Earlier this month, the reality TV landscape was rocked when Lisa Vanderpump announced on her Instagram page that one of her Vanderpump Rules favorites was making a comeback. The restaurant entrepreneur teased fans in the video clip, “Well hello there, I want to welcome you back to Vanderpump Villa Season 2. Now, I am sitting here and I’m thinking, ‘What should I put on the menu?’ Any ideas?”
That’s when the cameras panned to former Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder. “Lisa, obviously goat cheese balls,” quipped Schroeder who had an over-the-top obsession with the Sur restaurant appetizer.
“Excellent idea, cheers!” Vanderpump responded. “Welcome back, darling!” Not only is Schroeder a part of the new Vanderpump Villa cast, but she is also getting her own docu-comedy series on Hulu. The move wasn’t that surprising to Soaps.com after Vanderpump gushed about her former Bravo TV co-star ahead of the Food Stars finale in May. She reminisced about how she loved being a mentor to Schroeder during her serving days at Sur, her iconic West Hollywood, Calif. establishment.
“It’s funny because I did pick Stassi out. I hated it when all the stuff went down. I believe people learn from mistakes. I really do,” Vanderpump explained. “I just don’t think you’re going to land on this planet and then be put in a box and not make a mistake. It’s got to be how you learn from, see your growth.” If you’re wondering what “stuff” the reality personality is referencing… well, Schroeder and her Vanderpump Rules co-star Kristen Doute were let go from the series in June 2020 for their racially insensitive actions against fellow cast member Faith Stowers.
Schroeder publicly apologized and faced the consequences of her actions. Vanderpump wanted the issue to play out in front of the TV cameras so the cast could openly discuss the topic, but the network overruled her. She waited until the right moment to bring Schroeder back to the world of reality TV where she belonged. That stardom is something Vanderpump has seen in her mentee after hiring her as a waitress in her early 20s.
“I did pick Stassi out and point my finger at her and say, ‘She is going to be successful,’ ” Vanderpump claimed. “I just saw something in her that sets her aside, you know?” She believes that Schroeder has “the energy” you need to be successful. “People think, ‘Oh, I’ve got a good idea.’ No, you’ve got to be better than everybody else,” she added. “You’ve got to be on your game, and you’ve got to cover all the bases.”
That’s why the former Queen of Sur is back, but not on Bravo TV.
