The Theory That Lisa Vanderpump Quits RHOBH In Season 9 Just Got More Fuel

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 9 is nearing its end, and rumor still has it that this season will be the last for one OG Housewife. The idea that Lisa Vanderpump is leaving RHOBH after season 9 started in November amid reports that she was not filming the usual scenes and trips with the rest of the cast. But is this really Lisa Vanderpump's final Real Housewives season?

Well, there's a new clue now: LVP won't be filming the RHOBH reunion. Vanderpump spoke to the DailyMailTV and indicated that she has no reason to reunite with the cast after season 9: "The objective of the reunion is to reunite, right? And I have no inclination to reunite with the women who've been harassing me for 10 months now ... So in all probability, no."

That'll certainly keep the rumor mill 'a churning.

In October 2018, things got heated in the press. Us Weekly reported on October 4 that Vanderpump wasn't speaking to any Housewives except for Denise Richards. A week later, it was reported that Lisa Rinna posted on Instagram that Vanderpump of "doesn't show up to work" and that it had reportedly been six weeks since LVP filmed with the other Housewives. Some fans pointed out that Vanderpump might still be mourning the loss of her brother, who passed in May 2018, and Rinna reportedly responded that she thought Vanderpump should still be filming the series.

Then, later that month, Us Weekly also reported that Vanderpump was considering leaving, but only that the idea had "been brought up and bounced around.”

Then, on November 14, E! News reported that the upcoming season would “very likely be the last” for LVP. A source told the publication that Lisa reportedly refused to film parts of the season, including the end, and that "her interactions with the ladies have been solely negative." The negativity part does track, considering that Lisa's entire storyline in the season 9 trailer is that she has drama with everyone and seems to be losing patience for it.

On November 15, the day after it was reported that she was “very likely” to leave, Vanderpump responded to the RHOBH report in a conversation with Entertainment Tonight. "I haven't said anything for two months. Now, everybody's been talking about this. I've just been going about my business and doing my things," she explained. “I am in the show. I have not quit, and if I did quit, it wouldn't just be a leaked story. I would be upfront, and I have a lot of loyalty to the production company and the network."

She also tweeted this extremely LVP, cheeky response to her followers on November 14:

As of February 12, and the start of season 9, Lisa has not announced that she’s quitting RHOBH. That said, there have be signs that point to why Lisa might want to leave the show. The Real Housewives franchise is all about the group of women and how they interact with each other. And this season, Lisa filmed quite a bit on her own, according to ET, who she told that due to it being a difficult time in her life (she lost her brother, Mark, in May 2018), “I'm in a lot of [the season], but there are some parts I skip.”

One major part that she skipped, according to Us Weekly, was this season’s RHOBH cast trip to France. Each year the Housewives have one big trip that provides drama for the season finale and subsequent reunion, so if Lisa really did skip it — whatever the actual reason — that’s actually a big deal.

And in September, Lisa Rinna claimed that someone would not shoot a group promotional photo with the rest of the women. Erika Girardi was later asked about this and whether it was LVP by E!’s Daily Pop (via People) and said “facts are facts” and reiterated “It’s an ensemble cast.”

Lastly, unlike the other Beverly Hills Housewives who've all posted tune-ins for the RHOBH premiere, Vanderpump has not been promoting the upcoming season on social media much, though she did retweet a video that included her new tagline, "You can stab me in the back, but whilst your there, kiss my ass." What she has been promoting is her other show, Vanderpump Rules, her charity Vanderpump Dogs, and her new restaurant Tom Tom. (To be fair though, Erika Jayne's feed is mostly non-Housewives endeavors too.)

Kyle Richards, who has always been Lisa’s closest friend on the show, also spoke out about the season. In November, Us Weekly asked Kyle if her friendship with Lisa could survive the RHOBH drama. “I love her, I really do. She’s a good friend of mine for many years and I love doing the show with her and I hope so. We have fun together, laugh together, so we shall see," she told the mag.

Whatever happens, it does seem like Vanderpump is in for a rough season. But if she does end up leaving, let's just remind ourselves that Vanderpump Rules is going strong, so there will still a place to get your LVP fix.