Vanderpump Rules: 10 Things To Know About Season 10
Sing it with us, "You know that it's our time, these are the best days of our lives!" "Vanderpump Rules" is back, and the stars are promising that Season 10 of the beloved "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" spinoff is returning to its roots ... which means we'll be diving into a season full of drama and messy relationships. Original cast member Scheana Shay thinks longtime viewers will be pleased, telling Variety at BravoCon in Fall 2022, "I feel like the old show is back ... I think we set ourselves up for a Season 11."
The show famously hit a slump during Season 9, largely due in part to fan favorites like Max Boyens, Kristen Doute, and Stassi Schroeder being fired from the series. Meanwhile, other beloved stars of the show like Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor left just months later –and "Vanderpump Rules" subsequently lost about half of its viewers in the process. Still, star Lala Kent thinks the current cast has a shot at winning them back, telling the same outlet at BravoCon, "I'm hoping that people who kind of fell off and stopped watching when we were going through growing pains in Seasons 8 and 9 will come back because it's going to be a fantastic season." In preparation, here's everything you need to know about Season 10 of "Vamperpump Rules."
Expect a brand new intro
Diehard "Vanderpump Rules" fans are going to be in for a shock when Season 10 debuts as the reality show will feature a brand new intro. Yep, the dramatic slow-motion drink spilling in those tiny SUR uniforms is dead and gone, replaced with a more realistic take on the stars' lives today.
As executive producer-turned-showrunner, Jeremiah Smith told The Wrap, the reality is that many of the show's stars no longer work at Lisa Vanderpump's West Hollywood restaurant. And while the original opening sequence helped to set up a world that mostly took place in and around SUR, those elements no longer strictly make sense for the show. Instead, he decided to move the intro into multiple settings, with Smith sharing that it will now start at Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz's new venture, Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge, "The universe that the show exists in has gone from one restaurant to four," he explained. "I wanted the main titles to show off the whole 'Vanderverse,' as I call it."
Despite the big changes, one thing will stay the same: that iconic theme song. "We had to keep the song. When you hear it, you know we're on," Lisa Vanderpump told The Wrap of the legendary tune, adding, "You've seen John Legend sing it!" The crooner famously performed the tune during an at-home concert on Instagram Live (via Entertainment Tonight) back in 2020.
The Vanderpump drama of the past is back
While the intro might have received an update, the cast is adamant that the show has gone back to basics. And when it comes to "Vanderpump Rules," basics mean ... messy drama. The show became a phenomenon thanks to the tendency of this group of friends to date within their circle. This would often lead to overlapping romances, tears, and some super intense fights — who could forget former star Jax Taylor tearing off his sweater in a parking lot to fight Frank Herlihy after he started dating his ex, Stassi Schroeder?
Season 10 seems to revisit that state of chaos. After all, one of the most anticipated storylines centers around Tom Schwartz getting involved with James Kennedy's ex, Raquel Leviss. It's important to note that he's also fresh off his split from his former wife Katie Maloney, whom he was with when the "Vanderpump Rules" cameras first started rolling back in 2013. The potential drama is featured heavily in the season's trailer, including a kiss caught on camera. For her part, Leviss told Variety at BravoCon, "I know there's a lot of stories coming out about me, but I kind of just don't really want to speak about it too much, because I think it's important to really see how things play out. I stand by every decision that I made this season, and you'll just have to see."
Katie and Tom's divorce will take center stage
Bravo fans were heartbroken to discover that "Vanderpump Rules" sweethearts Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz were pulling the plug on their marriage back in March 2022. Viewers had watched the couple, who were together for 12 years, navigate their relationship during the nine prior seasons — from dating and getting engaged to tying the knot. And despite fans being privy to the troubles that had been brewing between the couple for some time, the divorce news was still shocking.
Like most other big events in their relationship, cameras were rolling after their split, and it appears we'll have a front-row seat to the messy aftermath of their uncoupling. In August 2022, TMZ caught an explosive fight on camera, which was also being recorded for the show. The trailer for Season 10 opens with the couple drinking to their friendship, with Schwartz stating, "I'm proud of us. We're a divorce success story." However, that truce soon melts into mayhem, with various scenes depicting the two at odds with each other — including Maloney slamming her ex with a plethora of insults. We'll have to stay tuned to see if they managed to circle back and become friends again after their divorce was settled in September 2022.
James Kennedy's got a new leading lady in his life
After James Kennedy and Raquel Leviss revealed they were ending their engagement in December 2021, opening up about their split during Season 9 "Vanderpump Rules" reunion, it was only a matter of time before the good-looking SUR employees found love again with each other people. And though we touched on Leviss reportedly getting romantically involved with OG cast member, Tom Schwartz, she's not the only one debuting a new love on the show.
Kennedy wasted no time moving on after his split from Leviss since he had a new lady in his life just a month later. The DJ started seeing model Ally Lewber in January 2022, and by March he made things Instagram official by sharing a snap of himself posing with his new love at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The Season 10 trailer shows Kennedy making quite the proclamation, telling boss Lisa Vanderpump, "I do think Ally is the one. I'm going to put some babies in there one day." Vanderpump's response? "You sound like a dictator." Clearly, it won't be all sunshine and roses for the new couple. The trailer also includes Lewber being vocal with her disapproval of Kennedy's drinking, an issue that Leviss also frequently experienced with the DJ.
Single Lala Kent is back!
In October 2021, Lala Kent broke off her engagement to longtime love, producer Randall Emmett, amidst cheating allegations. The split came just five months after the couple welcomed a child together, a daughter, Ocean. A source apparently close to Kent talked to Hollywood Life about the split, sharing, "Lala was completely blindsided by what happened with Randall ... She's done for good and [will] never have another discussion about it. It's a wrap."
With her breakup behind her, this season of "Vanderpump Rules" will show a brand new side of the star. She opened up to Variety about this new era in her life being filmed, sharing, "We're not in our 20s anymore. We're grown adults and we're going through divorces [and] having children, it's just it's a different game ... You guys will see the first person I hooked up with since my last relationship on 'Vanderpump Rules,' which was weird."
According to Page Six, Kent had a brief romance with model Don Lopez, which she tried to keep under wraps. It's unclear whether Lopez is the lover in question, though the fling was apparently short-lived, as she explained on "Jeff Lewis Live" (via Page Six). Still, if the Season 10 trailer is anything to go by, then Kent will be as candid as ever about her love life.
Even Tom and Ariana aren't immune to the drama
The way their romance started certainly caused some drama in the early days of "Vanderpump Rules." But, ever since Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix confirmed their relationship on the Season 2 reunion, the duo has appeared to be pretty solid — still, no couple is perfect. The pair doesn't appear to be immune to the rumor mill, either, since it kicked into overdrive in August 2022 when eagle-eyed — and inventive — fans thought Madix was being cryptic on Instagram and alluding to a split.
The post in question featured a cute snap of the star posing with two pals. Notably, it featured a caption that read in part, "I never posted for my birthday months ago and now it's wild to look at these photos because so much has changed. some good and some sad, but that's life, I suppose!" Followers deduced that meant a split. However, Madix confirmed to Us Weekly that that was not the case, insisting, "If you were to follow all of those things — I mean, we've been together for almost nine years — you would think we've broken up like times 50 times."
Sandoval echoed their happy status, telling the outlet, "We're great. We're doing really good." Although their relationship is intact, it will still be put under a microscope during Season 10. After all, the trailer shows Shaena Shay asking Sandoval if the couple has an open relationship — a topic that will likely be dissected this season.
Familiar faces from the past return
Instead of adding a flurry of new cast members, which may have been partially to blame for the massive drop in ratings during the show's previous run, Season 10 of "Vanderpump Rules" will mainly stick to the tried and true stars of the show — plus some old staples. Everyone's favorite manager, Peter Madrigal, makes an appearance in the trailer, as does Kristina Kelly. Previously, the star appeared in the earlier seasons as a friend of the cast but seems to have a larger presence in the upcoming season, with a potential front-row seat to Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney's post-split feud. At the very least, Kelly's friendship with Maloney has been maintained amidst all the drama.
Aside from the familiar faces returning, James Kennedy's girlfriend Ally Lewber is also a new fixture. As the trailer shows, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais' son, SUR employee Oliver Saunders, will also be joining the mix — and he appears to share a kiss with Raquel Leviss. One former star who won't be making an appearance? Lala Kent's ex, Randall Emmett. In December 2022, the film producer told The Sun that despite sharing a child with Kent, you won't catch him in front of the cameras — in fact, he was never eager to be featured on the show. "I never wanted to be on 'Vanderpump,'" he said. "But ... I really wish all the people on that show [success] ... in my life, I'm focused on my children and focused on making films."
We'll see Scheana Shay get married ... again
It's time to see Scheana Shay get hitched ... again! The reality star famously wed her Mike Shay during Season 3 of "Vanderpump Rules" in 2014, in a fairy tale ceremony complete with a crop-top-wedding dress. Two years later, the couple went their separate ways and Shay moved on with personal trainer Brock Davies, who she started dating back in November 2019.
Davies and Shay welcomed their first child together, daughter Summer, in April 2021. Davies also has two children from a former relationship that reside in Australia with their mother. Three months later, he made things official and proposed to his girlfriend, with the two tying the knot in Mexico in August 2022. Shay told People of the family-friendly nuptials, "I just wanted us to have a good time with every person who is important to us."
Among those important people? Many familiar "Vanderpump" faces — from Ariana Madix and Raquel Leviss (who were in Shay's bridal party) to fired co-stars Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute. Not to mention, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval, who happened to be groomsmen on the big day. There's even a peek of the big day during the Season 10 trailer.
A familiar RHOBH star will make an appearance
The days of Lisa Vanderpump starring on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" are long gone, as the star famously left the show during Season 9. Back in 2019, she revealed to the Daily Mail that she was leaving the show and would be skipping the reunion. But that doesn't mean that Vanderpump doesn't still have some ties on the series. In fact, one of the current stars, Garcelle Beauvais, will be making an appearance on "Vanderpump Rules."
In September 2022, the Twitter account Queens of Bravo shared a snap of Vanderpump and Beauvais filming a scene, fueling speculation that either Vanderpump would be appearing on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," or that Beauvais would be getting involved in the "Vanderpump Rules" drama. The latter proved to be true, as the Season 10 trailer revealed Beauvais would be in the mix thanks to her son, Oliver Saunders, working at SUR and seemingly getting involved with James Kennedy's ex, Raquel Leviss.
We'll see the Toms open yet another bar
When we first met Tom Sandoval during Season 1 of "Vanderpump Rules," he was a bartender with some big dreams. We've since seen him go into business with his boss Lisa Vanderpump and his best buddy Tom Schwartz on TomTom, and in Season 10, we'll see him opening his second bar with Schwartz — Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge. The name is not only familiar to fans of the show, but also a little controversial. Schwartz's ex-wife Katie Maloney famously said of the potential moniker, "I think it's horrible," per Heavy. When asked by Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" whether or not Sandy was even Sandoval's nickname, the reality star replied, "I don't know."
Unfortunately, settling on a name wasn't the only hard part of opening another bar. The Season 10 trailer shows that getting things going isn't a walk in the park. The duo appears to be having a hard time getting the place open, and it may be taking a toll on their respective relationships. Schwartz even makes a claim that the bar played a role in his divorce, stating, "If it wasn't for this bar, me and Katie would still be together." Despite all the drama, Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge eventually opened in November 2022.