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Restaurants, bars, reality television — Lisa Vanderpump is no doubt one busy lady! Yet even with everything she has going on, Lisa, who has owned a total of 36 restaurants across both the U.S. and the U.K., still makes times for giving back.
“Extra’s” Terri Seymour sat down exclusively with Lisa inside her Vanderpump Dogs Gala 2023, where she spoke about her charity, the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, and her passion for helping our four-legged friends. The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star also opened up about that explosive “Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 finale and the scandal that dominated the pop culture universe.
“Well, I lived through it twice… seeing it and then watching it again, seeing the tears,” Lisa said about Wednesday’s finale, adding she was surprised to discover the news of Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss’ affair.
“I think we’re also comfortable with these people living together, growing up together, having their businesses together, and suddenly shagging a best friend. That was unfathomable to me, and I was upset about it.”
Lisa, who has starred on “Vanderpump Rules” since its debut in 2013, had a serious conversation with Tom during the finale that saw him break down in tears.
“He looked like a shell of a man at the time when we filmed that and everybody was piling on him, and I know people saying, ‘Oh, why didn’t I have more of a go at him?’ But you know, they’re like my children. It’s just like when your child’s done something wrong. As I said, ‘You know I condemn what you do but not as a person,’” Lisa said.
She went on, “I felt that I had to somehow look forward and say, ‘You know, it’s hopefully going to get better from here on.’ I mean, will it? I don’t know.”
Lisa revealed that the reunion, which will air over three parts on Bravo and Peacock, did not exactly resolve everything.
“Some stuff is complicated. As we started, I thought, ‘This will not go longer than five minutes, this reunion.’ I thought, ‘Okay, I have to say that you have to sit down, we have to contain this and try talk,” Lisa said, regarding what she told her “Pump Rules” co-stars. “There’s a lot of explosive characters in the show — that’s one of the things that is great about them, the fact that they’re very expressive and they just kind say whatever comes of their mind. But one of the worst things about them is they’re very expressive and they say whatever is in their mind. That comes out at the reunion.”
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As for Raquel checking into a mental health facility, Lisa said, “I don’t know, maybe she went because she needed rest and relaxation. I can’t speak to that because I’m not an authority. It would be wrong for me to say anything one way or the other. I haven’t spoken to her. I really don’t know, but I think sometimes we need just time out.”
Lisa added that Raquel’s presence at the reunion is proof of her wanting to make things better with the “Pump Rules” group, which she says was not the case for herself on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
“Listen, she showed up for the reunion and I remember I was, like, annihilated so I didn’t show up the reunion — that was after nine and a half years. That was a lot and I wanted to walk away. So clearly by the fact that she showed up to reunion must mean she wants to go forward at some point.”
Lisa played coy when asked if she believed Tom and Raquel could still be together, in spite of split reports. “I don’t know. Maybe I do know.”
Updating Terri on how Ariana is, she said, “She’s, like, living her best life.” “She was on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ looking like a goddess. I think she might come here later, I’m not sure, but she was landing. You know, listen, I am a great one in don’t get mad, get even. Just live your best life. There’s no better revenge than that.”
And Lisa continues to live her best life with a cause she feels very passionate about, the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, which Thursday night’s event benefited.
“A lot of people, a lot of effort, and energy went into it, and we did it on a budget. We really did flowers at home. It’s a charity, so we have to be very careful how the money’s spent.”
The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, founded in 2016, is a nonprofit organization working to help create a safer world for dogs, both on the domestic and international fronts.
“One of the most important things that we do is we take on cases that are otherwise kind of deemed hopeless and we have this wonderful kind of selection of vets, but sometimes these medical bills are so expensive, and so to raise money, you know, often euthanasia is the option and we really try never, ever to go down that route, so we take on a lot of cases that a lot of people won’t. Also, we take on pregnant mothers. It’s a wonderful organization of people and it’s like a family.”
To know Lisa is to know she is a dog lover, as the Brit can usually be seen with multiple dogs at home. “I only have six, but I’ve had 11 at one time. I mean, in my sanctuary. And, you know, at the shelter we’ve got a lot, of course… I love them.”
Earlier in the evening, Terri also spoke with Lisa on the red carpet of the glamorous gala, where she teased more about what fans can expect from next week’s “Vanderpump Rules” highly-anticipated reunion.