Vanderpump Rules is returning for its triumphant twelfth season with a completely new set of servers and bartenders working for Lisa Vanderpump. Production began filming in early 2025, when cameras were spotted filming at Sexy Unique Restaurant (SUR) Lounge in West Hollywood.
The last few seasons shifted their focus away from SUR and the staff as the original cast members outgrew their roles as servers and bartenders. Initially, they were struggling servers, bartenders, and aspiring actors and models, which lent the show its authenticity.
By Seasons 7-10, most of them had built careers, brand deals, or were involved in other businesses. Stassi had a podcast and book deals, Katie and Ariana opened their sandwich shop, Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz co-owned TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy’s, Jax and Brittany bought a house in the Valley and opened their own bar, and Scheana became a mom and grew her family.
Even when producers tried to stage SUR scenes, cast members were just popping in for a quick drink or staged conversation.
By the time “Scandoval” hit, it blew up the entire friend group. When people in the friend group started picking sides, no band-aids could fix that bullet hole. The damage was done.
Katie and Ariana refused to film with Sandoval, and Schwartz was caught in the middle, having known of the affair for weeks, causing further pain for Ariana and Katie. Lala and Scheana had a complicated reaction, revealing how emotionally tangled the friend group really was.
Scheana still refused to fully reconcile with Sandoval but did film with him, crying and saying she missed the group dynamic. Lala and Ariana are no longer friends, as Lala expressed disappointment when Ariana didn’t want to film with Sandoval anymore.
The reboot returns to the show’s original roots, centering once again on the restaurant, the lives, ambitions, and the messy dynamics that unfold behind the bar and in the workplace of the staff.
As the trailer opens, Lisa Vanderpump sets the stage with a cheeky nod to SUR’s reputation: “I used to say SUR is where you take your mistress, but I guess it’s where you meet her.”
Her line perfectly captures the energy of the new season: unapologetic, unfiltered, and ready to dive headfirst into the chaos that made Vanderpump Rules iconic.
The new staff bring back the raw authenticity and early hustle that the show once thrived on; young, hungry, and determined to make it in Hollywood while working a serving job. While they do have big shoes to fill, the dynamics have already formed friendships, feuds, and romances.
Meet the fresh-faced Vanderpump Rules cast
The new cast includes Venus Binkley, described as the “gossip go-to,” and the glue of the group, who has a difficult time with the Los Angeles dating scene; Jason Cohen, a server at SUR and aspiring actor who attempts to date his new coworker, but his attempts backfire; Chris Hahn, a friend of the group, aspiring musician, and Jason’s cousin, who’s looking for a long-term relationship; and Shayne Davis, a friend of the group and aspiring actor and writer who’s focused on sobriety while navigating the club and bar scene.
Also included in the new cast are Angelica Jensen, the newest hire at SUR Restaurant & Lounge, who joins the cast as someone with big ambitions in modelling, acting, and building a swimwear brand; Marcus Johnson, a longtime SUR employee who’s also trying to transition into DJing and social life in general after the death of his parents; and Audrey Lingle, a newly single aspiring actress who has a bubbly charm and girl-next-door charisma.
Season 12 of Vanderpump Rules premieres on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. This time around, the new SUR crew works, parties, and hooks up — a chaotic mix that’s as risky as it is irresistible to watch.
As a longtime Vanderpump Rules fan who’s lived through every unforgettable moment from Jax cheating on Stassi and the infamous “Miami Girl” confrontation to the Jax–Faith recording scandal, Lisa firing Kristen, and, of course, the pasta argument, I’m ready to give this reboot a fair shot.
Who knows? It might just deliver a new era of iconic moments waiting to be watched, dissected, and endlessly analyzed.
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