As Vanderpump Rules Season 11 starts wrapping up on Bravo, Deadline has learned that production for Season 12 has been delayed.
A source close to the cast confirmed that the show would not be filming this summer, breaking the production schedule’s norm.
The show had traditionally picked up production during the summer months to coincide with gay pride events in West Hollywood, a weekend where Lisa Vanderpump’s establishments like Sur and TomTom get a lot of foot traffic.
TMZ, which first reported the news, states that one reason for the hiatus is to give the cast a break following the fallout from Scandoval.
The cast has been divided in the aftermath of the affair that had Tom Sandoval cheating on long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with her best friend, Rachel Leviss. Season 11 picked up filming right after those events, and the group was heavily fractured, not allowing them time to process the events amid the intense reactions from the real world as everything played out in front of cameras.
Another potential reason for the break is to hold off on Madix’s return from Fiji, where she will be hosting Love Island Season 6. Earlier this year, Madix was announced as the new host of the Peacock dating competition, replacing Sarah Hyland.
According to our sources, spin-off The Valley will not be affected by the Vanderpump Rules hiatus and will continue on its projected production schedule. Although Bravo has not officially confirmed a second season for the spinoff, ratings for the show have been promising. The Valley scored Bravo’s best seven-day premiere audience in nearly a decade.
With Vanderpump Rules on hiatus for the summer, more of the cast could potentially appear on The Valley.
