Make no mistake, this new cast is clocked in and SURving.
Season 12 of “Vanderpump Rules” saw a complete shake up, but a few things have remained the same — co-worker friendships, goat cheese balls, and lots of drama.
“It’s funny,” Natalie Maguire mused exclusively to The Post. “‘Vanderpump Rules’ then and now is really just a bunch of archetypes. Every TV show has the couple, the new person. These are just general things. So because the originals were just so beloved and people are so obsessed with what was, I think we’re just unfortunately and inevitably getting compared. I think with some time, that will fade. We’re definitely very different.”
The new cast also includes Kim Suarez, Marcus Johnson, Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Chris Hahn, Shayne Davis, Angelica Jensen, Audrey Lingle and Demy Selem.
The first two episodes have aired on Bravo, giving viewers a look into Suarez and Johnson’s relationship, and things aren’t all rose petals. The couple is currently seen fighting over Johnson and Maguire’s platonic friendship.
“I never have had a problem with Natalie and Marcus being friends, I still don’t,” Suarez, 31, explained, setting the record straight. “They’ve never been flirty. They’ve never given me weird vibes. That was never the issue.”
At the time, the actress was “still getting to know” the singer, 27, which “just led to a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding about something that never actually happened.”
As Maguire simply stated: “I’m moving on.”
Now, Johnson, 35, and Suarez hope fans can see a different side of their romance going forward.
“I think when the episodes start to come out, you’ll start to see the better side to me and Kimberly’s relationship, for sure,” the actor said. “I mean, right now, it started in so much turmoil. Before filming, it was already a rough time for us in our relationship. I definitely think as it goes on, you’ll start to see why we’re together and the little ways that we do show each other love. And why we are a couple at the end of the day. There’s much more to it than just fighting.”
Johnson is also urging fans to look past his cheeky confessionals.
“I’m really not a huge dirtbag like it seems like so far,” Johnson explained. “I’m watching him myself and I’m like, ‘That guy is really something. Seems super cocky.’”
‘But I am actually really soft and sweet,” noted the model, “and I got a lot of gentle things about me, too. And I hope that that comes across.”
Filming and fighting with one another was a major sur-vival moment for Johnson, Suarez and Maguire.
“Like I said this before, I can’t believe that we’re all still here and we’re all friends,” Suarez confessed. “For the most part, I think we’ve all had a lot of healing to do over the last couple months. I think that that was a tough one collectively for everybody individually and as a group.”
For Johnson, re-watching his argument with Suarez was a hard pill to swallow. During the episode, which aired Tuesday night, the SUR employee also sat down with Lisa Vanderpump to discuss his suspension from work for drinking on the job.
During the emotional moment, Johnson opened up about the recent loss of his parents.
“I think for me it’s just the ups and downs and the tough times,” he expressed. “With me and Kimberly, it was also super hard. I didn’t expect it to be so hard to watch myself go through that emotional scene with Lisa. But that was really hard for me to watch for some reason.”
“I feel like those are probably the toughest things for me to season,” continued Johnson. “I think the first two episodes kind of gave me a chance to face what I was fearing the most so far.”
After the episode aired, the reality star was flooded with heartfelt messages.
“I’ve been getting a lot of DMs of people saying, ‘I’ve lost my parent. It really was awesome to see you sharing that.’ Those are the things that make me realize, ‘Okay, this is what’s important.’ If someone could feel some healing or some relatability to my situation, those are the comments that really matter.”
Through it all, the trio also has the support of Vanderpump, 65.
“Now you are your parents legacy,” Johnson recalled Vanderpump saying. “You are your parents legacy. It gives me something to try to still aspire to do. To still make them proud in a way. Those words just always stuck to me.”
“There were a lot that haven’t been my best moments on the show,” Suarez detailed. “[Vanderpump’s] like, ‘Listen, there’s going to be things that you don’t like. At the end of the day, who cares?’”
Coming from the former “RHOBH” star, who has done “hundreds of episodes of television,” that message “helped me,” the New Yorker added.
For Maguire, Vanderpump made one thing clear: be your authentic self.
“Don’t cover up,” the bartender shared. “Don’t. If you have something going on, you don’t have to cover it up to look perfect. Embrace it. It’s real.”
And, of course, it wouldn’t be “Vanderpump Rules” without some moments of absolute fun.
Johnson wants Bravo fans to keep their eyes peels for one occasion in particular.
“When we took our trip up to Wine Country,” he teased. “Boy, we all really let loose and have some fun. Party bussing and running around the city. And that was the best time!”
