New Vanderpump Rules Cast Tackles ‘Negativity’ Surrounding the Reboot

The fresh Vanderpump Rules cast remains undeterred by skeptics questioning the Bravo show’s revival.

“Honestly, the wave of negativity has been eclipsed by the immense love we’ve received, and it’s surprisingly overwhelming,” Audrey Lingle told Us Weekly exclusively at the Vanderpump Dog Foundation Gala on Thursday, December 11. “Every negative comment has been buried under tenfold the kindness we’ve experienced.”

As noted by Venus Binkley, he has already felt an incredible warmth from fans visiting Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant in West Hollywood.

“I’m very grateful for the love we’ve received at SUR and all the fans who’ve visited,” he shared from The Maybourne Beverly Hills. “There is certainly a lot of negativity online, but it feels wonderful to be among those who support us, and the cast is united regardless of the chatter.”

On Thursday night, numerous cast members from season 12 of Vanderpump Rules came together with James Kennedy, Stassi Schroeder, and Beau Clark to celebrate the efforts of the Vanderpump Dog Foundation each year.

Before showing their support for the nonprofit dog rescue organization, which aims to improve the lives of dogs domestically and internationally, several SUR staff members shared their thoughts on their new roles as reality TV stars.

“There’s a lot of noise out there. The feedback is a mix of positive and negative, and it’s easy to get caught up in the drama,” Marcus Johnson remarked to Us. “But I’ve chosen to focus on the positive support and the people who genuinely want to connect with us. That’s my priority, drowning out the negativity.”

After attending Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen with her boyfriend, Marcus, Kim Suarez is also concentrating on the positive opportunities that come with sharing her life on reality television.

“There’s a lot of noise,” she noted. “So we’re really trying to embrace these moments of support and excitement, almost like a ‘How did we get here?’ feeling.”

Vanderpump Rules showcases a vibrant group of friends, rivals, and lovers who have been working with Vanderpump at SUR for years.

Following the conclusion of season 11 in October 2024, Bravo and the producers opted to refresh the show with an entirely new cast.

According to Natalie Maguire, several former cast members have supported the new team behind the scenes.

“Tom Schwartz visited SUR this week during our watch party,” she shared. “He’s been really supportive. We just met Stassi inside.”

Audrey added, “She was incredibly supportive and so sweet.”

Regarding the online speculation that ratings might not meet expectations, Andy Cohen seems to be rather unconcerned.

“People say to me, ‘The ratings for Vanderpump Rules are terrible.’ First of all, you don’t know the ratings for Vanderpump Rules,” he stated during the December 10 broadcast of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “We don’t focus on live ratings. I haven’t checked live ratings for anything on Bravo.”

Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. You can stream past episodes anytime on Peacock.