On Tuesday, Bravo fans were shocked by the news that both Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute had been fired from Vanderpump Rules after eight seasons on the hit show.
The news came after former co-star Faith Stowers revealed that Stassi and Kristen called the cops on her and engaged in other racially-motivated harassment during her short time on the show.
A press release issued yesterday afternoon reads:
“Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules."
As the saying goes, that escalated quickly.
A reunion show for the show's eighth season aired as scheduled last night, but while the cast usually tweets non-stop during new episodes, they were eerily silent during this latest installment.
Some might not have known what to say.
The primary figures in this drama may have been stunned into silence, or they may have been too depressed to tweet.
Either way, insiders say Stassi and Kristen are absolutely devastated by the news.
Maybe because they feel bad as human beings, sure. But also because their time as reality stars appears to be at an end.
"Not only are Stassi and Kristen distraught, several of the other cast members are as well. They know the show will never be the same," a source revealed to E! News.
"Stassi has been an emotional wreck."
"She's having a very hard time and has no idea what to do. She feels completely lost and is very disgusted by her actions in the past," the insider added.
The source went on to claim that both women are deeply ashamed about their treatment of Faith, particularly the 2018 incident that resulted in their firing.
"Stassi and Kristen have spoken about their actions, and have been in touch about what's going on," the insider went on.
"They both feel awful about what happened."
In addition to their shame, of course, Stassi and Kristen are forced to grapple with the financial realities of their new lives.
Both women were paid $25,000 per episode for season eight of Vanderpump, earning roughly $600,000 for the season.
Kristen is estimated to be worth $1 million, while Stassi's net worth is thought to be about $2 million.
That may sound like a lot, but Schroeder just purchased a $2 million house, and she and fiance Beau Clark are planning a wedding in Italy.
Needless to say, with expenses piling up and an increasingly costly lifestyle, Stassi will need to figure out something soon, employment-wise.
Which may be easier said than done.
Since she's been working for Lisa Vanderpump as a SUR waitress-turned-reality star since she was 21, she may find it difficult to move on.
But while Schroeder and Doute are crushed by their cancelation, not everyone is shedding tears over it.
Many see their dismissal as a sign of progress.
In a statement to Page Six, Faith stated that she feels "so vindicated studios and production are able to see blatant racism."
With this as a starting point, she hopes to see more people "make these positive changes and help move the race forward - help with the fight forward."
"I was ready to put myself in the line of fire because I don't know what will happen if I don't say anything, but I'm glad I did," she added.
"Now I'm seeing Bravo follow suit, releasing women that have given crazy ratings for them because they want to be on the right side of history."
"I’m seeing people are finally hearing us."
Several other Bravo stars echoed her sentiment, with many emphasizing that there's still a great deal of progress that needs to be made.
Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes wrote on Instagram:
"Well alrighty then! Now we have a few more questions to ask about in other areas where there's a major difference."
"Should we talk privately or publicly?"
Clearly, this is far from over.
Real Housewives of Potomac star Candiace Dillard added:
"I think it would be helpful to accompany these terminations with a thorough explanation as to why they were let go."
"Especially given the fact that their racial indiscretions took place months, and in some cases years ago and they were allowed to keep their jobs."
Clearly, the controversy surrounding the past actions of the almost all-white Vanderpump cast has has yet to subside.
And with any luck, other reality shows will be held to a higher standard as a result.
As for Stassi and Kristen, well, their dismissal comes at a turning point for VPR.
The complaint for years among Vanderpump fans has been that the quality of the show has been deteriorating for years, as the cast has become more successful, and traded "regular" problems for "rich people problems."
Something tells us these two are about to find themselves in a much more relatable tax bracket!