Lisa Vanderpump Finally Speaks Out on ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Firings

Lisa Vanderpump has finally shared her thoughts on the social climate globally and the Black Lives Matter movement, in the wake of cast members Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens, and Brett Caprioni being fired from Vanderpump Rules.

The four cast members were booted from Vanderpump Rules for racist behavior. Vanderpump’s storefront was tagged with considerable Black Lives Matter graffiti as fans accused her of turning a blind eye to racism.

Lisa Vanderpump Celebrates Mother's Day With Fancy Cones From Baskin-Robbins — In celebration of Mother's Day, Lisa Vanderpump debuts her hand-selected Baskin-Robbins¬Æ Fancy Cone at PUMP Restaurant and Lounge on May 8, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. Mom's everywhere can order Lisa's cone which features the brand's signature Love Potion #31¬Æ in a chocolate dipped waffle cone, topped with Oreo¬Æ cookie pieces. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Baskin-Robbins)

Vanderpump, 59, defended herself in an Instagram post on Wednesday. She acknowledged the need for change before insisting that she is an ally who runs a diverse company.

Here is what she posted to Instagram in full:

Over the past two weeks, many things have been brought to my attention, of which I and many others were previously unaware. It was necessary for me to be quiet until now, until decisions had been made. Now I can freely speak from the heart.

As we’ve seen such devastating sadness that has played out globally, we all have a part to play to create a kinder, more just society. My hope is for this generation to treat each other with respect and humanity, and realize that actions have; and should have, consequences.

I love and adore our employees and I am deeply saddened by some of the lack of judgment that has been displayed. As many of you know, after watching me for 10 years, I have always been an equal rights activist and ally – my family, my businesses and I condemn all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment. We’ve never tolerated it in the workplace or our lives.

While you only see a fraction of our employees on the show, a specific friend group, across all of our companies, we have always been a very diverse group of people – every color, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Most of our employees have worked for us for over a decade, and we have become a family; one that embraces and celebrates each other’s differences. I am proud of the inclusive company that we’ve created. We will continue to embrace diversity as one of our greatest strengths, and I’m excited to give you deeper look into the multi-faceted fabric of our company in the future.

The world needs to move forward with a kinder generation. Everybody deserves to feel safe, heard and appreciated in their communities. So much of what has transpired in the world is not right, fair or acceptable. We all have work to do to create a society we can be proud of and I hope as we venture forward, we strive to live in a world where kindness and compassion are our highest values.

Thank you for listening, love Lisa

View this post on Instagram

Over the past two weeks, many things have been brought to my attention, of which I and many others were previously unaware. It was necessary for me to be quiet until now, until decisions had been made. Now I can freely speak from the heart. As we’ve seen such devastating sadness that has played out globally, we all have a part to play to create a kinder, more just society. My hope is for this generation to treat each other with respect and humanity, and realize that actions have; and should have, consequences. I love and adore our employees and I am deeply saddened by some of the lack of judgment that has been displayed. As many of you know, after watching me for 10 years, I have always been an equal rights activist and ally – my family, my businesses and I condemn all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment. We’ve never tolerated it in the workplace or our lives. While you only see a fraction of our employees on the show, a specific friend group, across all of our companies, we have always been a very diverse group of people – every color, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Most of our employees have worked for us for over a decade, and we have become a family; one that embraces and celebrates each other’s differences. I am proud of the inclusive company that we’ve created. We will continue to embrace diversity as one of our greatest strengths, and I’m excited to give you deeper look into the multi-faceted fabric of our company in the future. The world needs to move forward with a kinder generation. Everybody deserves to feel safe, heard and appreciated in their communities. So much of what has transpired in the world is not right, fair or acceptable. We all have work to do to create a society we can be proud of and I hope as we venture forward, we strive to live in a world where kindness and compassion are our highest values. Thank you for listening, love Lisa

A post shared by Lisa Vanderpump (@lisavanderpump) on Jun 10, 2020 at 12:04pm PDT

Andy Cohen also made a statement on the firings on Wednesday, noting, “There's so much happening in the Bravo universe.”

“I will say this about what happened: I absolutely support Bravo's decision. I think it was the right decision,” he added. “There is a lot more to discuss and we're already having those discussions.”