‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Stassi Schroeder Dropped By Talent Agency After Racially Insensitive Behavior
The fallout continues for Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder. Her publicist and public relations firm, United Talent Agency, confirmed that they have dropped her as a client on Monday. The news comes after it was revealed that Schroeder and co-star Kristen Doute called the police on Faith Stowers, the only black cast member on the show, as per Variety.
Reportedly, the two called the cops because they thought Stowers looked like a wanted robbery suspect, touching off backlash against the two for what people are calling racially insensitive behavior.
In the wake of the news, shaving brand Billie, Secret Deodorant and vitamin manufacturer Ritual dropped her as a spokesperson. She also lost her monthly wedding column in Glamour magazine. Now, the publicist that Schroeder has been with since mid-2018 has decided to sever their relationship.
“She became a client when her publicist joined our company in July 2018. We made the decision this weekend to part ways with Stassi,” a spokesperson said.
The company has reportedly been a key player in expanding her brand from reality star to a brand ambassador with a New York Times best-selling book, a touring show, a podcast, and over 2 million Instagram followers.
Stower spoke out about the incident during an Instagram live chat earlier this month.
“There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African American lady,” Stowers said. “It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people. And they called the cops and said it was me. This is like, a true story. I heard this from actually Stassi during an interview.”
Schroeder herself confirmed that she and Doute had called the police while speaking on the “Bitch Bible” podcast in 2018. She recently took to social media to apologize for her past behavior, saying that her emotions at the time took over her logic and that she didn’t realize how serious her actions could have ended up being for Stowers. She added that she didn’t expect to be forgiven.
Doute, on the other hand, hasn’t been dropped by any of her sponsors and an insider claims that she recently reached out to Stowers to offer an apology.
The situation comes as many across the country are becoming more aware of police brutality against black Americans after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 and the subsequent civil unrest that has gripped the nation.
