Cast members of Vanderpump Rules have shared tidbits about their earnings over their time on the popular Bravo show.
Since the introduction of Vanderpump Rules in 2013, the subject of paychecks has been raised in a variety of contexts. The former beauty pageant remembered how money was a factor in Ariana Madix’s decision to skip season 11 after the bombshell affair between Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval behind her back was revealed in March 2023.
I requested that Tom and Ariana pay me equally and cover the costs of my medical care. In August 2023, Raquel claimed on Bethenny Frankel’s “ReWives” podcast that “they refused to pay me equally.” “Paying your employees, in my opinion, truly demonstrates how much you value them.”
For her side, Bethenny asserted that the network ought to have given Raquel a larger salary because to the overwhelming popularity of Scandoval-related episodes, which included increased ratings.
“As individuals who are just partially produced… To put it simply, it’s real in an extremely improbable situation. In reference to Raquel’s stay in a mental health institution, the Real Housewives of New York City alumnus remarked, “So now you have one of the three characters that can’t even afford to pay for your treatment that you just went through.” “Because, as far as I can tell, you are paid less than my interns are paid in a year.”
However, Raquel’s co-stars were quick to criticize Bethenny’s perspective. In the same month, Scheana Shay said on her “Scheananigans” podcast, “I know for a fact [how much Raquel made] because she thanked me for getting her with the attorney she was with last season.” He succeeded in securing for her $19,000 per episode. It is $361,000. That is for 19 episodes.
For all of the Vanderpump Rules cast’s comments regarding their salaries over the years, scroll down:
Laura-Leigh
Since I was naive, I honestly believed that this would never be released because they couldn’t release the show without my signature. In a January 2025 episode of the “Vanderpump Rules Party” podcast, the former SUR employee stated, “That’s what I thought.” “I was unable to cover my rent. As a single woman, I’m handling everything by myself. I owned a car and an apartment of my own. No financial assistance from parents. auditioning, testing, and doing countless jobs. Totally exhausted.”
She went on: “I signed it in order to receive $500 to cover the remaining amount of my rent for that month. That’s what I took away from the show. No leftovers. Nothing. And in order to obtain the $500, I had to pursue them. I believe the first season paid the cast $8,000 in total. Jax Taylor and all the others received about eight thousand dollars. I only know that because Jax had that much money in his possession. “Well, if they’re getting money, why can I get money?” I thought. “All right, we’ll give you $500,” they said.
Peter Madrigal
“No, you won’t be seeing me,” Madrigal said in March 2024 while discussing his absence from season 11 on the “Bravo and Blaze” podcast. “I didn’t choose it. I mean— I suppose I chose to do it. Sort of. In essence, I had to decide whether to return to the show for free or not.
Bravo didn’t ask him to work for free, the SUR manager, who has appeared on Vanderpump Rules since season 1, explained.
Madrigal went on, “I’ve been getting paid on this show since the show’s inception.” After that, they said, ‘Do it for free.'” For free isn’t what they [really] said. However, it wasn’t included in the budget—[they] didn’t include] any money for me.”
“That’s why I was like, ‘Well, you know what?'” he continued. I will not return… One of the mainstays there is myself. For the most part, I remain at SUR.
Max Boyens
“I received little to no payment from them. It is not episodic compensation for a new cast member. You receive a fixed fee rather than payment for each episode. In August 2023, Max asserted on the “Up and Adam!” podcast that “it is not a lot at all, it just gets you by.” “It was about four thousand dollars. They also paid you in installments, and it was about $4,000.
“They give you half the check to make sure you stay and shoot,” he continued, “and then they give you the remaining check at the end. Not everything is upfront. In essence, it is your rent plus groceries, followed by another check for rent and groceries.
Brittany Cartwright
“Until the very end of my first season on Vanderpump Rules, I was not paid. On her and Jax Taylor’s “When Reality Hits” podcast in August 2023, Brittany, who began making guest appearances on season 4 after meeting Jax Taylor, admitted, “I was broke.” “It took a lot out of me.”
Jax later recalled Brittany’s extravagant spending prior to her relocation to Los Angeles. “She was paying for it. Regarding Brittany flying in to see him while filming season 4, he stated, “This is the beginning of the show and it was costing her $800 to $900.” “She was in Kentucky [working at a bar and Hooters] and $800 is a lot of money [to spend on airfare].”
Raquel Leviss
“One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based off of your performance from the season prior,” Raquel asserted in August 2023 on Bethenny’s podcast. “So, that has already motivated me to do well in season 10. “All right,” I thought, “this might be my season.” For the first time, I’m single and I could really stand out. Like, I want to accept it. I also did a good job of following instructions.
Ariana Madix
There is something about Ariana Madix. After viewers questioned her financial success from Scandoval, her cofounder clarified the situation.
“I believe that many people on the internet believe that I am currently very successful. In an August 2023 episode of the “Scheananigans” podcast, Ariana, who had a number of partnership arrangements after her breakup with Sandoval, said, “I have a lot of places that that money has to go.” “I’m not wealthy. Millions of dollars are not in my possession.
Stassi Schroeder
The original Vanderpump Rules star returned in a recurring role for season 4 after leaving the show at the conclusion of season 3, which ultimately cost her. (After season eight, Stassi and Kristen Doute were later dismissed by Bravo.)
The length of time you have been a lead or primary cast member determines how much you are paid. I was earning less than many of the cast members. As Stassi said in her August 2023 episode of “Straight Up with Stassi,” it was because I left. People were a year ahead of me. I didn’t want to resist it. If this is your method, then that is your method. I am aware of my value. I thought that was petty.
Kristen Doute
On her “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters” podcast in July 2023, Kristen stated, “We had very little in our bank account,” in reference to her first season’s wage. “It was $5,000 and if we became a primary, we got an additional $5,000.”
Kristen recalls earning $15,000 for season two of Vanderpump Rules three months later.
Jax Taylor
“Whatever we got, I felt like I was rich because I had nothing at the time. Five thousand? I [thought] I could retire because I was spending $100 a week to live. ‘This is wonderful,’ I thought while we were filming. In July 2023, Jax made this observation while on Kristen’s podcast. “I’ve been living paycheck to paycheck and working hard my entire life. Even though I worked a bunch of jobs, I was so far behind on my credit card obligations by the time I received my paycheck.
Dayna Kathan
Dayna talked about the reasons behind her departure from the show after her brief appearance in season 8.
“When someone first appears on reality TV, people say, ‘Oh, you make all this money.'” In July 2023, she asserted on the “Scheananigans” podcast that “they don’t pay you anything.” “At first, you get paid nothing because it’s essentially earn your keep. For example, demonstrate your value and contribution to the program, which I sort of understand, but you don’t get paid.
“So they basically wanted me to come back again, not making anything,” Dayna went on. “Look, I’m not being a diva,” I say. During COVID, I spent all of my life money, and I have been looking for job for a year. I cannot simply continue doing this.
Lala Kent
When Lala appeared on Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast in February 2022, she recalled how, after initially joining the show, she relied on her work at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant.
“You absolutely need that hostess job when you’re first starting out. I still had to suit the model. I still had to serve as the hostess. Like, I wasn’t covering much with what I was making on the show,” she said at the time.
Lala continued by claiming that her performance on the show determined the perks she received, saying, “My show rewards me for confrontation and speaking up.” I’m excellent at confrontation, but I don’t want to admit that I enjoy it. I’m getting paid for my thoughts, and I know what I signed up for, but I don’t leave feeling fantastic once it happens.
Billie Lee
Billie claims that her remuneration for seasons six and seven was far from satisfactory. In June 2020, she told Page Six, “They have a system on how they pay their newcomers and it starts out at a low scale.” “I was having trouble paying my bills, but I couldn’t tell anyone because I’m famous, I’m on a show, and I’m supposed to represent this certain thing as a trans activist.”
