Ariana Madix Reveals Why She Was ‘Never’ Going Back to Vanderpump Rules Before Cast Shakeup

In her cover story with People StyleWatch, the 39-year-old reality star opened up about her time on the Bravo series, revealing how she knew she was never going to return to the show even before the cast shakeup.

“I don’t think I was ever going to go back to Vanderpump Rules. That’s the first time I’ve ever said that publicly, but I was never going to,” Madix revealed to the publication.

“It just didn’t feel right. Not in any sort of rude way, not in a professional, ‘We don’t need this,’ not in a, ‘I’m too good for this’, but it just didn’t feel right,” she explained. “If I did go back, I wouldn’t have been able to do the job that would make a good show. And so it just wasn’t going to make sense, the story didn’t make sense.”

The rebooted Bravo series is set to begin filming in a few weeks with a whole new cast, TMZ reported.

Madix — like her costars — posted about her appreciation for Vanderpump Rules after the news about the Season 12 cast shakeup was announced, writing on her Instagram that she will be “forever grateful to have been a part of such an incredible cultural phenomenon.”

The show took a turn for Madix — and, in turn, the whole cast and its fans — once Scandoval broke in March 2023.

“I hate that name too,” she told the outlet of the name given to the pop culture phenomenon that threw her life into a disarray. “That word has never come out of my mouth.”

“Even when someone said it to me in regards to something I was wearing, I never said it back,” she added, referencing her iconic season 10 reunion look which had fans referring to her look as the “revenge dress.”

In March 2023, Vanderpump Rules fans were rocked when news broke about Madix’s partner of nine years, Tom Sandoval, having an affair with her friend and co-star, Rachel Leviss.

The revelation came to light when Ariana discovered explicit messages and videos on Sandoval’s phone, exposing the betrayal. The scandal sent shockwaves through both the Vanderpump Rules cast and its fanbase, dominating headlines and making Ariana an overnight symbol of strength and resilience.

The backlash against Sandoval and Raquel was intense, with fans and even castmates publicly condemning their actions. Ariana, meanwhile, handled the fallout with grace and strength. She ended her nearly 10-year relationship with Sandoval and received overwhelming support from both the Bravo community and beyond. She leveraged the scandal to her advantage, landing major brand deals, a role on Dancing with the Stars, and expanding her business ventures, including her sandwich store Something About Her which she runs alongside her former castmate Katie Maloney.

The Scandoval drama also revitalized Vanderpump Rules, leading to record-breaking ratings for the show’s 10th season and a highly anticipated reunion episode where the cast confronted Sandoval and Raquel. The scandal remains one of the most shocking and talked-about moments in reality TV history — but, when it seemed the drama was a little too real for them to continue filming together anymore, the show was reset.

Madix first appeared on the reality series in Season 1 & 2 before becoming a main cast member in Season 3. Despite closing the door completely to Vanderpump Rules, she revealed to TooFab in December that she was open to sharing some advice to the new cast members, if they asked.