Katie Maloney, a 37-year-old reality star, made a significant announcement before the reboot of the Bravo series. She claimed that she was already prepared to move on from Vanderpump Rules even before the news broke. On the Dec. 4 episode of her podcast Disrespectfully, she shared her decision, stating that she had made up her mind months ago after the past season. “I just needed to move on with my life. This was before we knew the show was going to be put on pause,” she explained.

Reasons for Saying Goodbye

Maloney detailed her reasons for leaving the show after 11 seasons. She said that mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, she was prepared to move on. She had talked to the producers and conveyed her decision. “My life and where I was at was moving in a different direction. I felt like I couldn't live and grow and be the version of myself I wanted to be on this show any longer,” she shared. During her time on the series, she had gone through a lot, including getting married to costar Tom Schwartz in 2016 and later filing for divorce in 2022. After their split, she ventured into the dating scene.The television personality also spoke about the “fractured” dynamic among the costars. After Ariana Madix ended her nine-year relationship with Tom Sandoval following his affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss in March 2023, the group's unity was severely affected. “The group and the dynamic would be hard to maintain as it was so fractured at the end. Many of us don't hang out anymore. It's just not a cohesive unit anymore,” she added.

Emotions Surrounding the Farewell

Despite being ready to say goodbye, Maloney admitted that it comes with mixed emotions. “The finality of it is surreal. Knowing that it's just going to be no more is a strange feeling. It's sad, like closing a chapter. But it's a part of life,” she noted. She also put to rest rumors that the cast was demanding tons of money, stating that negotiations for a new season had not even been discussed before the reboot was announced.Her comments came more than a week after Bravo announced that VPR will return for season 12 with a new cast featuring servers, hosts, and bartenders at Lisa Vanderpump's SUR and TomTom. Vanderpump, 64, expressed her gratitude in a press release, saying, “The last 12 years of filming have been an extraordinary run full of laughter, tears and everything in between. I can't thank enough those who have shared their lives. How I love you all. In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another. Cheers to the next generation of Vanderpump Rules.”Vanderpump Rules can be streamed on Peacock.