“Vanderpump Rules” Reboot: The Real Reason Behind the Total Cast Shakeup and What Role Money Played (Exclusive)

Bravo announced on Nov. 26 that season 12 of 'VPR' would feature a new cast, which left the season 11 stars feeling "understandably upset," a source tells PEOPLE

• Bravo announced Tuesday, Nov. 26, that Vanderpump Rules would return with an all-new cast for season 12

• A source close to the situation tells PEOPLE that Bravo felt like it needed to move on with a new group because “nothing had really changed among the cast since the reunion”

• Another insider tells PEOPLE money did not play a factor into Bravo’s decision: "It was completely driven by creative”

It SUR came as a surprise to some Vanderpump Rules viewers that Bravo would be rebooting the show for season 12.

The network announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26, that Vanderpump Rules would be returning for a 12th season with a brand-new cast, aside from SUR and TomTom owner Lisa Vanderpump. While Bravo did not announce the names of the new stars, a release referred to them as “close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors.”

Related: Lala Kent Admits She No Longer Talks to Most of Her Vanderpump Rules Costars: 'I Burned a Lot of Bridges'

A source close to the situation tells PEOPLE that the legacy cast — which includes James Kennedy, Lala Kent, Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval — learned about the VPR reboot one day prior to the news going public.

“They’re understandably upset that it’s all coming to an end, but no one was necessarily surprised,” the insider says. “It’s more relief that they finally have an answer.”

Since “there were so many fractions” among the cast following the season 11 reunion, the source reveals that Bravo felt they needed to move on with a new group.

“There had been a long pause in production, and nothing had really changed among the cast since the reunion,” the source says. “Everyone was still stuck in their feelings and refusing to bend. The network felt there was no path forward with the group in that capacity.”

It also didn’t’ help that “the group ties to SUR and Lisa was practically non-existent,” the source close to the situation notes, as most of the cast no longer worked at the L.A. restaurant.

“It just didn’t make sense to continue,” the source continues. “This is an attempt to recalibrate and bring the show back to the thing that made it such a success to begin with. It’s a fresh start, and the players they have are interested and motivated to participate. Fans will be happy with what they see. It’s going to feel like a return to form.”

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Kent, 34, Schwartz, 42, Shay, 39, and her husband Brock Davies will all appear on the upcoming season of VPR spinoff The Valley, while Sandoval, 42, will compete on season 3 of The Traitors and Madix, 39, continues to host Love Island USA. Bravo will also be doing a season 11 retrospective special featuring the previous cast.

“The network isn’t closing the door on working with anyone in the future,” the source says. “They will always explore opportunities to bring these stars back to their screens.”

A second source insists that money did not play a factor in Bravo’s decision to start fresh, noting that the network opted for a reboot before discussions of salaries even began with the former cast members.

"It was completely driven by creative," the insider says. "There weren't any negotiations happening between the cast and the network where money was even discussed."

Kent reacted to the news on Instagram on Tuesday, Nov. 25, calling SUR “a place that became home.”

“I have such mixed feelings right now,” she wrote. “It’s no secret I do not like change. This is the exception. I want to say thank you for rocking with us for so many years. This show changed my whole life. I’m unbelievably grateful for every moment. I’m unbelievably grateful for Bravo, for NBCU, for our crew, the entire cast, and most importantly all of you. We rocked this bitch until the wheels fell off ??”

Related: Vanderpump Rules Stars Speak Out After News of Bravo Reboot: 'We Rocked This Bitch Until the Wheels Fell Off'

Madix failed to find the words to sum up her time on the show.

“There’s no post or caption that could ever encapsulate everything." Madix, who began as guest on season 1 before becoming a series regular in season 2, wrote on Instagram Nov. 26. "i am forever grateful to have been a part of such an incredible cultural phenomenon. thank you @bravo, @lisavanderpump, @evolutionmedia for every experience over the last 10+ years. thank you to every single crew member, producer, and our showrunners. seeing you guys every summer was like coming home to see family! that i will miss very much but you have my number so… just text me ??."

Maloney, 37, chimed in on her Instagram Stories Nov. 26, that she “wouldn’t change a thing” about her time on the show.

"Thank you for the memories and the love the last 11 years,” she added.

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Vanderpump Rules seasons 1-11 are streaming on Peacock.