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Vanderpump Rules Producers Take You Inside Every Juicy Moment from the Season 10 Reunion
Executive producers Jeremiah Smith and Natalie Neurauter reveal secrets from the Season 10 reunion and share where they think the Vanderpump Rules cast stands today.
The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion has been a roller-coaster ride for viewers, who have watched the cast sit down to try and work through a season that was already an emotional one — even before the world learned about Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval’s breakup.
That split, which came after the shocking revelation that Tom had been having an affair with Raquel Leviss, led to the show going back into production just weeks before the reunion was filmed.
The three-part reunion has taken fans inside the impact the affair and breakup had on the former couple — as well as Raquel — and the tidal wave it sent through the longtime friend group.
This group is no stranger to living through scandals, as they have already shared a number of previous personal and professional ups and downs with viewers. But nothing has gripped the group or changed the dynamics of their relationships quite like the discovery that Tom and Raquel were carrying on a relationship behind Ariana’s back.
The Daily Dish recently spoke exclusively with the show’s executive producers, Jeremiah Smith and Natalie Neurauter, about the cast coming together for that Season 10 reunion, which served as an emotional culmination of everything they had experienced in the weeks leading up to the taping. The reunion, of course, took place shortly after Tom and Ariana actually broke up, and it dealt with the fallout in real time.
Jeremiah and Natalie take you inside the reunion day from their point of view. Find out what they shared as they reflected on the Season 10 reunion, below.
The Mood at the VPR Season 10 Reunion
Jeremiah and Natalie were there as the Vanderpump Rules cast gathered with host Andy Cohen to dissect what just might go down as one of the biggest scandals in the group’s history. The reunion was filmed in late March, just weeks after it was confirmed on March 3 that Tom and Ariana broke up.
Jeremiah: It was an intense day. I think I cried like three times that day. I don’t know, Natalie, you probably had some moments that were emotional for you.
Natalie: From the day we found out everything to the reunion, it was only three weeks. And so, when we first found out, we were on a Zoom, me and Jeremiah and our talent producer Kurt [Murphy], and Kurt got a text message from Ariana, just very short saying what had happened.
And the first instinct was tears, because it’s such an emotional thing. Such a huge, life-changing bomb for Ariana, but also for everyone, for the entire cast. We, of course, got cameras up [the next day to film the finale] and filmed a bunch with them in the fallout. And those scenes were very raw and moving and painful. But then from there to the reunion, Ariana and Tom avoided each other. They did not see each other. And no one had seen Raquel except for Tom. So that [reunion] day, it was one of the hardest days, I think, working on the show, because you are watching it all unfold, and you feel everyone’s emotions.
Emotions Running High
As seen in the reunion, the group definitely did not hold back as they were processing everything that had just happened between Ariana, Tom, and Raquel.
Natalie: There was not one person amping it up for the cameras. There was no one holding anything back. And so what we ended up with was just several hours of people trying to work out their problems and get out their feelings. And I know Tom Schwartz said something about how the reunion is like a therapy session. This one maybe became the closest to it. Andy Cohen is one of the best moderators in the entire world, so he was able to fulfill that role of therapist. But it was a hard one.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
The Season 10 reunion felt a little different from other reunions, as it not only included the cast reflecting and sharing confessions with the group on the stage, but it also included the cast interacting with production and crew members amid the chaos of the day. Those behind-the-scenes conversations were included in the episodes that aired, giving viewers a unique perspective on the reunion.
Natalie: The way we make the show, in general, is the footage rolls in and me and my team [in post-production] will watch it and see: What are the most interesting things? What are the funniest things? What are the most painful things? What would we not let you pry from our cold dead hands? What has to go on television? And usually, anything that breaks the fourth wall is not that important. It doesn’t feel tied to the moment.
Occasionally, in the past, we’ve broken the fourth wall in big, momentous moments where what someone is saying is so important that it transcends what’s happening in their lives as humans that we’re filming. And so in this space, when this happened and we got cameras back up, the details of the show were also important. I think it really just kind of underscores the moment.
Jeremiah: I also think that unlike when we’re normally filming the show, there was a big interest from the audience in how we were filming the show, given the circumstances. We came back into production as soon as we heard — like, how did that happen? Or, how are they gonna film the reunion with Scheana or with Raquel taking a restraining order out against Scheana?
The Cast’s Commentary
Another part of the reunion includes footage of Raquel and Scheana (who is eventually joined by Brock Davies and Ally Lewber for her portions) watching the reunion from trailers outside, as they were unable to be on the set together at the time amid a legal issue.
Jeremiah: We went through so many iterations of how to shoot the reunion and who to have out onstage at what point and [questions like] Should Scheana be remote? Should Raquel be remote? Should Tom and Raquel be remote? Should we split the day in half and have them do like half and half? We literally, this is not a joke, we had to measure the stage. We came up with that trailer idea. It worked, but I mean, it was mainly a logistical thing.
Natalie: Well, the logistics legally had to be perfect. You can’t afford to mess up when a restraining order is involved.
Jeremiah: So the trailer was the solution that worked, and I think it ended up fun on TV too.
Natalie: You know what’s so interesting, too, is when we are there for the reunion, we can watch the stage all day. We see everything that happens. We see all the cameras on the stage. We don’t see what’s happening in the trailer all day.
Of course, there was a producer present for each one [in the trailer]. But the actual [stuff of] what they talked about [in the trailer and] what happened there, we don’t find out really until we get into post[-production] and watch it down. And so it was full of such interesting little nuggets and perceptions. So we have almost, like, commentary in the trailer as the rest of the reunion rages onstage. It’s sometimes [that] the most creative things are born from a problem that you have to solve.
What Confessions Surprised the Producers
While fans may have been floored by what the cast shared with the world during the Season 10 reunion, the revelations were also, at times, shocking for the insiders who work on the show.
Jeremiah: All of it was surprising [laughs], all of it was shocking — from the affair to how much they were doing in plain sight under everyone’s noses that we were there for. This [affair] theory came up during production and everyone thought it was so ludicrous that we were like, ‘Nah, couldn’t possibly be,’ to the point where we were considering trimming way back on a lot of the story because we’re like, ‘Is this really a thing or is it just hearsay?’ So yes, everything was shocking. I mean, going down to the f-cking Miami Girl [reveal], like blast from the past. Tom and Ariana just admit to Miami Girl.”
Natalie: We were talking about the Miami Girl thing too, and about [how] so many people who used to work on this show and how much a confirmation of Tom hooking up with Miami Girl would blow their minds, just because for years the debate has raged online. But also internally amongst producers. So that was a big thing for everyone, for sure.
Jeremiah: During the [current] season, I think this is part of what made it so shocking too, is that nobody worked harder to squash the speculation and the rumors about something going on wrong in their relationship or something going on with Raquel, no one worked harder to squash all that than Ariana herself. I think she’s a big reason why I was convinced there was like nothing happening — because she was convinced nothing’s happening — and she just was like, ‘No, that’s my friend.’”
Natalie: The way she seemed to look at it is the way you would trust your sister with your boyfriend. And so that made sense to me. Ariana is not the type to cast a blind eye, at least in our experience. So when she says something, we have a tendency to believe her belief.
But one of the things in the reunion, there’s a segment in hour three where Andy goes through a lot of the internet rumors. And that was something that we, even working with the cast and filming the final episode, it was happening at the same time that the internet was just exploding with theories and sightings and rumors and Facebook groups popping up [with] photos [and] evidence. And so Andy does go through a lot of those questions at the reunion, and those are all revelations for us as well.
Was there any resolution for the Vanderpump Rules cast?
After multiple Season 10 reunion installments airing across Bravo and Peacock that featured intense group discussions, backstage access and conversations, and emotional one-on-ones with Andy, Natalie and Jeremiah reveal if they think the cast found any resolution amid all the turmoil.
Jeremiah: I didn’t feel a big change in their emotions from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. I don’t think there was like a big catharsis or forgiveness or understanding that happened. I think they had to get it out. Like James [Kennedy], Lala [Kent], Ariana, Katie [Maloney], [and] Scheana, they had all this pent-up anger and rage and sadness that they just kind of had to unload. So if anything, at the end of the day, I think everyone was just exhausted and just spent. That was my impression.
Natalie: It was almost like the reunion was an exorcism in a way [laughs]. It felt like everyone had something deep and dark that they had to get out. Everyone. And even when it’s out doesn’t mean that you feel better. They felt exactly like you said, [Jeremiah], just kinda spent. And I felt like the crew felt like they could’ve slept for a few days after we wrapped.
Following the three reunion episodes, Bravo will air a “Secrets Revealed” episode with additional dramatic and scandalous moments behind the affair that jolted the zeitgeist. Tune in on Wednesday, June 14, at 9/8c.
