Katie Maloney of “Vanderpump Rules” Dishes on How Real the Show Really Is
Katie Maloney is one of the main cast members of reality show Vanderpump rules. The show follows the staff at SUR and PUMP, both LA restaurants owned by Lisa Vanderpump, as they canoodle with each other, get into drunken spats and keep up a tight shift under Lisa’s watch.
Katie, like many of the other cast, isn’t only a waitress. She also has a fashion and beauty blog called Pucker&Pout. On season five of “Vanderpump Rules,” she shows the struggle of planning a wedding to fiancé Tom Schwartz, and the ongoing feud with LaLa Kent.
We sat down with Katie to grill her on everything we’ve always wondered about the show.
Why did you initially join “Vanderpump Rules”?
Before the show I had worked at SUR [one of the restaurants owned by Lisa Vanderpump]. And I was friends with Kristen, and Stassi and was dating my boyfriend, who was living with Kristen’s ex boyfriend Sandoval, so when they came to us and said they want to shoot a pilot we were all on board. So I’ve been on since the first season.
Some reality shows are heavily scripted. How real is “Vanderpump Rules”?
It’s pretty not-scripted, you see our relationships are real. We all have our history. There are plenty shows out there that are kind of casted in ways where people don’t have any kind of history prior. But its also hard when making a show as they can’t show everything and they don’t show everything that’s positive but they definitely show everything that’s negative and that can paint people in certain lights that aren’t true to form but its still is real.
What’s the juiciest incident you have witnessed while working at one of Lisa’s restaurant’s?
I remember there were these nightclub-themed sexy Sundays and there was this guy buying bottles of champagne and taking people’s shoes off and drinking it out of the shoes. He was pouring it everywhere. I think my hair was cemented with champagne.
I’ve read there has been a lot of drama between you and cast member Lala Kent. Does having that feud shown on television effect you in your day to day life?
Yeah, all the time. That was something that was really hard to portray on the show because of her actions and words in between seasons. She was going on public platforms and doing podcasts, shows, and interviews being pretty disgusting towards me and my fiancé. I felt pretty provoked so it is a little hard when people come up to me and tell me I’m so hard to Lala. I’m like, you have no idea actually how this person is. You want to tell them what you’re seeing is not the whole thing because what she was doing was not on-camera. They do stuff off-camera and then on-camera they are completely different.
Before you and Tom got together, what was the worst sex experience?
OMG haha. Let me have a think. There was this guy, I had not even slept with him or anything we were kind of on the couch, kissing watching a movie and he like straddles me and puts like his knees on my shoulders or something. And he’s got out his dick and slapped it on the side of my cheek. And I was like what did you just do? And I got up and ran out of there. He did, like, a light smack against my cheek.
When do you think will you feel ready to move on from “Vanderpump Rules” and focus purely on Pucker&Pout?
It’s hard to say because the show has been going on so long and I’m so invested in it. We enjoy doing it and I don’t want to leave before it’s time, so I want to balance them both. We definitely have plans on expanding the Pucker&Pout brand into maybe some products, and that’s what we are focusing on now.
Being in a time where there are so many fashion blogs, was it difficult for Pucker&Pout to lift off?
The show obviously helped, I had just a lot of ideas and a lot of content. The main focus was to put a lot of things, like DIY things out there to see if people really liked it. Its been steadily better and our viewer ship is growing.
Now that you and Tom are married, do you find the romance is fading out?
We’ve been together 6 ½ years. I think being in a relationship, whether you’re married or not, being together for so long, the newness and the novelty of things wear off. It comes down to having a good friendship being able to really enjoy someone’s company. It’s ebb and flow. But you know, Tom and I really like to spend time together. We go on date nights which allows us to be romantic and cute but then we also allow each other our space and we are very independent.
You have a nickname on the show, Tequila Katie. Do you get a lot of backlash for that being broadcasted on TV?
It is hard especially watching it back. It’s very humbling to see yourself back on TV. I own it and I understand I might have had too much tequila or whatever but I’m still aware it was my actions. It gets frustrating when it becomes a convenient narrative for people. When I get upset with them like I could have a glass of wine, and it’s an excuse [for them]. Like if someone says Tequila Katie I’m like, why, cause I’ve had one glass of wine and you’re being an asshole? It’s not Tequila Katie. It’s given people an out to place blame solely on.
What is your pet peeve about people eating in the restaurant you work in?
You want to give people a really great experience but you try to do that for several different tables at one time. One table doesn’t realize it’s busy, and you need to keep saying it won’t be long and you need to get everyone’s order and they’re like, “Wait, wait, what was this? What were the sides?” And everything’s [written] on the menu. It’s really hard to be patient and take a breathe and not explode on them.
How is it working under Lisa Vanderpump?
Yeah Lisa is, I mean Ken [her husband] as well, they really have great establishments that are successful and with that, they have standards for their employees. I remember being super intimidated whenever they would come in. Lisa and I have gotten close and I’m so interested in the things she has going on like Vanderpump dogs. So working with her in other areas has been a cool experience and something beside just a waitress at your restaurant. She is an inspiration obviously. I’m like, maybe the Vanderpump magic can rub off on me and I can become as awesome as she is.
Photography by Benjo Arwas
You can watch “Vanderpump Rules” is on Bravo on Mondays are 9 p.m. EST.
