Over the years, Bravo has seen some of the most surprising cast member exits on its various network shows. Now, we’re taking a look at some of the departures that will undoubtedly go down in reality TV history!
If you’re looking for drama, Bravo is the way to go. Over the last decade, the network has amassed a huge, devoted fan base for its many reality TV shows. But that also means that there have been plenty of major stories that have rocked the network, including some shocking cast member exits!
Whether it was from a Real Housewives franchise, Vanderpump Rules, or even a Below Deck spinoff, these exits left loyal fans totally caught off guard. Indeed, some of these major cast changes came just in the last year alone! As such, we’re breaking down some of the most shocking exits from Bravo reality TV series.
Denise Richards
While her first season on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills seamed like a breeze, Denise Richards got a rude awakening when she returned for season 10, leading to her decision to leave the show. The former Bond girl’s return to the series was marred down by rumors of an alleged affair she had with Brandi Glanville — whose exit we’ll get to later in this breakdown. Her narrative in season 10 revolved around Brandi sharing with cast members Kyle Richards and Teddi Mellencamp that she and Denise had hooked-up behind closed doors, and without the knowledge of Denise’s husband, Aaron Phypers.
During a cast trip to Rome, Denise completely denied the allegation, and said Brandi was nothing more than an acquaintance. But Brandi had pages of alleged text messages between the two prior to the cast’s trip to Rome. As season 10 continued, Denise supposedly sent out cease and desist letters to both Bravo and the cast, on which her longtime pal, Lisa Rinna, confronted her. The second part of the RHOBH reunion aired on Wednesday, September 9.
Stassi Schroeder
Stassi Schroeder was an original Vanderpump Rules star when the series aired its first season in 2013. From then on, she was a mainstay on the show, until June 2020 when it was announced by the network that she and Kristen Doute were removed from the show following their racist actions. Cast member Faith Stowers revealed during her June 1 appearance on Floribama Shore star Candace Rice‘s Instagram Live that Stassi and Kristen reported Faith, a Black woman, to the police in 2018 for a crime she didn’t commit.
Eight days following their conversation, Bravo made the decision to completely cut ties with Stassi. “Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules,” the network confirmed in a statement to HollywoodLife. Stassi went on to share an apology on June 7, though her words did not change Bravo’s ultimate decision.
Kristen Doute
The exact same fate that befell Stassi was also extended to Kristen Doute, whose departure from Vanderpump Rules was announced the same day as Stassi’s. Much like her former co-star, Kristen also tried to own her actions and issued an apology for calling the cops on Faith Stowers for a crime she did not commit back in 2018. “I have been taking some time to really process what I’ve been seeing, feeling and learning. And I need to address something specifically that happened a few years ago with my former castmate, Faith Stowers,” she wrote in an Instagram post on June 7.
“Although my actions were not racially driven, I am now completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement’s treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions could have been to her,” she added. As it would happen, Lisa Vanderpump hasn’t spoken to Kristen since her shocking exit from the show.
Brandi Glanville
Although her time on RHOBH was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, Brandi Glanville made the ultimate decision to leave the show as a full-time cast member back in 2015. “After a lot of careful thought and deliberation, I have decided not to return to RHOBH as a full-time cast member this season,” Brandi shared back in 2015.
“The past four years have been amazing, a complete rollercoaster of a ride. I will always be thankful to Bravo for the opportunities that have come along with doing this pop culture phenomenon of a show. In the meantime, I’m working hard on my podcast, my new wine business, and my clothing line. And keep an eye out for my next adventure that will show everyone a more well-rounded side of who I really am.” But as fans know, Brandi returned for guest appearances on the show, and was part of Denise’s narrative throughout season 10.
Dorinda Medley
It’s hard to tell whether or not fans really saw this one coming. After six seasons on The Real Housewives Of New York City, Dorinda Medley announced that she would be leaving the show as episodes from the series’ 12th season were still airing. “What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice…” she began the caption to her IG post. “But all things must come to an end. This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away.”
Prior to her exit, Dorinda spoke EXCLUSIVELY to HollywoodLife about the exciting 12th season and all the drama that was to come prior to its premiere. But it seems that Dorinda is “at peace” with her choice to leave the show. “She’s taking this time to focus on herself and her family,” a source shared with HL. But fans shouldn’t be surprised if they see Dorinda pop up on TV in the future, the source teased.
Phaedra Parks
In one of the most shocking twist of events on The Real Housewives Of Atlanta, longtime star Phaedra Parks was fired from the show after season nine. Phaedra was a longtime cast member on the show, joining the series in season three. But after she allegedly told cast member Porsha Williams that Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker were planning to drug Porsha, Phaedra was removed from the show.
The details of the convo never appeared on the actual series, but during the reunion, everything came out. With her cast members turning against her, Bravo made the ultimate decision to fire Phaedra from the show. She has since gone on to appear in a number of other reality TV series.
Peter Hunziker
Much like Stassi and Kristen, Below Deck Mediterranean star Peter Hunziker faced consequences after sharing a racist post on social media. Peter got the axe in June 2020, with Bravo releasing the following statement: “Peter Hunziker of Below Deck Mediterranean has been terminated for his racist post. Bravo and 51 Minds are editing the show to minimize his appearance for subsequent episodes.”
Roughly five weeks after Peter was fired, he finally apologized for his actions. “To all those I have hurt and offended, please know that I am genuinely sorry. I have always supported equal rights and equal opportunities for ALL people,” part of his statement read. Unfortunately for Peter, the apology was too little, too late.
Lisa Vanderpump
One of the most shocking exits from a Bravo series, Lisa Vanderpump announced her exit from RHOBH after a tough 2018 that saw a lot of personal loss. The reality TV star did go on to continue her own show — Vanderpump Rules — but that didn’t make her exit any less dramatic or shocking. By November 2019, Lisa finally shared EXCLUSIVELY with HL why she made the choice to leave. “That’s not what I signed up for,” she told us at the first annual BravoCon in New York City on Nov. 16.
“Sign up, you’re [a] fu***ng target for 25 episodes of them just talking about me, and relentlessly pounding on me, when I was at a very fragile time in my life. I did it in season four, did it season six. I had a bit of it in season two when the whole cast gets to you. And I just said that’s it. Bye. I’m not doing it anymore.”