Lala Kent Confirms ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Departure As Cast Parties In New Orleans For Katie Maloney And Tom Schwartz

The Vanderpump Rules cast is currently in New Orleans for Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz’s bachelorette and bachelor parties. In recent days, some of the cast members have been posting photos showing off the fun that they’re having.

One person noticeably absent from the festivities is Lala Kent. Viewers apparently won’t be seeing her on Season 5 of Lisa Vanderpump’s spin-off show at all. On Friday, Lala confirmed on Twitter that she has decided to leave the show.

According to Lala, she didn’t get fired. She explained that she made the decision to leave the show after realizing that it wasn’t for her.

Lala only joined the show last season. She was introduced to viewers as one of Lisa’s new hires for her restaurant and lounge SUR. Almost immediately, Lala became the center of drama and caused quite a bit of controversy. First, she claimed that she was also a model who had to take off from her new SUR job for a bit in order to do a modeling job in Italy. Katie and Scheana Shay suspected that Lala was really going to Italy on an all-expenses paid trip not to pose for the camera but to perform sexual acts. Scheana eventually admitted that she was going to Italy not for modeling but just to have fun. Yet she maintained that it was being paid for simply because she’s so fun to be around, not because she performs sexual services in return.

Lala later enjoyed a brief flirtation with Jax Taylor, who once proclaimed that he was going to have sex with her despite being in a long-distance relationship with Brittany Cartwright. Lala then seemed to explore a relationship with James Kennedy. As Season 4 began airing, both James and Lala did joint interviews and appearances in which they made it seem as if they were together.

One appearance that they did together was Andy Cohen’s talk show Watch What Happens Live in December 2015. That appearance turned out disastrous. Lala and James, both of whom seemed to have too much to drink prior to the live show, appeared angry and defensive the entire time. They also cursed so much that much of what they said had to be censored. Andy was visibly disgusted and angry.

Two #PumpRules live wires! @itsjameskennedy & @lala_kent! Live at 11 #WWHL pic.twitter.com/PBUD2P7Blc

— Andy Cohen (@Andy) December 15, 2015

Both Lala and James later apologized for their behavior. Yet the damage was already done. As the Inquisitr reported, Andy later called Lala and James’ behavior on his talk show “gross” and vowed that they won’t ever be invited back.

Yet Lala Kent did actually make it back to the Watch What Happens clubhouse. In February, Andy had Lala on his talk show again, this time without James. In contrast to her first appearance, Lala was much more pleasant and coherent the second time around. She also didn’t curse. As the Inquisitr reported, Andy explained that he invited Lala back after talking to her at the Vanderpump Rules Season 4 reunion show filming. Andy apparently thought that Lala, without James, deserved a chance to redeem herself. James took his non-invite in stride and joked that at least a cut-out board of him was shown during Lala’s second appearance on the talk show.

By the end of Season 4, it was clear that a romantic relationship between James Kennedy and Lala wasn’t going to happen. Yet they remained friends. At the Season 4 reunion show, by which time James was dating model and beauty pageant Raquel Leviss, James and Lala joked with and defended one another.

Lala actually made a big impression with viewers with her first reunion appearance, just likely not in a way that she wanted. As the reunion show aired, many viewers commented on social media on Lala’s very heavy and dramatic makeup. Lala later admitted that her makeup wasn’t good and even poked fun of herself with a caricature of herself.

Unfortunately for Lala Kent’s fans, Lala’s departure announcement means they won’t be seeing her at Katie Maloney’s bachelorette party, which Katie probably wouldn’t have invited Lala to even if she was a part of the cast due to her rude outburst at her and Tom Schwartz’s engagement party. Nor will viewers see Lala, unless she changes her mind and re-joins the show, at a second Vanderpump Rules reunion show.

[Photo by Rochelle Brodin/Getty Images]