Who could have possibly imagined that in the Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere, Lala would play the role of defender in the court of public opinion for Rachel?
It was less than a year ago when the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion aired, where Lala, James and Ariana were tearing Rachel and Tom Sandoval apart for the most scandalous affair in reality TV history. There were times when Lala was visibly angrier than even Ariana. Fast forward to Vanderpump Rules season 11 episode 1 and the tables have turned.
Lala meets up with the cast sans Sandoval for an event at Tom Tom (yes, Ariana went into the restaurant owned by her ex). Lala then pulls Lisa to the side to talk and shares that months after Scandoval broke, Lala finds herself with sympathy for Rachel and what she went through. She particularly points to the last few moments of the season 10 reunion where Rachel shares if she didn't have Sandoval she'd essentially feel isolated or have no one.
Those words triggered Lala because she can relate to feeling that way from when she was being attacked while with her ex Randall. When the exes first got together, he was technically married and she was the other woman, a role she didn't initially know she was in. Like Rachel, Lala also faced name-calling and some public vitriol, and she admits to feeling isolated during this time and having only Randall.
It's these parallels with Rachel that prompt Lala to do something completely unexpected after speaking with Lisa — reach out to Rachel and encouraging her not to wear this modern-day scarlet letter. Through a voice text, Lala states:
"Hey Raquel, umm I'm sure I'm like the last person you expected to hear from. I hope you're doing okay. I don't know if you're back in LA or not, but I'd like to have a conversation with you at some point. If you're open to that. Alright, hope to talk to you soon."
Lala then notes that Rachel saw the message.
As if Lala's actions weren't baffling enough, when she later sits with Ariana, Katie and Scheana at girls' night, Lala shares with Ariana that she sent the message and defends Rachael to the women. During a confessional, Ariana states what Lala did seems "wild" because Lala became irate if any of her castmates reached out to Randall (case in point, she became furious with Tom Schwartz). Ariana further notes that if she was in communication with Randell's ex-wife, Lala probably wouldn't be pleased.
By the end of the episode, Lala eventually stops speaking up for Rachel and the women cheer a successful girls' night. However, given Lala's new position, it won't be surprising if Lala finds herself in some heated discussions with Ariana and Katie at some point this season.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 continues on with new episodes on Tuesdays on Bravo. Episodes become available the next day on Peacock.
