What sets Vanderpump Rules apart from some other Bravo shows is that the cast members are a genuine group of friends with deep, decades-long history. The former SUR employees are so messy, they’ve dealt with as much drama off-screen as on. While this makes the relationships more authentic, it also robs us of the chance to see some of the most jaw-dropping moments.
The majority of Scandoval, for instance, happened in the months the show was on hiatus after Season 10. But as any longtime Pump Rules viewer will tell you, that wasn’t the cast’s first rodeo. Here are some other off-camera Vanderpump Rules moments over the years that we desperately want the footage of.
Jax Taylor Admitting He Slept With Kristen Doute
Like Scandoval, so much of Jax Taylor and Kristen Doute‘s affair happened off camera. The first time the rumors came up was thanks to Katie Maloney. Alas, she only mentioned it once cameras stopped rolling after one of her many Season 2 Tequila Katie outbursts.
The off-camera Vanderpump Rules moment we wish we could see the most was when Jax finally owned up to sleeping with Kristen. First of all, it’s so rare for Jax to admit the truth about anything. But it also came after a whole season of him and Kristen adamantly denying it and expertly covering up their tracks. We also would’ve loved to have seen Stassi Schroeder‘s initial reaction to hearing the story about how they hooked up while watching the movie Drive.
Jax Dissing Brittany Cartwright To Faith Stowers
This technically did happen on camera, but viewers didn’t get to hear it. Thanks to Lala Kent, who had the recording Faith Stowers made on her phone, Brittany Cartwright was able to hear all the awful things Jax was saying behind her back. For some reason, we only heard the cast summarize the contents of the recording. We also got some context for just how bad it was thanks to Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval‘s blow-out fight.
But there’s just no substitute for the real thing. We’d also love if that recording made the cut so that producers could refer back to it. Especially every time Jax tries to act like he’s better than Sandoval.
Katie Maloney Asking Tom Schwartz for a Divorce
After years of watching Tom Schwartz treat Katie like dirt, we would’ve loved to see her ask for a divorce. The toxic couple’s spit was a long time coming, as was Katie finally standing up for herself and her own happiness. It clearly rattled Schwartz, who seemingly wants Katie back.
We’re sure he acted like the victim and tried gaslighting her in the moment. This is the guy who blamed Katie for his own infidelity. But Schwartz gets away with everything, so it would’ve been very satisfying to see him finally face the consequences of his actions.
The Origin of Kristen Doute & Ariana Madix’s Friendship
By the time Ariana and Kristen spoke about their friendship on camera, they were close enough to be declaring love for one another. In fact, they displayed more intimacy with each other than in their respective relationships with Sandoval. It was a far cry from the seasons they spent at each other’s throats, to say the least.
Both ladies have said they did film conversations where they made up and began a friendship, but those never made the cut. Rewatching Seasons 5-7 with this in mind, their growing closeness is more apparent. But clearly a lot happened to make them go from cordial co-stars to extremely close besties.
One of the many highlights of the Season 10 finale was Kristen’s return to the show for Ariana’s sake. Apparently, they’ve only become closer since Scandoval. Now that Kristen’s on the VPR spin-off, we’re sure we’ll see more of the love between Sandoval’s exes.
Ally Lewber Catching Tom Sandoval & Rachel Leviss at The Abbey
VPR fans may be tired of Scandoval, but there’s still so much we don’t know. This was an intense affair going on for months under everyone’s noses, and yet we barely saw Sandoval and Rachel Leviss interact as a couple. In their few scenes one-on-one, they were super awkward and too aware of the cameras.
The moment things really got suspicious was after newbie Ally Lewber revealed she caught them dancing at The Abbey. Once she brought it up on the show, Sandoval and Rachel were concocting their own narrative. But considering how brazen they were when they knew they were being filmed, we can only imagine what Ally actually saw.
There’s so many unanswered questions about the early days. Where was this supposed magnetic connection and great conversation that lead them to hook up at the guy’s night? Then again, the Season 10 Secrets Revealed footage of them flirting up a storm the morning after was infuriating enough.
The Immediate Scandoval Aftermath
The way Scandoval was first revealed has already turned into the stuff of legend. From Sandoval’s phone falling out of his pocket, to Ariana’s discovery right as Rachel and Scheana Shay appeared on Watch What Happens Live, and Rachel nonchalantly admitting the truth to Scheana. What actually happened with Scheana and Rachel in that moment? We still don’t know, and the accusations caused a lot of pain and production hurdles.
Thankfully, Ariana called producers, and cameras went back up as soon as they could. The result was some of the best Bravo content in years, and earned VPR a few Emmy nominations. But we can’t help but wonder what it would’ve looked like for cameras to be rolling before the scandal became international news. Especially since this led Rachel to dip out, turn off her phone, and refuse to film any more scenes.
TELL US – WHAT JAW-DROPPING OFF-CAMERA VANDERPUMP RULES MOMENTS DO YOU WISH YOU MADE IT ON THE SHOW? CONVERSELY, WHAT DRAMA DO YOU WISH WOULD’VE STAYED OFF-CAMERA?
