The Valley, a spinoff of Vanderpump Rules, follows couples who have traded their wild party days for parenthood, careers, and suburban life in the San Fernando Valley. VPR alums Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright made their grand return to reality TV after their Season 8 departures. But this time around, things are rockier than ever, especially for the former married couple, who are now separated and heading toward divorce.

Season 2 of The Valley has faced heavy backlash from fans, largely due to Jax’s troubling behavior towards Brittany. But beyond their drama, the show also captures a friend group unraveling episode by episode amid explosive accusations and growing tensions. It’s no wonder former VPR star Stassi Schroeder, who was asked to join the cast previously, wants no part of it.

Stassi Schroeder Isn’t The Biggest Fan Of The Valley

On a recent episode of her podcast Stassi, Stassi Schroeder and close friend Taylor Strecker brought up the VPR spinoff, The Valley, while discussing what they felt was a lackluster season of HBO’s And Just Like That, the Sex and the City spinoff.

As Taylor dissected the HBO’s show’s underwhelming take on aging characters, Stassi couldn’t help but compare it to the dynamic on The Valley.

“I know plenty of cool people in their fifties who I aspire to be like, and I can’t believe that this crew of people … give me no hope for the future,” Taylor shared about the HBO show, adding, “Honestly, it’s bad.”

“It’s like watching The Valley,” said Stassi, with Taylor in agreement. “Yeah, [The Valley] makes you sad, right? You watch [and] you’re like, damn, that’s some sad s**t.”

“Yeah,” Stassi then shared. “And it doesn’t have to be that way.” Taylor then went on to suggest that the show doesn’t accurately reflect the real age demographic of those living in the Valley. Instead, it’s become synonymous with backstabbing friendships and messy divorces, as seen with Jax and Brittany and their co-stars Jesse Lally and Michelle Saniei.

Stassi made it clear that not everyone acts like the cast on The Valley. “Some of us are out here not being like this, okay?,” she shared with Taylor.

An Instagram account named @byewighellodrama shared a clip of Stassi’s podcast segment, suggesting that Stassi was throwing shade at the cast of The Valley, much like she and Taylor did when critiquing the HBO series.

“Stassi Schroeder and Taylor Strecker were chatting about And Just Like That and didn’t hold back, saying it’s so bad that some scenes make them want to “die.” They feel like the show completely ruined the characters, and it’s honestly just sad. Then Stassi threw some shade by comparing it to The Valley, bascially saying Sex and the City and Vanderpump Rules were iconic, but thier spinoffs aren’t.”

In June, Stassi joined her former VPR castmates Katie Maloney and Dayna Kathan on their Disrespectfully podcast, where they also discussed their thoughts on The Valley.

As for Stassi, she admitted to watching the first season, but had to stop watching Season 2. The season sees Jax heading to a rehab facility following an intense fight with Brittany Cartwright.

“I think I saw the first two or three episodes this season and I’m like, this is so f****** dark and it’s not even interesting enough to balance the darkness … I’m just like, this is making me feel uncomfortable, it’s making me feel icky,” Stassi shared.

Stassi Was Asked To Join The Valley, But Declined Because It Wasn’t Her “Group Of Friends”

Could fans imagine Stassi joining the cast of The Valley? According to the reality TV star, she was actually approached by producers to join the spinoff, but politely declined, admitting she’s not particularly close to the friend group on the show.

Speaking on Jeff Lewis Live back in January 2024, Stassi shared, “They filmed a sizzle reel to like show what this show would be. So once this idea was brought up, and they were like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna film a sizzle with all the people that would be on it. Will you be on it and film the sizzle?’ And every fiber of my being voted, ‘No,'” she told the host.

She continued, “First of all, it wouldn’t be a reflection of what my reality is. I’m not friends with any, you know, it’s just, it’s not my group of friends … I’m friendly with some of them. I’m acquaintances with some of them and some of the new ones too I think are lovely, but it’s not my crew.”

When Jeff suggested that Stassi could become closer to the cast if she did film with them, she replied, “But I don’t want to. I don’t want to have to go and do things that I normally wouldn’t do. I don’t want to disrupt the life that I have right now, because I really like my life right now.”

In hindsight, it may have been a blessing in disguise, especially with Season 2 showing friendships unraveling, castmates talking behind each other’s backs, and drama that feels stirred up just for the cameras.

Stassi clearly has no interest in returning to a show that mirrors VPR, and arguably, one that’s even messier.

However, several of Stassi’s former VPR castmates, like Scheana Shay, Lala Kent, and Tom Schwartz, have been making frequent appearances on The Valley Season 2. The trio has found themselves entangled in the cast’s ongoing feuds, with Scheana inserting herself in Michelle and Jesse’s messy divorce, and Tom continuing to stand by Jax despite his increasingly troubled behavior towards Brittany.

Stassi, however, has teamed up with her old boss, Lisa Vanderpump, once again, this time for Season 2 of Vanderpump Villa. The series follows a group of attractive staffers working at a luxurious European villa, catering to Lisa’s high-end guests. For the Italy-based season, Lisa brought Stassi in as her eyes and ears on the ground. Fans were even treated to a brief feud between Stassi and her husband, Beau Clark, sparking nostalgic memories of her drama-filled days on VPR.

Additionally, Stassi is going to star in her own Hulu reality show called Stassi Says. According to Deadline, the synopsis of the show reads: “Endlessly relatable, utterly hysterical, and questionably sane, Stassi is the anchor of a fresh ensemble of comedic and chaotic characters who are dealing with identity crises and major life crossroads of their own — and Stassi’s the one who has to keep them all afloat.”

So, those missing Stassi on their TV screens will be overjoyed to watch her new series.