‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Ariana Madix Imagines How Season 9 Will Look Without Stassi & Kristen

Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix is unsure how filming will work should the Bravo reality show get picked up for a ninth season, but she does think it could become complicated.

In a new interview with the #NoFilter With Zack Peter podcast, the Vanderpump Rules veteran said things could get tricky regarding fired cast members Stassi Schroder and Kristen Doute because they are still part of the show’s real-life friend group and are always around.

“I would think that they just wouldn’t be at any filmed thing,” Ariana speculated of the duo, per Us Weekly.

She added that Katie Maloney-Schwartz is still close with the fired former co-stars and that she is also close with Kristen, which makes things even more difficult.

“We all still know each other. I think that, like, when it comes to filming and stuff, they would just not be at something that is filmed. But, then again, who knows if the showrunners have different ideas. …You also run into the issue of, if someone’s there, do you put a mic on them? And then if you do then, shouldn’t you pay them? It’s like, who knows! I think it gets complicated.”

Ariana noted that she wouldn’t blame Bravo for not wanting to “go there” because the awkward dynamic could be too much to deal with.

In the interview, Ariana also imagined what types of storylines viewers could potentially see if shooting for the Bravo hit does pick up in the near future. There are currently three Vanderpump Rules female cast members who are pregnant, as well as Stassi, who is due with a baby girl in early 2021.

“Obviously, we would be seeing the births of Lala [Kent], Scheana [Shay], and Brittany [Cartwright],” Ariana said. “It’s a pretty compelling story that half of them are pregnant and having babies.”

She also predicted there will be some new cast members following last season’s additions. (Two newcomers, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni, have since been fired along with Stassi and Kristen for their past racially insensitive remarks.)

The longtime SUR bartender reiterated that she doesn’t have any inside information on casting or anything else regarding the status of Vanderpump Rules.

Ariana also pitched a wild idea: a more positive show as a mood lifter amid the pandemic. She acknowledged that while viewers love drama, she would be up for a more positive and “superfun, uplifting” round of episodes.

While Vanderpump Rules is not currently filming, fans have been catching up with the former SUR staffers on social media. There have been plenty of missed on-camera opportunities with gender reveals, Halloween parties, and a group getaway, but there is still no word on when — or even if — Vanderpump Rules will live to see a Season 9.