Lisa Vanderpump is firmly focused on her life outside of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and says she has no intention of returning to the popular reality show.
The 64-year-old restaurateur and reality star left RHOBH after season 9, but rumors about her potential return to the series have persisted. However, Vanderpump, who is busy managing her restaurant empire and multiple television projects, has made it clear that she’s not coming back.
“I’ve always said, ‘never say never.’ And that show was very good to me on so many levels,” Vanderpump told PEOPLE on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at the Los Angeles Magazine book launch for the memoir Hollywood Virgin. “But no, I am so busy in my life. I’ve got some new restaurants, and I’ve got another big project coming up, and Vanderpump Villa has taken up a lot of my time. Vanderpump Rules is still going strong, so I wouldn’t.”
While Vanderpump acknowledged the ongoing speculation about her return, she emphasized that she is not closely connected to the current RHOBH cast, aside from her friendship with Garcelle Beauvais. “So it wouldn’t really make sense to me,” Vanderpump explained. “I know there’s been a lot of gossip about it, and normally I wouldn’t comment on it, but no, it’s not happening.”
Vanderpump also took a candid approach to addressing her feelings about some of the RHOBH cast members, revealing that there are “a couple of them I don’t like.” “I’m being honest,” she added.
The season 14 cast of RHOBH included Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Bozoma Saint John, and Beauvais, with Kathy Hilton appearing as a “friend” of the cast. Vanderpump’s previous relationships with some of the cast members have been fraught with tension, particularly following the infamous “PuppyGate” scandal in 2019. The drama surrounding Kemsley and Richards led to a major fallout between Vanderpump and Kemsley.
Vanderpump, who had previously been close friends with Kemsley and her husband Paul “PK” Kemsley, confirmed that she has not been in contact with PK amid his divorce from Dorit. “I haven’t, but PK was always a great friend before, and I’m sorry for any marriage that has its downfall,” she told PEOPLE. “I’m sorry about that. Especially when there are children. Always sorry to see that. But I have great affection for PK. But when he was married to… yeah. Okay, moving on.”
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Despite the speculation about Vanderpump’s return, Bravo host Andy Cohen has also weighed in on the rumors, saying that he doesn’t see her coming back to RHOBH. On his SiriusXM show Andy Cohen Live on Jan. 21, Cohen addressed the ongoing talk of Vanderpump’s return. “It was repeated all over the place that I’m trying to get Lisa Vanderpump back on The Housewives of Beverly Hills,” he said. “Let me restate my abject love for Lisa Vanderpump, but I don’t know where the rumor came from. I don’t see her coming back to that show.”
In addition to her exit from RHOBH, Vanderpump continues to make waves in the reality television world with Vanderpump Rules, a spin-off that has garnered a loyal fan base. Following the announcement that the original cast of Vanderpump Rules would step aside for a new group of cast members in the upcoming season, Vanderpump expressed her excitement about the upcoming season.
“We’re just about to start [filming]. But it’s incredible, really, because just when you think, ‘Oh, I’m never going to see somebody that’s crazier than that or more beautiful than that,’ and then suddenly they appear. It’s like that in Hollywood,” she told PEOPLE. “It’s incredible the amount of people that are just so much fun, and it’s such a vital kind of city.”
Describing the restaurant business as “a revolving door of drama,” Vanderpump teased that the new season of Vanderpump Rules would be filled with excitement. “It’s going to be a great season,” she promised, hinting at the drama to come.
As Vanderpump remains firmly focused on her various business ventures and television projects, it seems her time on RHOBH is firmly behind her. Although the door may not be entirely closed, Vanderpump’s priorities are firmly set on her expanding empire, her beloved family, and her continuing influence on reality television.
