Someone was bound to have too much wining with their dining on Vanderpump Rules. That’s just the nature of the Reality TV beast, especially when that beast feeds at a West Hollywood hotspot such as Sur. But can a show built on wining and dining survive a sober Vanderpump?
No, that’s not a typo. It’s an actual honest-to- Vanderpump Rules does now include a sober Vanderpump. It’s James Kennedy. Who took to Instagram on July 5th to tell the world he was celebrating his first full year of sobriety.
It’s no secret the 28 year-old busboy-turned-DJ has been dealing with substance abuse issues. There was the video clip allegedly showing him snorting cocaine in an Oklahoma hotel room. There was the accusation of mixing alcohol with “uppers-type things.” And there were the drunken outbursts body-shaming some of his castmates. In fact, one of those outbursts was so egregious Lisa Vanderpump stepped up and fired him from Sur.
It wasn’t the first time he’d been fired from the hotspot. And it probably won’t be his last. Unless, of course, the man can stick with his sobriety. And if that sobriety can keep the loose cannon from blowing his own feet out from under him.
What’s a Vanderpump Anyway?
For the two people who may have never heard of a Vanderpump, here’s how it all breaks down:
The name comes from Lisa Vanderpump. She’s a British-born hyphenate who made her name in America as one of the original castmembers of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd own 36 bars, clubs and restaurants in London and Los Angeles. One of those restaurants is a West Hollywood hotspot called Sur. In 2013, Sur became the focal point of a RHOBH spin-off entitled Vanderpump Rules. Her world had been extra boffo ever since.
In addition to the 36 entertainment venues (26 of which she designed herself), Vanderpump is the Editor-in-Chief of Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine. She’s also the author of Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining. Then there’s the hit line of emojis (Vandermojis), which includes GIFs, stickers and audio messages, as well as a line of homewares (The Vanderpump Beverly Hills Collection).
Not one to leave Fido behind, Vanderpump and her husband also have a custom line of pet accessories. It’s called –what else — Vanderpump Pets. In fact, the two are so fond of Fido that they’ve established the Vanderpump Dog Foundation. She’s also organized marches protesting China’s barbaric Lychee and Dog Meat Festival.
This Isn’t the First Sober Vanderpump
Fans of Bravo’s hit reality show know that Kennedy’s sobriety was preceded by castmate Lala Kent, who’s now at about the 18 month mark of her own recovery. And she’s reportedly committed to staying the course.
Kent’s efforts likely played a big part in Kennedy’s decision to get sober. After all, she’s been one of his most loyal and consistent supporters. So has Kent’s fiancee Randall Emmett, despite the fact that Kennedy wasn’t always the most kind and considerate person to be around. In fact, Kennedy was downright rude and insulting toward Emmett, on more than numerous occasions. Emmett, to his credit, never wavered in his support.
Kennedy’s current girlfriend, Raquel Leviss, is also firmly committed to the cause. Then again, she was the one who initially prompted him to get sober. The two have been dating since 2016. But their relationship hasn’t always been a bed of roses. Or maybe it was. If, that is, you take into consideration the thorns.
Hence Leviss’s prompting. Girlfriend offered up her own congrats on IG. So did castmates Jax Taylor, Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Dayna Kathan, and Scheana Shay, as well as newbies Danica Dow and Charli Burnett. Even former cast member Max Boyens chimed in with a spat of congrats.
But it was perhaps Kennedy’s own words which really drove home the momentousness of the occasion. They also showed the show will be just fine with another sober Vanderpump.
“Hey everyone just wanted to let you all know I’ve made it to my one year sober today,” captioned Kennedy. “Letting go of drinking was the best decision I ever made and I’m going strong. I don’t miss the booze …… I don’t miss the feeling …. I’m so grateful for everything now and life has become more beautiful in many ways.”