Scheana Shay hopes Ariana Madix reads her memoir to better understand her after their friendship shift.
“We talk here and there. I think no matter what, Ariana and I are always going to have such a deep love for each other,” Shay, 39, said on the Friday, March 7, episode of her “Scheananigans” podcast. “I hope she reads my book.”
Shay noted how her upcoming memoir could offer clarity, adding, “Maybe has a better understanding for some of my actions over the past couple of years and understands a little more about my mental state and what I was going through. I write about everything up until a few months ago.”
Shay announced in January that her memoir, titled My Good Side, is set to be released later this year. The book covers Shay’s time in the spotlight since she rose to stardom via Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules.
“After appearing on shows like 90210, Jonas, and Victorious, Vanderpump Rules would be a piece of cake. But from the very first season, Scheana clashed with her fellow cast members,” read the synopsis. “Barbs were thrown, friendships dissolved, and Scheana was left in the rubble trying to navigate the complexities of having her life and relationships filmed for a television audience. On camera, she got used to being called every name in the book, from homewrecking whore to a pick-me and bad friend. But off camera, there’s always been a different side of Scheana, pieces of her that didn’t make it into the final edit of tidy, 40-minute television episodes.”
My Good Side will allow Shay to pull back “the layers of who she really is.”
“[She] shares all sides of her — the good, bad, and messy — bringing readers on a wild nostalgia trip through the early days of Vanderpump Rules, while recounting jaw-dropping stories from her Hollywood black book, including setting the record straight on her relationship with Eddie Cibrian,” the description teased. “She reveals how her outlook on love has evolved and led her to a daughter she was told she may never have. From being bullied as a kid to being bullied by the Witches of WeHo, Scheana has seen it all, and together she and her fans can laugh, cry, and reminisce on all the drama, heartbreak, and celebrations over the years.”
The memoir is a new venture for Shay after Bravo announced that season 12 of Vanderpump Rules would undergo a complete cast change. The decision came in the aftermath of a difficult season where multiple cast members ended up at odds — including Shay and Madix, 39.
Shay specifically found herself the butt of the joke after season 11 of Vanderpump Rules premiered earlier this year. Her comments about how deeply affected she was by Tom Sandoval’s affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss — which caused his split from Ariana — received major backlash.
“I just am hurting still. Why can I never have one moment where it can be about me? I am hurt,” Scheana told Lala Kent during a March 2024 episode. “I lost a very, very dear friend. I am struggling with that. But I am not allowed to feel anything because it is only about Ariana. I am tired.”
Shay defended herself on her podcast, saying, “This season, I was priding myself on trying to be the most open and honest version of myself — even if at times the audience may not agree with me. I went way out of my comfort zone this season and I’m hoping that y’all can show me some grace and just understand that a lot of the things that we’re navigating are relatable. I’m putting it all out there because I hope that it helps people who have gone through similar things.”
Madix largely has stayed out of the drama but previously admitted she’s not as close to Shay.
“[We have been in touch] here and there,” she said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in August 2024 before agreeing that their friendship took a “big hit” after the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion. “But there’s a lot of love there and I think that will always be there. And I’m really happy … she just won an award for talking about her postpartum OCD and I thought that was like really, really lovely.”
