Lisa Vanderpump leaving Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

lisa vanderpump

The rumors have been out there for some time but today, they’re seemingly official — Lisa Vanderpump is leaving The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

According to a new report coming in via Variety, one of the show’s last remaining original cast members (other than Kyle Richards) is departing following this current season — which makes a certain bit of sense given that she was apparently not at the taping for the recent reunion.

Calling Lisa Vanderpump a reality TV staple doesn’t even feel like it does her justice. She is one of the most iconic Real Housewives cast members of all time, even if the Real Housewives of Orange County is really the version of the show that started it all. She has a number of famous quotes, many a spectacular moment, and her appearance on the show inspired Vanderpump Rules, which for a lot of people is even more addictive than the Real Housewives itself. She’s got a legacy that’s going to be able to stick with her for some time.

So why in the world ever leave the show, especially when it brought her so much fame and attention? Well, a lot of that is probably just due to all of the drama that constantly seems to pervade this show and these cast members. We’ve seen it time and time again, and really in a lot of ways, we’re surprised at just the fact that she was on as long as she was. Given some of the stuff that was going on, it would have been easy for her to leave and say “peace out” a good while ago. After all, her life is more than fine and she doesn’t need this show in order to be successful or happy. She may have just realized after everything this season that even with a smaller spotlight, she’ll probably have a much more enjoyable life away from all of the rumors and Beverly Hills gossip.

Of course, there is also Vanderpump Rules floating around out there.

Beyond just this, Lisa leaving the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills right now doesn’t necessarily mean that she is gone from the franchise forever. We’ve learned to really to take a never say never approach with a lot of this sort of stuff, especially since departed Housewives have returned in some other form to the franchise. Sometimes, it’s just hard to say goodbye to something when it’s been a part of your life for so long!

In conclusion, it’s hard to imagine that The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is going to be anything close to what it once was without Lisa Vanderpump in the mix. Regardless of whether or not you actually like her and some of her on-screen activities, you can’t deny her impact, and nor can you deny her place within the greater Real Housewives landscape. We’ll see what the future holds.

What do you think about the news of Lisa leaving the landmark show so after so many years? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: Bravo.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter and you can follow her on Twitter here.

Love TV? Be sure to like Matt & Jess on Facebook for more updates!