Jen Shah Admits She Was “A Little Starstruck” Meeting ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Katie Maloney And Lala Kent!

 Jen Shah admits she was in shock during this week’s The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Vanderpump Rules episode crossover.

If you recall, Katie Maloney and Lala Kent, who are Utah natives, attended Shah’s Sundance party celebrating her cousin’s film on Wednesday night’s episode of the Bravo new reality series.

“I was a little starstruck, so I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, Lala’s here! Wait, wait. She’s like right here!'” Shah told Page Six. “So it was fun getting to hang out with them. And they’re super down to earth …. they’re back at home and they’re very down to earth and they were just it was just fun to hang out, dance, sing, just have fun.”

Kent hails from Salt Lake City while Maloney is a Park City native. The two ladies were introduced by Shah’s co-star Whitney Rose, with Rose explaining in a confessional, “Lala and Katie are Salt Lake City locals. I know Lala through a mutual friend so when I heard they were in town for Lala’s new movie, ‘Spree,’ I insisted to Jen that she invite them to her party because they are so much fun.”

In June, Bravo announced that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens, and Brett Caprioni were axed due to racially insensitive comments from their past. Schroeder’s finacé, Beau Clark, announced that he would not return to the series following Stassi's firing. The couple is expecting their first child together. 

Earlier this month, Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright announced their exit on Friday, Dec. 4 on Instagram, and Bravo confirmed they won't be returning. The couple shared identical statements upon confirming that they were leaving Vanderpump Rules, calling their time on the series “some of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling years” of their lives. “We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors. @bravotv, @evolutionusa and our Vanderpump castmates will always remain close to our hearts,” they wrote. “Thank you to all the fans who have shared our journey with us and supported us through everything. We love you.”

Last month, Andy Cohen confirmed earlier this month that the show will go on without Schroeder and Doute.

“I actually think in an odd way [the pandemic closing the restaurants is] going to create a lot of story that is absolutely real, and they’ll be able to lean into it. And frankly, Stassi and Kristen didn’t work there anymore,” Cohen said on “Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino” podcast on November 5. “And they’re both brilliant characters on television [but] I think it will be interesting to see whose there and who’s not and what’s really happening.”

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