During the October 4 episode of her Balancing Act podcast with fiancé Luke Broderick, a listener asked Kristen Doute how Stassi Schroeder reacted to their engagement news.
As fans of both The Valley and Vanderpump Rules know, Kristen and Stassi used to be besties back when they both worked at SUR. Apparently, times have changed.
Even though they used to be thick as thieves, they are no longer close. Surprisingly, Kristen hasn’t had so much as a text from Stassi since announcing her engagement in September.
Kristen Doute hasn’t had any contact with Stassi Schroeder in months
“I have not heard from Stassi,” she shared. “I think the last time I heard from Stassi would have been on her anniversary [in May] when I wished her a happy anniversary, and we exchanged some kind words. That’s kind of it.”
“I’m OK with that,” she added. “I have a lot of love for her and for her family … That’s never going to change for me. We have a lot of history, and she used to be like a sister to me.”
Noting that their situation has changed, Kristen’s not worried about their bond. “I just wish her the best,” she continued. “Sometimes friendships don’t last. That’s it. People just grow apart.”
Surprisingly, Luke admitted that he’s “never met” Stassi, even though she and his fiancée used to be BFFs. He and Kristen have been dating since 2022, but they’ve never met up with Stassi and Beau for so much as a cocktail. It’s not like they live on opposite sides of the country. That’s just sad.
Kristen and Stassi moving on in different directions
Despite being original cast members when VPR premiered in 2013, Kristen and Stassi were both fired in June 2020. They had both participated in racially profiling their former costar Faith Stowers.
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that I have so much to learn,” Kristen said in July 2020. “I know that’s super cliché … but it’s absolutely true … [Even though] I thought that I understood racism … now I’m really learning about unconscious bias. Learning about anti-racism. Learning about how we can do things locally to really, truly make changes and putting work into your community locally to make those changes.”
Stassi also addressed the issues leading to her Bravo termination. “Just imagine making a terrible mistake, but one that has nothing to do with how good you are at your job,” she observed in her 2022 memoir Off With My Head. “You’re told to stay quiet. You’re already ashamed of the mistake you made. You already want to fix it. But on top of that, every single person you know or have ever met knows about this mistake.”
Kristen has since returned to Bravo with The Valley, while Stassi will again be working for Lisa Vanderpump on Season 2 of Hulu’s Vanderpump Villa. Additionally, Stassi’s deal with Hulu includes her own show, Stassi Says, a half-hour docu-comedy currently in development.
A synopsis for the series reads, “Endlessly relatable, utterly hysterical and questionably sane, Stassi is the anchor of a fresh ensemble of comedic and chaotic characters who are dealing with identity crises and major life crossroads of their own — and Stassi’s the one who has to keep them all afloat.”
The Valley Season 1 is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED KRISTEN AND STASSI ARE NO LONGER CLOSE?
