Well, folks, it finally happened. After years of problematic behavior and straight up ickiness, Jax Taylor has been fired from Vanderpump Rules. The controversial Bravo star announced the news on Friday, Dec. 4, saying both he and his wife Brittany Cartwright would "not be returning for another season."
If it feels familiar, that's because it is. In June, Bravo similarly fired Vanderpump Rules stars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, as well as a few new cast members. Needless to say, with SURvers dropping like flies, and Vanderpump Rules still not officially renewed for a Season 9, the future of the show seems murky at best. But it might not be as hopeless as you think. Here's a rundown of who's leaving Vanderpump Rules, who remains, and what it might mean for the future.
Jax Taylor — FIRED
In his statement, Jax left the nature of his departure from Pump Rules ambiguous, writing, "Brittany and I will not be returning or another season of Vanderpump Rules. We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors." But, responding to a fan in the comments section, he said that he and Brittany were leaving because "it doesn't make sense anymore" for his family, per E! News. "I just couldn't see doing this same type o show with a child. My marriage and family are more important," he wrote. (Insert "Sure Jan" GIF here.)
So, Jax is trying to give the impression that he's choosing to leave Vanderpump Rules on his own. But, if we've learned anything from watching him for eight years, it's that Jax really can't be trusted. Reports suggest he was fired for his history of troubling behavior, which includes a lot of documented casual racism, sexism, transphobia, and just general assholery. In June, there was a fan campaign to have him fired along with Stassi and Kristen. He was even called out by his former Pump Rules co-star Billie Lee, who accused Jax of refusing to film with her "because I was trans and called him out on his white cis privilege."
It took Bravo six months, but, hey, at least they did something? Plus, this action could actually mean good things for Pump Rules going forward. Why fire Jax if the show is going to be canceled anyways?
Brittany Cartwright — FIRED
It's not exactly clear that Brittany was fired for any specific reason, though it probably had something to do with the fact that, as Jax's wife, most of her storylines would still involve him after he was no longer a cast member. That said, she wasn't immune from controversy either. Last year Brittany and Jax found themselves in hot water after it was revealed that they had asked an anti-LGBT pastor to officiate their wedding. The biggest twist? They ended up being married by Lance Bass.
Stassi Schroeder — FIRED
Stassi was fired in June after Faith Stowers, who appeared on Pump Rules in Seasons 4, 5, and 6, recounted the story of when Stassi and Kristen had accused her of a crime she didn't commit — and, yes, they went to the police. The story was not new, but in context of the Black Lives Matter resurgence over the summer, it took on a new life, and sparked a new call to action, resulting in Stassi's firing. (It's worth noting, Stassi apologized for the incident, and has since claimed to be working with "a teacher" to learn about issues of systemic racism.)
Beau Clark — ???
Stassi's new hubby and baby daddy's future on Vanderpump Rules is, truly, anybody's guess at this point. Beau was not fired from the show, but given the fact that his entire involvement in the show was because of his relationship with Stassi, it seems pretty likely he's out too. "Beau won't do Vanderpump Rules without Stassi," a source told Us Weekly. "He's fully standing by her publicly and privately."
Kristen Doute — FIRED
Kristen also apologized for her behavior towards Faith, but, like Stassi, she was still let go. According to her Instagram, she remains close friends with the Vanderpump cast, attending Lala Kent's baby shower in September.
Danica Dow — ???
Danica Dow made her Vanderpump Rules debut in Season 8, but she wasn't exactly a huge player, so she's not a lock to return in Season 9. Her volatile relationship with SUR bartender Brett Willis has apparently landed her in hot water with her co-stars. In August, she filed a temporary restraining order against Willis, accusing him of being "physically and verbally abusive," per People. Brett called any allegations of possible abuse or harassment "unfounded and severely taken out of context," and said that he had also obtained a temporary restraining order against her.
Barely a week after reports of the conflict hit the news, TMZ reported that the Vanderpump Rules cast was worried about Danica's future involvement in the show. According to the site, sources claimed that she had been seen pushing Brett at work, and a majority of the main cast thinks she shouldn't be invited back.
Max Boyens — FIRED
Max was fired at the same time as Stassi and Kristen — also for past actions. Six months earlier, in January, old racist tweets from 2012 had resurfaced in the press, including one that read, "It upsets me that [the n word] is not allowed to be said unless you are black because quite honestly it's my favorite word." He apologized at the time, telling People he was "disgusted and embarrassed," but his apology only went so far, and apparently, by June, it was no longer enough to keep him around.
Brett Caprioni — FIRED
Brett was the forth and last cast member fired in June. Like Max, old racist and sexist tweets resurfaced before his Vanderpump Rules debut in January, eventually leading to his firing months later. In a statement released after he was removed from the show, Brett apologized, saying on the Vanderpump Rules reunion, "It's something I regret deeply."
Raquel Leviss — Probably SAFE
Raquel may have been temporarily let go from SUR due to COVID-19, but, based on her Instagram, it looks like her spot in the Pump Rules cast is secure. In August, she defended Vanderpump from a class action lawsuit alleging that she didn't pay SUR employees. "Since working as a waitress at SUR for two years have always taken a break when I've wanted one and always gotten paid fairly," she tweeted. She's also in a relationship with co-star James Kennedy, so her status on the show might also depend on his.
James Kennedy — Probably SAFE
Sure, Lisa fired James from SUR for calling Katie Maloney-Schwartz "fat," and most of his co-stars hate him, but what is reality TV if not a place of healing and redemption (and drama, followed by more healing, and more redemption)? His longtime cast member status coupled with his relationship with Raquel probably means he'll be back when filming resumes. Plus, he celebrated one year sober in July and swore off the self-appointed nickname "White Kanye," and after all the drama with Jax, Vanderpump could use a storyline about a man who has seen the error of his ways.
Katie Maloney-Schwartz — SAFE
Katie's been vocal about her desire to return to Pump Rules once they are cleared to start filming again — if Bravo renews the show for another season. "Every day, I'm being like, 'Maybe today we'll get the phone call!' But no," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I'm hopeful. They haven't canceled it."
Tom Schwartz — SAFE
You can't have Vanderpump Rules without TomTom, and you can't have TomTom without Tom Schwartz. "I'm optimistic about the future of Vanderpump Rules," Tom said in an August episode of Lala Kent and Randall Emmett's podcast, per People. "I feel like the show still has legs, it still has so much life to give."
Tom Sandoval — SAFE
The other half of TomTom, Tom Sandoval, is also a Pump Rules staple. If the show comes back, like Tom Schwartz hopes, then Sandoval will likely also return. In the meantime though, he recently announced he's joining the cosmetics company Stryx, which makes products for men. So, at least he has something to fall back on.
Ariana Madix — SAFE
Ariana, Tom Sandoval's longtime GF, has admitted to thinking about leaving Pump Rules before. In an episode of her new podcast, Dating Straight, she revealed that she thought about quitting after a wardrobe snafu sent her into "this spiral." She explained, "Those are the kind of moments where you think, 'I can't do this anymore.'" Still, it's a safe bet that she'll be back whenever the show picks back up.
Charli Burnett — Probably SAFE
After Jax was officially fired from Pump Rules, SURver Charli appeared to comment on Twitter, writing, "I guess I do know my role, and it's employed." Charli and Jax never got along, with Charli even calling him an "old man" at the Season 8 reunion. He later wrote a message to her, telling her to "know your role." And, according to her recent shade, she's fully expecting to have a job when Vanderpump Rules returns.
Dayna Kathan — Probably SAFE
Dayna has only been on one season of Vanderpump Rules, and she managed to survive with her reputation pretty much in tact, despite her relationship with Max. Probably her most notable drama was off-screen with Jax, who she accused of being extremely unwelcoming to new cast members on Season 8. Speaking with Katie on her You're Gonna Love Me podcast, Dayna said, "He blocked me. He passive aggressively tweeted about me several times." So, if/when the show does return, it's likely she'll be back too.
Lala Kent — FUTURE UNCLEAR
Don't freak out: Lala hasn't been fired. She has, however, expressed concern over what the show would look like for her as a new mom. (She's expecting a baby girl due in April 2021.) "I need to make sure that's a healthy space for me," she told Entertainment Tonight in September. "I have my own child looking up to me, so it would have to be the right situation." She added, "I just don't see me walking into SUR clapping back at Danica for serving the wrong meal, you know?"
Scheana Shay — SAFE
During a recent episode of her podcast, Scheananigans, Scheana admitted that she was worried about the future of Pump Rules, saying, "Nothing has been set for sure, and now with all the counties or the state [of California] going back into purple [COVID-19 lockdown], I don't know if that's going to affect what the tentative plan even was." That said, she also seems optimistic about an eventual return to SUR when all this is over, though not necessarily as a SURver. "I wanted to start hosting a live podcast there and just stay involved in the restaurant," she said, adding that she's "not going to be pregnant in a SUR dress."
So, to recap: should Vanderpump Rules return for a Season 9, the only cast members fans can really count on returning are Scheana, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, Ariana, and Katie, with everyone else either fired or up in the air! Based on that cast alone, it's not hard to see how Pump Rules could end up being split into spinoffs. TomTom can easily be the center of its own show with the Toms, Ariana, and Katie. The only snag: COVID-19, which has forced SUR and TomTom to shut its doors temporarily.
Honestly, they should just make a season about Bravo and the cast trying to figure out how to move forward with Season 9 after losing so many core cast members. They can call it Vanderpump Rules: New Beginnings.
Image: Nicole Weingart/Bravo