How Andy Cohen Really Feels About Vanderpump Rules Without Stassi And Kristen

Is it even a reality show if at least one person doesn't storm off the set or get booted during the run of the program? Of course not. So it really came as no surprise to fans when four cast members of Vanderpump Rules were fired from the show this past June.  Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, along with Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni, were given their walking papers by producers following racist comments they made on social media and other outlets. Schroeder and Doute reportedly tried to have Faith Stowers, Vanderpump Rule's only Black cast member, arrested in a case of mistaken identity, and the men found themselves under fire for racially insensitive Twitter posts (per Page Six). Schroeder went on to up the insensitivity ante by remarking on her Straight Up With Stassi podcast that "whenever [Black people] get upset, everyone has to go above and beyond to then make them happy."

So although the hit Bravo reality show will roll on without these key players, there's one person who's taking it all in stride: producer Andy Cohen. 

According to the Daily Mail, the Emmy-winning producer discussed the show on the Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino podcast, expressing his opinion that viewers would have plenty to watch despite the cut in the cast list. "I think they're going to have real drama built into [Lisa Vanderpump's] reopening this restaurant after a pandemic," Cohen said. (The show halted production after the COVID-19 crisis forced the temporary shutdown of Vanderpump's restaurant SUR, where much of the action takes place.)

He added,  "I actually think in an odd way that's going to create a lot of story that is absolutely real, and they'll be able to lean into it. And frankly, Stassi and Kristen didn't work there anymore ... I think it will be interesting to see who's there and who's not and what's really happening."

For their part, Doute and Schroeder have been mostly mum about the whole matter, although Doute did speak about the firing on the Hollywood Raw podcast back in July (via Page Six). She expressed her regret that the producers didn't consider turning the situation into a teachable moment and let her make amends through public service. "I would love a second chance. Absolutely," she said. "I would love to make a difference. It's always what I've stood for, whether or not you saw that on Vanderpump Rules. I want to make things better."