Stassi Schroeder Explains Why She Forgave Her 'Vanderpump Rules' Stars

The Big Picture

• Stassi Schroeder forgave her friends on Vanderpump Rules to keep her job on the show.
• Forgiving friends on reality TV is necessary, as holding grudges impacts filming dynamics.
• It's uncertain whether Schroeder will return to Vanderpump Rules or be part of The Valley .

Stassi Schroeder was once a fan favorite member of Vanderpump Rules but it wasn't without its drama for the former star. One of the biggest hills she had to overcome came after the reveal that her boyfriend, Jax Taylor, slept with her best friend, Kristen Doute. It hurt not only Schroeder but also Doute's boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, and imploded the friend group. Now, Schroeder is revealing that she only forgave Taylor and Doute to keep her job on the show because if she didn't, the show itself wouldn't work.

On her podcast Stassi, she talked about how, in real life, she would never have forgiven them, but with shows like Vanderpump Rules, it is either forgive and move on or you have to leave the show, and she didn't think that was fair to her. “The only way forward is to forgive and move on,” she said. “Otherwise you’re going to torture yourself holding all of this in and being angry and mad and then saying I’m not gonna film with this person.” This is a particularly timely conversation given what has been going on with Ariana Madix.

Vanderpump Rules

Best known as one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Vanderpump opens the salacious kitchen doors of her exclusive Hollywood restaurant and lounge, SUR.

Is There a Comeback For Schroeder on Reality TV?

Madix, who was one part of "Scandoval" in Season 10 of the series, was forced in Season 11 to film with Sandoval, her boyfriend of 9 years who cheated on her with Madix's best friend, Rachel Leviss. To her credit, Madix did make it very clear that she did not want to be near Sandoval or film with him, and she stuck to that, but there was a narrative in Season 11 (pushed by Sandoval) that if she didn't want to forgive him and shoot with him, she could leave the show, which is the same narrative that Schroeder is saying was pushed on her. Schroeder said in her podcast that she feels bad for Madix, who is in a similar situation.

Since the beginning of The Valley, many wondered if we could see Schroeder come back to the show that centers around Taylor and Doute. On her podcast, she called The Valley a "dark place to be.” She even addressed a producer asking her if she was jealous that the show was a success and stated that she found the question "weird" because she doesn't want to watch "people fail." But it isn't necessarily a show she wants to be on. She is a fan of it, but whether we end up with Schroeder back on Vanderpump Rules or on The Valley, only time will tell. Vanderpump Rules is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S. Watch on Peacock

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