Clearing the air. Scheana Shay explained what really went down behind-the-scenes of her cringe-worthy scene with Stassi Schroeder‘s younger brother on Vanderpump Rules.
During an April episode of the Bravo reality series, fans saw the 35-year-old grill her costar’s 15-year-old brother, Nikolai, about dating while celebrating Stassi’s engagement. Some viewers accused Scheana of “hitting on” a teenager after the awkward conversation, but the California native claimed the show took the interaction — and the interview that followed — out of context.
“That was about something completely different,” she explained during a recent episode of the “Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino” podcast. “Dayna [Kathan] and I actually got close over summer and I was telling her about this guy that I met out. He was tall, really good looking and I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna go get a drink later,’ and the next thing I find out, this kid’s 21. … So I joked about that in a scene which of course you didn’t see.”
Scheana clarified that when she was asked how much younger she’d be willing to date in her confessional, she referred to the college student that she “didn’t even know” was more than 10 years her junior. However, viewers were made to believe she was talking about her conversation with Nikolai.
“I’m not teasing him in that way,” she explained. “That is disgusting and anyone who even alluded to that and made the jokes … you’re gross for going there. And also I think it’s this crazy double standard thing.”
While fans slammed Scheana for appearing to show interest in Nikolai, she noted that the reaction would have been different if a male costar had a similar conversation with a younger girl. Despite backlash, the Next Level Basic author, 31, stood up for the “Good as Gold” singer after the “harmless” scene aired. “Whoever’s saying it’s inappropriate is a weirdo,” she tweeted in April.
Scheana’s candid comments come shortly after Vanderpump Rules editor Bri Dellinger specifically called her out for complaining about how she’s portrayed on the series. While the “Scheananigans” podcast host feels like she’s represented as “very one-dimensional” and “boy-crazy,” Dellinger said she’s just “bitter.”
“I feel like she just has short-term memory because we’ve shown a lot of her story,” the TV editor said on the premiere of the “Twisted Plot Podcast With Evelyn Marley,” which was later removed from all platforms. Dellinger, who previously worked on Project Runway and Top Chef, also admitted her “favorite game is finding all of the embarrassing things that Scheana does and putting them all in.”
Though Scheana hasn’t publicly commented on the editor’s remarks, she was caught “liking” a series of tweets from Bravo fans who supported her amid the drama.
