Apology not accepted. Although Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute reached out to Vanderpump Rules alum Faith Stowers to apologize, the former SURver, 31, doesn’t want to hear it just yet.
“After a lot of pressure from their supporters and Vanderpump supporters, they decided to DM me. And when I say they, I don’t mean Stassi. I mean Kristen Doute, and I believe her name is Jackie Schimmel, who runs ‘Bitch Bible’ podcast,” Stowers told Us Weekly in a statement on Wednesday, June 15. “They reached out through DMs. But like I said, that was after people were just like, ‘No. You guys can’t do a statement. You guys gotta reach out personally,’ and that’s when they did.”
Although Stowers, who appeared on the Bravo show during season 4, noted that “it’s a step” in the right direction, it’s going to take a lot more and a lot longer in order for things to change.
“They’re going to have to take time for themselves and grow. And so as far as Stassi goes, no. She never reached out to me personally. I believe Kristen and Stassi’s statements came out like within minutes of each other —seconds — and they were really uniform,” the reality star continued. “So I think I should be thanking their publicist or their team because it was very similar. I’ve hurt people before and I’ve tried to apologize to them. Some people did not receive me, but I think that the people that did, they know me. They know I’m very sincere and I would try to get on a phone call with them. I would try to speak to them in person and let them know, ‘Listen. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I apologize for what I did to you and how I made you feel and if you don’t mind, please tell me what you had to go through so I know how I hurt you.’”
She continued: “And that what this all is about. Even a movement is people educating themselves on what we had to really go through as black people. Only then can you understand why this fight needs to happen because it’s out there, what we have to go through and I don’t think Kristen and Stassi even know what I went through.”
Schroeder, 31, and Doute, 37, were fired from the series on June 9 following racist behavior, including calling the police on Stowers for a crime she didn’t commit in 2018. Both women shared lengthy apologies via Instagram.
“What I did to Faith was wrong. I apologize and I do not expect forgiveness,” the Next Level Basic author wrote. “I am also sorry to anyone else that feels disappointed in me. I am going to continue to look closer at myself and my actions – to take the time to listen, to learn, and to take accountability for my own privilege.”
The Challenge alum also opened up exclusively to Us about who she has heard from directly.
“Lala Kent reached out to me a little while ago, actually, right before this all happened, it was, like, crazy right before it happened and after it happened,” Stowers said in an exclusive interview. “She has told me she was sorry I had to go through this. And told me that she wanted me to start over for a clean slate. I said, ‘Yes, I would love to do that as well.’ [Because] I actually know her and respect her, so that makes sense.”
