Ariana Madix is opening up about leaving Vanderpump Rules in new interview!

The 39-year-old reality star and Love Island USA host previously shared that she never planned to return after season 11 if the Bravo series got picked up for season 12.

Now, the show is continuing, but with a whole new cast, with none of the show’s main stars returning.

While appearing on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Ariana dished on her decision, noting she decided long before season 12 was a possibility and she was even asked by producers to return after season 11.

“It was during when we were negotiating contracts for season 11 and we were working on all this stuff. It was like they’re working on Dancing With the Stars contracts, they’re working on this contract. You know, my team and I have these conversations all the time, where it’s like, what do we want to do, where are we going, and I was like, ‘I can’t afford to say no to this,’” Ariana told host Amanda Hirsch. “They were like, ‘Are you sure you want to go back?’ I was like I have to because then what do I do? I don’t have millions in the bank. I was like what do I do if I don’t?”

“Also, this has been my job, like why should I disappear off the face of the planet, because I was like, why don’t I just show that my room is filled with boxes, that I’m cleaning out my closet. Which also, they didn’t show why I had clothes everywhere,” she noted. “I was literally cleaning out my closet ’cause I was packing because I thought I was moving. I was literally packing like everything, put everything in my room to try to pack it all up. Like guys, get a f–king grip.”

If you recall, Ariana was made out to be a slob and not cleaning up after herself on the final season, with her belongings strewn everywhere.

“I was like, if we could make it so that this [season] is my last, I feel like that would be ideal. But then I didn’t tell anybody that obviously, besides my team,” she continued. “Then I was like, we’ll see how this goes.”

She then shared that they did ask her “if I would come back. I said, ‘Well, you know, what does that look like?’ There was a lot of different things talked about and I think they were like taking temperature, different places, with different people, and for me, I was like, ‘Look, I mean, I’ve done so much work on like, my mental health is so much better right now, and I just feel like going back into that now, does it really make sense?”

Ariana also said that she asked when they would film, because she was pretty booked through the end of 2024 at that point.

“We could possibly do it in January. I was just like, ‘I don’t know how this is going to work out.’”

After wrapping filming on season 11 of VPR, Ariana, competed on Dancing With the Stars, making it to the finals. Then in early 2024, she starred on Broadway in Chicago, hosted season six Love Island USA, and returned to Broadway for another run in Chicago. She has also guest starred on Will Trent and is also starring in a movie called City of Demons, which is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

She is back to hosting Love Island USA season seven, which is currently airing new episodes every day on Peacock at 9pm ET/PT, except for Wednesdays.

Disclosure: Some products on this site use affiliate links and we may earn commission for any purchase made through the links.