THE VANDERPUMP Villa cast has had jobs outside of the restaurant business before being hired on the show to work at Lisa Vanderpump’s eatery, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
The Vanderpump Rules spinoff premiered on April 1, introducing fans to 12 new cast members who were hired by Lisa Vanderpump to work at her French countryside estate, Chateau Rosabelle.
The staff of the chateau includes a mix of servers, events coordinators, housekeepers, mixologists and an executive chef.
However, The U.S. Sun has learned that “half of the staff” was actually unaware of the positions they were hired for.
“The cast was essentially clueless when it came to their roles on the show,” a source revealed to The U.S. Sun.
The source went on to say, “They were cast to make a reality show and good TV because Lisa had to come up with a series that was interesting enough and just as similar to Vanderpump Rules.”
Server Hannah Fouch dated lead server Marciano Brunette for three years, and Marciano was recommended to Lisa by events coordinator Stephen Alsvig.
Stephen, for his part, has a history of working with Lisa since he worked at Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Las Vegas for four years.
Another source told The U.S. Sun: “Lisa liked it if the cast had some sort of relationship or connection with cast from Vanderpump Rules or even had any ties to any of Lisa’s restaurants.
‘WORLD CLASS’
In the first episode of Vanderpump Villa, Lisa insisted that the staff she hired was “truly qualified” for working at the chateau to give guests a “once-in-a-lifetime, Vanderpump-curated experience.”
“I have meticulously assembled a world-class staff who are all experts of what they do,” she confessed to cameras.
However, per the cast’s background, they have had other positions in the past that may not make them “all experts.”
He was also a bodybuilder and competed in the past.
In addition, mixologist Andre Mitchell, who said on the show that he has worked in the hospitality industry for over 12 years, has more of a background in the entertainment industry.
According to IMDB, he appeared in CW’s Walker in 2022, a film called Masquerade, and will be appearing in the new film Hierarchy this year.
Meanwhile, server Priscila Ferrari is a model and actress, who has experience working in theater, TV and commercials.
TROUBLED STAR
The U.S. Sun previously reported on a bombshell temporary restraining order filing from the chateau manager’s ex.
Eric Funderwhite allegedly “physically assaulted” his ex and allegedly gave her black eyes, as seen in photos from court documents obtained by The U.S. Sun.
Although he revealed on the show that he was newly divorced, he has yet to get into details of what happened in his past relationship.
He hosted the podcast A Cup Of where he shared his expertise on regenerative medicine.
Court docs for the temporary restraining order, which was filed on November 13, 2020, included Eric’s ex’s claim that she had requested he dispose of biohazardous waste he had brought home from his work.
After being unable to hire an attorney “due to financial hardships,” the ex did not appear in court on December 28, 2020 – neither did the reality star – and the temporary restraining order was dismissed.
MORE DRAMA
The other cast includes executive chef Anthony Bar, sous chef Caroline Byl, housekeepers Grace Cottrell and Emily Kovacs, mixologist Telly Hall – also known as actress Chauntel Hall – and events coordinator Gabriella Sanon.
Three episodes dropped on April 1st exclusively on Hulu with one new episode expected to drop every Monday at midnight.
The show features rivalries, romances and raucous misadventures, which is expected to bring “nonstop heartfelt, humorous, and heated moments, from staff and guests alike,” per the press release.
Lisa Vanderpump told Good Morning America, “There’s drama a lot back of house, and sometimes things fill up to the front of house.
