'Vanderpump Rules' stars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute fired after racist claims
Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute have been fired from Vanderpump Rules following a racist incident with a former cast member. Schroeder, 31, and Doute, 37, have starred on the hit Bravo show since it premiered in 2013. The network also confirmed on Tuesday new cast members Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni won't return after past racist tweets were uncovered earlier this year, shortly after the new season debuted.
"Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules," a spokesperson for the network told Yahoo Entertainment. Vanderpump Rules recently wrapped its eighth season.
Last week, Schroeder and Doute were accused of racist actions against former co-star, Faith Stowers. Stowers, 31, who appeared in Season 6, revealed during an Instagram Live with Candace Renee Rice that she was asked to return to the show, but declined because Schroeder and Doute called the police on her.
"There was this article on... Daily Mail where there was an African American lady. It was like a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos or whatever. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people," Stowers shared. "The woman was at large… and they called the cops and said it was me. This is, like, a true story."
Schroeder even told the story herself during a podcast interview in 2018. Doute tweeted a link to an article at the time about the woman, 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."
"It was just funny, because they thought it was me because it was a Black woman with a weave. So, they just assumed it would be me, and they called the cops on me," Stowers continued. "It didn’t work, so they were upset about that."
Over the weekend, Schroeder and Doute publicly apologized; however, neither reportedly apologized privately to Stowers.
"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 wrote. "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 did not recognize then the serious ramifications that could have transpired because of my actions. What I did to Faith was wrong. I apologize and I do not expect forgiveness."
Repercussions for Schroeder — arguably the most successful star outside of the reality show — were swift. She was dropped by her publicist and agency, along with several brands she works with.
A source tells Yahoo Entertainment the headache isn't over for Bravo and Evolution Media. Discussions are currently taking place about what to do with another original cast member: Jax Taylor.
Taylor, 40, accused Stowers of committing crimes in a newly resurfaced tweet from December 2017. After a fan asked him if Stowers would appear permanently on the Bravo show, he wrote, "She’s wanted by the police for grand theft auto and ‘awol’ from military, bad idea to be on a reality show dude. ... Someone’s going to jail."
An insider tells Yahoo Entertainment that Taylor's status for Season 9 "is unclear right now." Filming typically gets underway in early summer, but the source notes they are still "a bit out from starting production."
Taylor cheated on then-girlfriend Brittany Cartwright with Stowers years ago, a storyline which was followed during Season 6. He went on to marry Cartwright last year. Both Schroeder and Doute said their actions against Stowers were not racially driven, but that their emotions had to do with what happened between Taylor and Stowers. They vowed to learn from their white privilege.
Stowers found her own happy ending: She recently welcomed her first child, a baby boy, with her boyfriend.
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