"Although, my actions were not racially driven, I am now completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement's treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions would have been to her," Doute said, adding, "It never was my intention to add to the injustice and imbalance. I'm ashamed, embarrassed, and incredibly sorry. I will do better. I have to do better."
As for how brands like Bravo can make progress, Stowers says networks should "start hiring more people of color."
"I don't want this to be a one-time thing," Stowers says of the company, along with several others, using their platforms to take action against racism and social justice issues in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death.
She adds, "I want this to be sustainable."
