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Former Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder admitted that she stopped watching Bravo's series The Valley due to the show's 'dark' tone and emotionally draining content. On a recent episode of the Disrespectfully podcast on June 25, 2025, Schroeder was joined by former Bravo stars Katie Maloney and Dayna Kathan.
Stassi Schroeder initially complimented the first season of The Valley as being entertaining, but later, the three discussed their perception of the series. Schroeder expressed concerns about the toxicity and emotional intensity in the lives of the cast. According to Stassi, the dense subject of the show that eventually drove her off.
“It’s so dark and it’s not interesting enough to balance the darkness,” she reflected. “I’m just like, ‘This is making me feel uncomfortable. It’s making me feel icky. I need to tap out otherwise I’m going to have to talk to my therapist about what it all means."
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Katie, a former star on Vanderpump Rules, said something similar about The Valley's dark nature. She said:
“Being on reality TV [makes] it hard to watch it through the same lens as other people watch it I think. I think people who are seasoned watchers are smart and they have an idea of how things work. Even watching a show like The Valley it’s so … intense. Everyone is out for blood on that show it’s f***ing nuts.”
Dayna also said that she feels the show needs a “balance of real love”, with all the drama surrounding the cast's love lives. Stassi Schroeder further explained that she believed the first season of the show was comparatively well-balanced.
Introduction to The Valley
The Valley is a Bravo reality television show that aired on March 19, 2024, as an offshoot of Vanderpump Rules. The series features a cast of friends who are mostly former members of the Vanderpump cast.
The main cast includes Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, Kristen Doute, and her boyfriend Luke Broderick, along with couples Jesse and Michelle Lally, Danny and Nia Booko, and Zach Wickham, a longtime friend of Brittany.
Season 1 was centered on the reunion of the gang in a new phase of life, leaving the nightlife insanity of Vanderpump Rules behind and shifting to the suburban dynamics, including parenting challenges, business ventures, and relationship issues.
The Valley season 2 debuted on Bravo on April 15, 2025, with new episodes becoming available the following day on Peacock. This second season continues the storyline of Season 1.
The story follows intense plot lines, such as the emotional parting of Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, Jax opting to commit himself to a mental health facility, and Kristen Doute's engagement to Luke Broderick.
As a former Vanderpump Rules cast member who once adopted reality television drama, Stassi Schroeder’s reaction suggests a shift in expectations toward more thoughtful and emotionally balanced storytelling.
