Lisa Vanderpump had a rough 2018.
Following the loss of her late brother, Mark Vanderpump, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star opened up about her recent hardships, including the tumultuous ninth season of the show.
“It’s been a very hard year,” Said Lisa during an episode of Larry King Now.
“[Mark] was my only sibling and I’ve spoken on behalf of the Trevor Project (a suicide prevention program) for the last few years. I’ve done the PSAs for them. I just never thought my life personally would be touched by suicide,” Lisa explained.
As for what led up to Mark’s shocking suicide, Lisa suggested it was his troubled love life that led him to be in a very depressed state of mind.
“[He was in a] very, kind of problematic relationship. He’d recently been divorced and it was just a tragedy,” she said. “Especially at this time of year, it’s hard to come to terms. I don’t think you ever really get over it. It’s only been a few short months but it’s really taken a toll.”
Lisa Vanderpump poses with her late brother Mark Vanderpump
Shortly after the loss of her brother, Lisa returned to production on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the show’s upcoming ninth season.
“It’s been incredible the journey I’ve been on, it’s 330 episodes over the last nine years, which is extraordinary, really,” she noted.
According to Lisa, the Bravo reality series is successful because it is “very well produced” and has a “great story” behind it. She also gave a nod to the glamorous and over-the-top lifestyle of the women of Beverly Hills.
“I think it is the Beverly Hills lifestyle people are really invested in but also, it’s about real stories and you see people in their struggles and I think that makes for good dinner party fodder,” she explained. “It is real, I’d like to say it’s not but it is real.”
Season nine got so real for Lisa that midway through production, she reportedly became estranged from not one, but all of her co-stars.
“I had a very problematic season with the cast and it was very draining because, I don’t want to expose the storyline, so to speak, but I had not a good year at all,” Lisa said of the tension between herself and her co-stars. “Personally, it was very difficult for me and I don’t think I was as prepared for reality television as I might have been because I was emotionally vulnerable.”
Because Lisa is no longer in touch with the rest of the cast, rumors have been swirling which suggest season nine may be the last for the restaurateur. As for Lisa’s own thoughts, she didn’t say whether or not she was open to returning for season 10. Instead, she said viewers of the show will likely have a “better, clearer answer” to the question after watching season nine play out.
“I don’t know, every season is different but right now, I’m not in as much of Housewives as I probably should have been. But this year was very difficult, on all levels,” she revealed.
Also, during her interview with Larry, Lisa was asked why she believes the Kardashian family has been so successful with their careers. In response, Lisa dealt up a major diss and mentioned an award the family recently took from her and the Vanderpump Rules cast.
“I don’t know Larry! You’ll have to ask them because they kicked our a** at the People’s Choice Awards. I know that award belonged to us and they took it.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season nine premieres on Tuesday, February 12 at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.
Photo Credit: Sara Jaye Weiss/StartraksPhoto.com, Twitter