Vanderpump Rules fans may be surprised to learn Kristen Doute’s new insight into her former Bravo salary.
During the Wednesday, March 6, episode of her “Sex, Love and What Else Matters” podcast, Kristen, 41, discussed the newest episode of Vanderpump Rules, including Scheana Shay revealing that she randomly received money from Tom Sandoval as she struggled with funds during the pandemic. Kristen subsequently noted she had a similar experience with Sandoval a few years prior.
“I believe it was my second to last season on Vanderpump Rules. There was a Witches of WeHo wine party. Katie [Maloney], Stassi [Schroeder] and I were not getting along. So to be very transparent at the time, I had been demoted that season from an episodic paid cast member to a day rate,” she revealed.
Kristen didn’t offer her listeners too much detail, adding, “I’m not going into the ins and outs because money is f—king weird and honestly, it’s none of y’all’s business. I love you. So that episode, I was in but like barely.”
Kristen claimed she got a significantly smaller paycheck than she usually would.
“So I did get paid but Tom Sandoval happened to be there and he was in it for a blink of an eye, like a half a second, which didn’t even cross my mind,” she continued. “Cut to when that episode aired and he was in it for just a second and he got paid his episodic rate.”
Kristen, who dated Sandoval, 41, from 2007 to 2013, didn’t expect to receive money from him.
“I randomly, without him telling me, I get this PayPal for a few thousand dollars from Tom Sandoval and I’m like, ‘What the f—k? This has to be like a mistake. I think he made a mistake,’” she noted. “But he sent it to me because he said he did not think it was fair that he got paid his full episodic payment for being in the episode for a split second when I carried that episode on why back and only got paid nickels in comparison.”
Kristen was an original cast member on Vanderpump Rules when it debuted in 2013. After eight seasons, Kristen was fired alongside Stassi due to past racially insensitive behavior toward former costar Faith Stowers.
Kristen has since pulled back the curtain about her Vanderpump Rules days, claiming last year that the OG cast didn’t actually make all that much before the show became a big success.
“We had very little in our bank account,” she said on an episode of her podcast in July 2023. “It was $5,000 and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000.”
After a quick cameo on season 10 of VPR, Kristen will mark her return to Bravo with the upcoming Vanderpump Rules spinoff, The Valley. The eight-episode series will focus on a group of friends as they leave their wild younger years behind in exchange for parenthood and adult life in California’s San Fernando Valley.
The Valley is also set to star former VPR stars Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, who announced their separation after filming wrapped on the first season.
Jax’s friend Danny Booko and his wife, Nia Booko, who was a former Miss USA, will also appear. Jesse Lally, who has known Jax since their modeling days, is starring alongside wife Michelle Lall. Jason Caperna and Janet Caperna round out the cast with Bachelor Nation’s Jasmine Goode and Brittany’s college pal Zack Wickham appearing as “friends” of the cast.
