Eric Funderwhite BANNED from Reunion, ‘Vanderpump Villa’ Producers Enraged by Criminal Assault History
Eric Funderwhite BANNED from Reunion, ‘Vanderpump Villa’ Producers Enraged by Criminal Assault History
Vanderpump Villa star, Eric Funderwhite, was reportedly barred from filming the Season 1 reunion.
The 37-year-old, who works as the chateau manager at Lisa Vanderpump’s French countryside estate, is one of a twelve-person cast on the new reality show.
Hulu released the first three episodes of the Vanderpump Rules spinoff on April 1, with new episodes dropping weekly.
A source dished to the U.S. Sun that the group filmed the show’s first reunion on Monday, April 15 in Los Angeles.
The insider told the outlet — “Eric was disinvited from the Vanderpump Villa reunion taping because of his TRO (temporary restraining order). Producers were furious over the shocking news, so they banned him.”
The tipster added — “If there’s a second season, he most likely won’t be returning.”
Eric appeared to be the only one missing at the reunion gathering.
Fans called for Hulu to axe Eric after they learned of the abuse and assault allegations that led to the protective order.
The cast includes mixologists, Andre Mitchell and Telly Hall, executive chef Anthony Bar, sous chef, Caroline Byl, head server, Marciano Brunette, servers, Priscila Ferrari and Hannah Fouch, event organizers, Gabriella Sanon and Stephen Alsvig, and housekeepers, Grace Cottrell and Emily Kovacs.
Eric’s checkered past will likely land in the spotlight during the reunion, as cast members appeared to be in the dark while filming at Chateau Rosabelle.
The premiere date for the Vanderpump Villa reunion has yet to be announced, but the last episode is expected to be released on May 20.
The request for the TRO was filed by his ex, who has not been identified, on November 13, 2020. The order was active until December 28, 2020 when it was dismissed.
Eric allegedly “physically assaulted” the woman and purportedly blackened her eyes, according to obtained court documents.
Eric’s ex alleged that he grew “even more aggressive” during one phase of their relationship and “continued to psychologically and verbally abuse” her. The woman, who claimed that Eric once “spit” in her face, noted that his alleged actions were “detrimental to my mental health.”
Eric shared that he was newly divorced on the show, but did not offer any details on his former relationships. He was married from September 2019 to November 2022.
His ex filed for divorce after relocating to a different state. It was finalized only months before Vanderpump Villa began production, on February 9, 2023.
The future of the spinoff series remains uncertain, as plans for a second season have yet to be confirmed.
Lisa Vanderpump, who serves as an executive producer and cast member, recently told Decider that she she might “have another house completely full of staff waiting to replace them.”
“Many may not know this, but ‘Vanderpump Villa’ is actually a test to see if it can be as big of a show as ‘Vanderpump Rules,’” an insider told The U.S. Sun. “Lisa is keeping an eye on the audience’s reaction.”
The show’s premiere episodes brought in over 1.3 million viewers, but the numbers have since dropped to between 930k to 988k for more recent episodes.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Entertainment Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers hot topics, recaps and celeb news. She loves to multi-task as a writer and a private chef. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mom of 2 German Shepherds.