The show The Real Housewives franchise, but as an off-shoot of Real Housewives, it’s been a hit for reality television fans. One of the things that made the show so successful, especially in earlier seasons, was how real the drama seemed between the cast.
While things might have been produced or manipulated, it was obvious that the cast were actually friends who had very complicated and entangled love lives. These friendships have been on quite the rollercoaster, and there have been some high points as well as some very low ones.
Were: When the girls tried to help Brittany get over Jax
Jax is one of the most memorable cast , but not for good reasons. He’s cheated on and treated every woman he’s dated poorly. So, when he cheated on Brittany, the other girls in the group were quick to try to help her move on from Jax.
While she might have gotten back with him in the end, this rare moment where they all came together in female solidarity was a high point.
Weren’t: When James repeatedly betrayed Lala
Lala and James have had a complicated relationship. While they started out casually dating and briefly hooked up, they soon became more like best friends. However, because of James’ obvious jealousy over Lala’s boyfriend, Randall, he soon became very mean to her. He was always saying mean things about her relationship and wouldn’t listen to her when she asked him to respect her. It was sad to see their close friendship end because James couldn’t be a better person.
Were: All the times Sandoval went above and beyond for his friends
Many things could be said about Tom Sandoval, but one of his best qualities is how much he does for his friends. While he might take his loyalty too far even when it’s not returned, he does try to his friends.
He’s always going the extra mile by doing things like putting outfits together and bringing extra snacks and beer. He’s especially there for Tom Schwartz and clearly helps him out all the time.
Weren’t: All of the times they told one another’s secrets
While this group of cast has many complicated friendships where one week they are friends and one week they aren’t, one constant is that they all tend to spill each other's secrets. There is a lot of backbiting and backstabbing with continual gossip about one another.
While certain people like Jax and Scheana might do this more than others, everyone has participated at one point or another.
Were: When Lala took the women on the private jet
Given that many of the women on the show, specifically Katie, were men to Lala when she first started, it’s pretty kind of Lala to put that in the past.
Most of the other women didn’t accept her and often slut-shamed her, Lala has gotten over that to the point that she took them all on a girl’s trip to Solvang for a wine tour and flight on the private jet.
Weren’t: When Katie and Stassi cut Kristen off because of Carter
The friendship history between Stassi, Katie, and Kristen is complex, to say the least. They are sometimes friends with each other and sometimes not. There was a time where Stassi wasn’t their friend, and now it’s Kristen who is once again on the outs.
While Kristen might have her flaws, the way that Katie and Stassi have cut her out so completely while still keeping around people like Jax doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Were: When they were there for Jax when his dad died
Jax’s dad’s death didn't happen during the filming of season six, but the cast did talk about it during the reunion. It was revealed that many of the cast , including his ex-girlfriend Stassi, were there for him during that time and went to the funeral.
Given that Jax has been an awful friend, and boyfriend, to most of them, this was a comionate moment of friendship from everyone involved.
Weren’t: When Kristen and Jax hooked up
One of the most iconic scandals from Vanderpump Rules was the reveal that Kristen and Jax had slept together more than once while Kristen was dating Tom Sandoval.
This was a betrayal on many levels that hurt Sandoval and Stassi. Kristen and Jax were both awful friends at this moment, and it was clearly a bad thing to do to people you’re supposed to care about.
Were: Banding together to everyone’s weddings
There’s nothing that brings together the cast of the series like a wedding. They seem very focused on engagements and weddings, and they tend to really try to one another when weddings are on the horizon.
While it might be easy to criticize them for caring so much about marriage over all else, it is nice to see them enjoy partying and celebrating together.
Weren’t: The way Jax treated Tom Sandoval
One of the most recent friendship scandals on the show is between Jax and Sandoval. The two are still on the outs, and the reasons for this aren’t very fair.
Jax basically threw a fit when Sandoval questioned him for hiring a homophobic pastor, and, instead of taking any responsibility, Jax laid all the blame on Sandoval for being upset about this.