Scheana Shay and Lala Kent Defend Taking a Photo With Tom Sandoval
Scheana Shay and Lala Kent are sending a message to Vanderpump Rules fans who don’t understand why they are spending time with Tom Sandoval following his affair with Raquel Leviss.
The costars took to social media on Wednesday, July 19, after a photo surfaced of the cast — including Tom Schwartz, James Kennedy and Scheana’s husband, Brock Davies — posing with a fan during a cast trip to Lake Tahoe.
“I don’t know why I feel the need to defend taking a photo with my hand like this [in a fist] in the back of someone,” Scheana said via Instagram Stories while in bed with Lala.
Lala chimed in to declare that “people are so stupid.”
“It, like, still blows that people, like, don’t realize we’re filming a show. And it was that girl’s birthday. What are we going to be like, ‘No! Absolutely not.’ Like, no, happy birthday. Let’s take a f—king picture,” she said. “It’s called adulting.”
While Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix are noticeably missing from the first season 11 trip, Scheana and Lala reiterated that they have to interact with all of their castmates while filming the Bravo show.
“We’re in a group. We’re all here. We hopped in a photo, you know what? I happened to be standing where I’m standing,” Scheana said. “I take photos with strangers every f—king day. It’s how you take a photo. You stand like that. And you smile … tilt my head to to good side.”
Lala concluded: “It’s called Vanderpump Rules — have you guys watched it before? It’s a TV show.”
The group has been on the outs with Sandoval since his affair with Raquel — which led to the end of his nine-year relationship with Ariana — was exposed in March.
In addition to her Instagram video, Scheana fired back at Twitter users who accused her of making amends with Sandoval after declaring she would never be friends with him again.
“Who said all is forgiven?? We are all here for Lisa,” she responded to Queens of Bravo, referring to SUR boss Lisa Vanderpump.
She added in another reply, “I’m posing in a photo for a fan. I take photos w strangers on the daily and have my arm bent up behind ppl. End of story. Should I look miserable in a group fan photo I got thrown in walking to our car? ?????♀?.”
Raquel, who has been in treatment for mental health struggles amid the backlash, reportedly hasn’t signed a contract for season 11 yet. Sandoval, however, resumed filming Vanderpump Rules earlier this month — even though Ariana has made it clear that she doesn’t want to film with her ex-boyfriend.
“We always deal with pushback if different parties don’t want to shoot with each other because of strained relations,” producer Alex Baskin recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “Obviously, this is more extreme. But Ariana and Tom Sandoval, I would hasten to point out, they still live together. The idea that they wouldn’t shoot together is a little bit hard to digest. They’re in the same home.”
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Vanderpump Rules will likely return to Bravo later this year.