Somehow, Tom Sandoval cheating on Ariana Madix with her supposed best friend Rachel “Raquel” Leviss was the best thing to happen to Vanderpump Rules. The cast’s fame has entered another stratosphere as Scandoval became international news. In addition to merch sales and new viewers, cast members also benefited by an increase in Instagram followers. However, the most followed VPR star on Instagram may not be who viewers expect.
Jax Taylor – 1.2 Million
It seems Jax Taylor really is the number one guy in the group—at least when it comes to Instagram followers. Of current male cast members, Tom Schwartz has the most, with 1 million.
While Jax was fired after Season 8, he was ostensibly the show’s main character for its early years. His wife, Brittany Cartwright, has 1.7 million followers. Maybe that’s why there’s talk of a spin-off, even if the reaction from fans was overwhelmingly negative.
Scheana Shay – 1.7 Million
Scheana Shay is, like Jax, an OG VPR cast member. The (current) best friend of Ariana and (former) surrogate sister to Raquel was also a big part of Scandoval. Her own affair a decade prior, with Brandi Glanville’s husband, was the reason VPR happened in the first place. Day one fans will never forget when her sit down with Brandi on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills seamlessly turned into a Pump Rules backdoor pilot.
She’s also extra active on socials, and regularly vlogs on her YouTube channel. But Scheana also proves more followers can mean more haters. She’s spoken out before about the “mom shamers” who criticize her parenting of toddler daughter Summer Moon. And after she posted the cast filming together in Lake Tahoe, she had to battle with viewers accusing her of forgiving Tom Sandoval.
Ariana Madix – 2.1 Million
After Scandoval was exposed, Ariana’s fame skyrocketed. That included over half a million new Instagram followers. While she was already a fan favorite cast member on the show, and had an impressive 1.4 million followers, her current popularity is on a very different level. Thanks to tons of spon, a Lifetime movie role, and magazine covers, she’s everywhere. Dancing With The Stars should only bring her more fans and followers.
Her following certainly blasts Sandoval and Raquel’s out of the water, but when it comes to the most popular Pump Rules stars on Instagram, she’s still in the middle of the pack.
Lala Kent – 2.2 Million
Fans suspect some tension between Lala Kent and Ariana over the very different reactions to their public breakups. On a podcast, the single mom wondered if Ariana got more opportunities because she fit the “perfect victim” mold.
However, Lala still outranks Ariana in Instagram followers. And she was able to profit big time from the Scandoval. After an Instagram story went viral, her “Send It To Darrell” sold like hotcakes. She even bought a house with the profits. Unfortunately, like Scheana, her larger following also means an increase in haters and mom shamers.
Lisa Vanderpump – 3.1 Million
Some viewers have grown tired of Lisa Vanderpump‘s queen bee status on VPR. But the numbers don’t lie—she still has an advantage over her former employees. Thanks to RHOBH, Lisa was already a popular Bravo personality, hence why the show is called Vanderpump Rules instead of, say, Sexy Unique Restaurant.
Even her dramatic exit from that show, and the recent closing of restaurant, Pump, didn’t stop her momentum. She has the most famous celebrity fans, including Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawerence, Lindsey Lohan, and Steve-O.
Stassi Schroeder – 3.1 Million
Stassi Schroeder may have written a whole book about getting cancelled, but her Instagram following doesn’t indicate her career was ever in jeopardy. In her comments, you’ll find famous followers including the Kardashians, Lea Michele, and Darcey Silva. Like Jax, her big following may be because she was such a big part of the show’s initial popularity. Even non-VPR viewers have seen the clips of her birthday tantrums.
She’s spoken about Scandoval, and is still tied to the VPR cast due to her super close friendship with Katie Maloney. Otherwise, Instagram indicates Stassi’s world is very different from the wild antics of current cast members. Most of her posts are about parenting her two-year-old daughter Hartford, and preparing for her baby boy’s arrival. She also seems to have no interest in returning to the show. Clearly, she’s doing well enough without it.
TELL US- ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE MOST-FOLLOWED VANDERPUMP RULES CAST MEMBERS? WHICH ONES DO YOU FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM? WHO DO YOU THINK DESERVES MORE FOLLOWERS?
