Ariana Madix would like Vanderpump Rules fans to stop mocking Scheana Shay with jokes about being jealous of other people’ success.
Ariana, 39, weighed in on the drama after the official account for Broadway’s Chicago musical shared a video of her with a caption that read, “One of the hardest working women we know! @arianamadix is only with us until Sept 1!”
In the social media clip, Ariana was listing her packed schedule this summer, which included her cohosting gig on Love Island USA, performing over 100 shows of Chicago on Broadway and an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
Bravo viewers took the opportunity to poke fun at Ariana’s costars, with a fan writing, “I know @scheana punching the air rn cause you booked and busy lol 💀💀💀.” Ariana responded by defending Scheana, 39, adding, “Let’s stop with this ❤️.”
Scheana found herself the butt of the joke after season 11 of Vanderpump Rules premiered earlier this year. Her comments about how deeply affected she was by Tom Sandoval‘s affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss — which caused his split from Ariana — received major backlash.
“I just am hurting still. Why can I never have one moment where it can be about me? I am hurt,” Scheana told Lala Kent during a March episode. “I lost a very, very dear friend. I am struggling with that. But I am not allowed to feel anything because it is only about Ariana. I am tired.”
Later in the season, Scheana revealed how she wanted to be a contestant on Dancing With the Stars years before Ariana got the opportunity. The lack of fan support for Scheana’s perspective caused her to clarify what she actually meant.
“That was my genuine emotion in the moment, and as cringe as I might be sometimes, I don’t ever regret sharing. That is literally my job here,” she explained on her “Scheananigans” podcast that same month. “This season, I was priding myself on trying to be the most open and honest version of myself — even if at times the audience may not agree with me.”
Scheana added: “I went way out of my comfort zone this season and I’m hoping that y’all can show me some grace and just understand that a lot of the things that we’re navigating are relatable. I’m putting it all out there because I hope that it helps people who have gone through similar things.”
The offscreen tension between Scheana and Ariana only got worse after the season 11 finale. Ariana was criticized by multiple cast members — including Lala — for refusing to have a conversation with Sandoval, 42. The reunion didn’t help mend any friendships, with Scheana seemingly choosing to side with Lala, 33.
“We are put in situations where we have conversations that we maybe wouldn’t normally have,” Scheana said on her podcast about how Ariana wasn’t seeing the full story. “There are uncomfortable things that we do because we’re making a show as well. I don’t expect her or other castmates to be singing my praises at all times.”
With Vanderpump Rules currently on pause, Scheana and Ariana haven’t spent any time together publicly. Scheana, however, recently defended Ariana after Lala claimed she wasn’t putting enough into the show.
“I know Lala made a comment about Ariana just floating for a few seasons or not giving much,” Scheana shared on her podcast in June. “But I also know that Ariana was battling with depression for several years, and I think that she was giving her 100 percent.”
Scheana praised Ariana for being authentic, adding, “She was doing the best she could — and whether people found that entertaining or not — that was just her living her truth and putting her mental health journey out there.”
She continued. “I think those type of things are what people can really relate to and know that they’re not alone. So many people in this world with so many eyes on us are battling those same things, and I applaud anyone who can put that out there because it’s very important to just let people know they’re not alone.”
Ariana, meanwhile, recently praised Scheana after admitting they weren’t as close as they had been in the past. During an appearance on WWHL on Tuesday, August 13, Andy Cohen asked Ariana if she had “been in touch” with Scheana”.
“Here and there,” she replied before agreeing that their friendship took a “big hit” after the Vanderpump Rules reunion. “But there’s a lot of love there and I think that will always be there. And I’m really happy … she just won an award for talking about her postpartum OCD and I thought that was like really, really lovely.”
