Scheana Shay Claims ‘VPR’ Men Took Cast Overhaul News the ‘Hardest’: ‘I’m Not Distraught’

Scheana Shay thinks the Vanderpump Rules men were more upset about the cast overhaul than the female stars of the show.

“We all were kind of in a place where we’re like, ‘OK, if it continues, great.’ I did think there was more story to tell. We’ll just be telling that somewhere else now,” Scheana, 39, said during the Friday, December 27, episode of her “Scheananigans” podcast. But I think the women were kind of ready to move on to another platform to tell our stories.”

Scheana stills thinks she can show her life elsewhere, adding, “I’m not distraught. I wasn’t shocked at all. I think the men — minus Brock [Davies] — from what I’ve heard, took it the hardest. Definitely not the women.”

The reality star specifically named James Kennedy as someone who was affected by the news. (James, 32, made headlines earlier this month after he was arrested for domestic violence. He was released on a $20,000 bail and his legal team revealed plans to conduct their own investigation into the incident.)

“[Ally Lewber and I] didn’t really talk about it that much,” Scheana noted. “We had a few texts because she had reached out to me and said that James was taking it really hard and for me to check on him.”

Other men on the show who Scheana could be referring to are Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval.

Scheana maintains that the news about season 12 didn’t come as a surprise to her.

“Any sad feelings that I have about not returning for season 12 are mostly not being able to work with that crew anymore. I loved the crew that we’ve had and hopefully, we’ll be able to work together on other projects because we became like a family,” she continued. “So that was definitely the hardest part. And the whole thing was bittersweet. It’s sad to say goodbye, but excited for the new servers and the next chapter of their lives.”

Scheana is now looking forward to the future ahead of her new ventures — including appearances on VPR’s spinoff The Valley.

“I am excited for new opportunities ahead outside of Vanderpump Rules, but I’m also a nostalgic person and it’s never easy to say goodbye,” she concluded. “Lala [Kent] and I had a good cry about it on the podcast, something that was such a big part of my life for so long. But also I think it was time. Honestly, it all feels right. It’s still all happening. It’s just happening a little differently.”

Bravo originally put season 12 on pause after the cast ended up at odds following Sandoval’s split from Ariana Madix due to his affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. The network announced in November that an entirely new cast would take over after 11 seasons with (mostly) the same group.

Scheana previously suggested that she was at peace with how things played out. She also confirmed she had no plans to make amends with any of her now-former costars.

“I don’t think I will change anything that I have been [doing]. I text Ariana here and there. I ran into Katie [Maloney] at a festival, but I’m not going to reach out more [or] reach out less,” she said on her podcast last month. “I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing because show or no show, all of these people have been in our lives for so long.”

She concluded: “So it’s like, ‘When I see you, I see you. And when I don’t, I’m living my life.’ I’m just going to continue on the same path I’m on and excited for new adventures.”