Lisa Vanderpump Series Renewed at Hulu, With ‘VPR’ Alum Stassi Schroeder Joining Cast (original) (raw)
The Bravo alum and New York Times bestselling author joins the second season of 'Vanderpump Villa' and will star in her own half-hour docu-comedy.
Lisa Vanderpump and Stassi Schroeder. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
After a divisive 11th season of Vanderpump Rules following the aftermath of Scandoval, some fans asked for a shakeup, questioning if bringing back fan-favorite Stassi Schroeder could give the series the boost it needed. It turns out Schroeder is returning to reality TV — but it’s not at Bravo.
As part of a new development deal with Hulu, Schroeder is getting her own show called Stassi Says. The half-hour “docu-comedy” will follow Schroeder and 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.”
Some fans had also speculated that Schroeder might join The Valley, the Bravo spinoff that stars other Vanderpump Rules alum, for its upcoming second season. However, instead of joining her ex-boyfriend Jax Taylor and former best friend Kristen Doute on that show, Schroeder will actually be reuniting with her former boss, Lisa Vanderpump, in Vanderpump Villa, which has been renewed for a second season at Hulu.
The show, which is Below Deck meets early VPR, follows the restaurant mogul’s new, hand-selected employees as they are tasked with curating dreamy vacations for wealthy guests at Vanderpump’s exclusive French estate, Chateau Rosabelle.
Hulu says Schroeder joins the series as a lead cast member, noting that “Schroeder developed a mutual respect with Vanderpump in Vanderpump Rules and will now be joining her former boss in Europe for the next installment.” Additional cast is forthcoming.
Back in January, The Valley co-executive producers Vanderpump and Alex Baskin confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter there were no plans to have Schroeder join VPR. “I love Stassi and I thought she was great television but, you know, unfortunately there was no coming back for her. If it was up to me, I would’ve said — I’m always about giving everybody a second chance, always,” said Vanderpump.
Baskin added, “I love Stassi, we’d love to be in business with her again. We didn’t fully talk about it, we kind of flirted around a little bit and who knows going forward. But she was in a different place and was about to give birth again; she’s doing really well on her own.”
Schroeder was fired from Vanderpump Rules in 2020 after eight seasons, along with Doute, Taylor and his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright, after producers found out the former Bravo star tried to frame former castmate Faith Stowers in 2018 for a crime she did not commit. After her actions were called out, Schroeder issued an apology on social media.
She apologized again on The Tamron Hall Show, explaining her process of taking accountability. “I didn’t understand that just because something wasn’t about race for me, doesn’t mean it’s not about race for the other person because I’m bringing my experience as a White privileged woman to this situation and she’s bringing her experience as a Black woman into this situation. And because it’s about race for her, it is about race. And that’s something that I’ve realized,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder also owned up to her actions, admitting, “I am the reason why I’m in this situation. I think a lot of people wanted me to focus on cancel culture and whether I was a victim or not, and it’s just not how I feel at all.”
Since then, Schroeder — who also goes by Stassi Schroeder Clark, after marrying former Vanderpump Rules castmate Beau and having two children together — has become a two-time New York Times bestselling author (Next Level Basic, Off With My Head), and podcast host with Stassi and The Good The Bad The Baby. She took her podcast on a live tour in 2019, followed by tours in 2020 and 2023. Her third book, You Can’t Have It All, will be released in September 2024.
Stassi Says is created by Schroeder and former Vanderpump Rules producers Erin Foye and Jenna Rosenfeld, and will be executive produced by Scout Productions along with Foye, Rosenfeld and Schroeder. Vanderpump serves as executive producer under her Villa Rosa production banner, and the series is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, a Banijay Americas company.
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