It appears that the rumors might be true. Kristen Doute seems like she’s back on Vanderpump Rules, just as the fallout from Tom Sandoval cheating on Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss heats up. In photos captured by photographers and shared on fan accounts, Kristen, 40, filmed for season 10 of VPR outside Ariana and Tom’s house. The images show her outside wearing charcoal leggings, slides, and a cardigan with an explicit phrase (“F** & Love”) on the back. She also sported a black plaid sports top while walking around the home.
The sighting comes shortly after a report claiming that the show’s producers had reached out to Kristen for her to possibly return since she has been smack dab in the middle of the drama involving Ariana, 37, and Tom, 39. Tom and Kristen dated for about six years until their breakup in 2013, after she hooked up with their former VPR costar, Jax Taylor. Tom and Ariana began dating in 2014, and throughout that nine-year relationship, Kristen became close with her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend.
“She had her fair share of ups and downs with Sandoval over the years, but right now she’s completely supporting Ariana,” a Kristen source told PEOPLE about a potential return to VPR. “It’ll depend if Ariana wants her to do it and is comfortable as that’s the only way she would ever return to the show. It’s a conversation she and Ariana are having right now.” The source also said that Kristen had “put the show behind her” after she was fired in 2020.
Kristen and Stassi Schroeder were fired — along with Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni – over an incident involving their former costar, Faith Stowers. Faith spoke about being “the only black person” on VPR and said that Stassi and Kristen “called the cops” on her after seeing a Daily Mail article about a different African-American woman involved in a crime.
“I have been taking some time to really process what I’ve been seeing, feeling and learning. And I need to address something specific that happened a few years ago with my former castmate, Faith Stowers,” Kristen wrote following her firing. “Although my actions were not racially driven, I am now completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement’s treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions could have been to her.”