The second Vanderpump Rules reunion episode airs Monday night, and if the first part was any indication, it will be contentious. Screaming sessions dominated last week’s episode as the cast divided into factions. It is hardly the first time that feuds took center stage in the reality show, and it won’t be the last. But it can be difficult to navigate this labyrinth of beefs, many of which extend outside of the VPR universe, bleeding into other Bravo reality franchises and even into mainstream celebrity circles. As a primer for Monday’s episode, allow us to map the many-headed feuds of VPR. Or, at least attempt to.
Jax Versus James
In the first episode of the VPR reunion, the fight that had been simmering all season completely spilled over. You’ll remember that at the start of this season, DJ James Kennedy rapped about Jax’s cheating on his girlfriend, Brittany … right in front of her. The public humiliation was the final straw for Jax, Brittany, and most of the cast. While James attempted to claw his way back into the group, Jax became more and more hardened against him. And then, in the reunion show, their emotions came spilling out, and they took turns insulting each other’s partners (Raquel is dumb; Brittany is a hillbilly). This feud boils down to the fact that these two men do not and will not ever like each other, and yet the reality show they’ve signed their lives away to forces them to interact in group settings where there is often an unlimited amount of alcohol. What else can you expect?
Jax Versus Raquel
In addition to calling the long-suffering, sad-eyed Raquel dumb on national television, Jax is also likely the person behind an anonymous Twitter account that accused James of cheating on Raquel and also suggested he’s gay. The account was made to look like it belonged to Raquel. During the reunion episode, when Jax was blamed for creating the fake account, he denied it and pretended not to even know what it was—but then multiple people pointed out his phone number was associated with it. Who’s the dumb-dumb now?
50 (“Fofty”) Cent Versus Randall
In April, 50 Cent uploaded a photo to Instagram mocking Randall Emmett, the movie-producer fiancé of VPR cast member Lala Kent. The post (which has since been taken down) was a screen shot of a scene from VPR wherein Kent is explaining how Emmett buys her gifts (including cars and movie roles) in exchange for … well, sexual favors. But the post wasn’t simply meant to troll Emmett’s relationship: Next, 50 posted a series of text screen shots between himself and Emmett, which, among other things, revealed that Emmett accidentally referred to Fifty as “Fofty,” a gem of a typo. The texts alleged that Emmett owed the rapper a significant amount of money, and that 50 wanted it by the following Monday. In this feud, Emmett more or less cowered to 50, only weakly defending his fiancée and promising to get 50 the money ASAP. Oh, and 50 also posted a photo to Instagram of Emmett getting tests at the hospital, supposedly proof of how the stress of the public fight was causing him chest pains. The rapper had none of it, also mocking the hospital visit.
Apparently Fofty was paid in full the following Monday, and all is now well. He’s forgiven Emmett, Emmett did not have a heart attack, and the entire fight could have very well been some weird promotional ruse, something 50’s been accused of doing before. But then, of course, there was Kent’s involvement in the whole thing ...
Lala Versus 50 Cent
The 50-Randall beef was spurred on by Kent. After 50 mocked her on Instagram, she immediately responded to him in his Instagram comments, and then later in an Instagram video, where she said 50’s original post was a direct threat to the #MeToo movement. After her initial retorts, however, it seemed as if Emmett’s attempts to quell 50 took over the whole fight, and Kent went quiet—though she did delete nearly all of the most recent photos of herself and Emmett from her Instagram page. (By all accounts, they are fine.)
Lisa Vanderpump Versus the Rest of the Cast of RHOBH
While Lisa Vanderpump (aka LVP) is not the star of VPR; she is an omniscient being who hovers over the lives of her SUR-vers (and ex-SUR-vers). This season she was more physically present as well, perhaps because she was feuding with the rest of her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills castmates and received less screen time there. This feud is what dumb, boring fights are made of: Castmate Dorit bought a dog from LVP’s dog shelter. It didn’t work out. She rehomed it, even though she was supposed to take it back. The rehome also didn’t work out, and the dog ended up in a different no-kill shelter. (The dog is fine. It made its way back to LVP’s shelter and has since been adopted. It even has its own Instagram page.) LVP apparently sold this story to the tabloids, which she denies, and that’s what created the wedge between her and the rest of the cast.
Ariana versus John Sessa
Sessa is LVP’s right-hand man on RHOBH and helps her run the dog shelter. He’s often accused of being her lackey. In the last episode of VPR this season, Ariana confronts LVP about her treatment of the Toms; she believes the bar owner makes the two men, who work quite hard, look like a joke, and it’s hurtful. Ariana is earnest, kind, and well-spoken, and it would seem no one left the conversation with hurt feelings. After the episode, Sessa tweeted about Ariana’s ungratefulness. She did not take it well.
Ambyr Childers versus Lala
Before Randall was Lala’s fiancé, he was Lala’s mystery man. Little was known about him, other than that he was very rich and rumored to be married (which Lala vehemently denied). Turns out, he was rich and also married with two children. Randall’s now-ex-wife is Ambyr Childers, who plays Candance in the hit Netflix series You. Childers has been relatively quiet about the ordeal, and Lala claimed the two were separated by the time her new relationship with Randall began. In the wake of the 50 scandal, however, Childers couldn’t help herself and took to Instagram Stories to join in on mocking Lala, who often brags about the lavish life her fiancé affords her.
She also posted screenshots of texts between herself and Lala that don’t do the reality star any favors. This beef runs deep; it isn’t going anywhere, and it’s slightly reminiscent of ...
Brandi Glanville versus Scheana
VPR began two years after Glanville was introduced as a character on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Glanville was a gorgeous model with two kids—and also recently divorced after being publicly cheated on. Her ex-husband, Eddie Cibrian, had left her for LeAnn Rimes. Before Rimes, though, Cibrian had cheated on Glanville with none other than Scheana Marie. There were a handful of awkward encounters between the two women on crossover episodes of the two shows, and Scheana’s presence at LVP’s events became a catalyst for a friendship-ending fight between Vanderpump and Glanville. But in recent years, that feud died down … until Glanville recently tweeted that Scheana often bad-mouths LVP.
As far as VPR-related beefs go, this one is fairly tepid.
Brandi Glanville vs LVP
It would be too exhausting to revisit this ancient feud in its entirety. Suffice it to say the two women had a major falling out in a past season of RHOBH, and they never came back from it. It’s resurfacing now only because Glanville made comments expressing her excitement that the current cast of RHOBH turned against LVP.
Robby Hayes versus Scheana
This one is less of a feud, and more of an “I don’t know her” situation. Hayes was a contestant on the 12th season of The Bachelorette and also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise; he also made an appearance on this season of VPR as a potential boyfriend of Scheana. Following their much-publicized date, rumors flew that the two were together, but, according to Scheana, Hayes “ghosted” her. Hayes responded that while Scheana is a “fantastic friend,” she is not his “type.” All of these words sound nice, but are in fact among the cruelest things a televised makeout partner could say.
Lala versus Jennifer Lawrence
The feuds in the VPR universe are largely contained to B- and C-level celebrities. In March 2018 they graduated to the A-list. Surprisingly, the Oscar-winning actress started this one. Last year when Lawrence appeared on Watch What Happens Live, she made some disparaging comments about the SUR hostess. Kent, never one to back down, responded in kind. And then some.
Lawrence claims to be a VPR fan; she knew how this would end—in very crass accusations and particularly mean insults. Months later, she apologized. Kent 1, Lawrence 0.
Captain Lee versus Jax
Let’s take things back down to the C-level, where they belong. In March, VPR’s former no. 1 guy tweeted some unsolicited commentary about why Vanderpump Rules has been so successful. Captain Lee, a cast member on Bravo’s Below Deck, responded with a simple “Really?????????” That’s nine question marks. Shots fired. A short and rather boring Twitter fight ensued, and in all likelihood neither of these men even remember it.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen versus the entire cast of VPR
Here we have a true feud—a family feud, in fact! This standoff is actually a testament to Legend’s and Teigen’s love of VPR, which they’ve supplied ample evidence of. Teigen announced in February that she and her husband will take on the cast in an upcoming episode of Family Feud, during which the supermodel chipped a tooth. It’s the best and nicest beef of them all.