Lisa Vanderpump did not attend the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion, but her ears must have been burning. The former RHOBH star was a hot topic of conversation in the opening segment of the Season 9 reunion, and she was even seen in a series of throwback clips that showed her dissing former Housewife Adrienne Maloof for not showing up for the Season 3 wrap-up show six years ago.
Bravo host Andy Cohen kicked off the RHOBH Season 9 reunion by announcing that Vanderpump did not show up for the taping, then compared her no-show status to Adrienne Maloof’s absence from the Season 3 reunion taping in 2013. Bravo then played a flashback clip that showed Vanderpump’s reaction to Maloof’s absence at the Season 3 reunion.
“I think if you sign up to do a reality show, you have to be prepared to open up your life,” Vanderpump said of Maloof, according to Bustle .
In the flashback clip, Cohen then asked the ladies if it was “cowardly” for Maloof to skip the reunion. In a scenario strangely similar to Vanderpump’s present-day situation, OG RHOBH star Vanderpump said she it was a bad move for Maloof not to show up.
“I think it’s a mistake as well because I think she’s leaked stories to the press saying that she wanted to quit and I don’t believe that. I believe she wanted to stay and I think she should have come, cleared up the mess, and moved on.”
At the present-day Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion, Cohen then went on to say that Lisa Vanderpump’s “final act as a Housewife” was to give an interview, in which she said she wouldn’t be attending the reunion or returning to RHOBH next season. Vanderpump dopped her interview bombshell to Daily Mail TV one day before the Season 9 reunion taping was scheduled.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills veteran Kyle Richards speculated as to why Vanderpump announced her exit one day before the reunion taping.
“I think she gave that interview yesterday so that she could say she quit, because she knew if she didn’t show up here today, that you would probably do the same thing that you had to do with Adrienne and fire her,” Richards told Cohen, per Hollywood Life . “So, she was preempting ‘getting fired’ by saying she quit yesterday.”
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans took to Twitter to comment how shady it was for Bravo to replay old clips of Lisa Vanderpump and compare her to Adrienne Maloof. You can see some of the viewer reaction below.
Shame on Andy for his tasteless way he set up Lisa Vanderpump by comparing her to Maloof
— Beachy ? ?? (@Beachyfreak) July 17, 2019
What I found hilarious was them showing Lisa Vanderpump talking about Adrienne Maloof not honouring her contract and then she did the same thing (so far anyway). Doesn’t make her look very good. #RHOBHReunion #RHOBH
— AmazonGoddess (@amazongd) July 17, 2019
Time for some frivolity with the #rhobh reunion. Andy Cohen pulling out ALL the stops to stick it to Vanderpump.
— Alyssa M Torres, Master of Fine Arts ?? (@AlyssaSketchd) July 17, 2019
Up until this season, Adrienne Maloof was the only Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star to skip a reunion taping. At the time, host Andy Cohen told the cast, including a shocked Vanderpump, “Not only is she absent tonight, but she won’t be on the show next season. Adrienne Maloof’s final act as a Real Housewife is not showing up tonight.”
Part two of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion airs Tuesday, July 23 on Bravo.