Kristen Doute knew she was taking a chance by returning to reality television for The Valley — but she’s thankful she was welcomed back with open arms. In an exclusive interview for Us Weekly’s Reality Stars of the Year issue, Doute, 41, reflected on how much she’s changed since viewers last saw her on Vanderpump Rules four years ago.
“Going through everything that I went through during that time, I wish that would’ve been filmed [to] show the changes I had chosen to make — that education, the learning, really humbling myself and listening,” she shared. That way, “People could understand why there was such a shift between the Vanderpump Rules Kristen that everyone knew to The Valley Kristen.”
Doute — whose tumultuous relationships and reactive behavior earned her a reputation for being “Crazy Kristen” — starred on the Bravo series for eight seasons. In June 2020, however, she and Stassi Schroeder were fired from Vanderpump Rules after costar Faith Stowers revealed the pair had called the police on her to report a false claim.
Looking back, Doute knows it’s likely viewers assumed they’d watch her get knee-deep in drama and engage in more arguments on The Valley — but she surprised fans by staying (mostly) composed throughout the season. “I showed a lot of restraint that viewers probably were not expecting,” she told Us, “and that had a lot to do with all of the therapy and work I put into myself.”
The He’s Making You Crazy author credits the audience for allowing her to evolve from the young woman they were first introduced to, to the person she is now.
“I’m grateful that the fans of the show and all the viewers are letting me grow,” she shared. “They’re not pinpointing me and caging me into this ‘Crazy Kristen’ narrative that was [shown on] Vanderpump Rules throughout my twenties and thirties.”
With The Valley becoming Bravo’s most watched series premiere in nearly ten years, it’s no wonder fans have a newfound appreciation for Doute, who noted it’s “wild and very humbling” to be crowned one of Us Weekly’s Reality Stars of the Year. And, if she had to guess, she would say her transparency has made her resonate with viewers: “I am exactly the same person that I always was to my core,” she added, “and just always trying to become a better version of that.”
As fans await season 2 of The Valley (“Some [relationship] repairs have been made, some didn’t go as swimmingly as we had hoped,” Doute teases) she’s keeping busy by planning her future: Not only did she and Luke Broderick get engaged in September, but the couple are focused on starting their family as soon as possible.
“Everything’s going well,” she told Us. “We’re pumping me full of hormones and crossing our fingers and toes — and we both are pretty optimistic that we’re going to get that golden egg this time around.”
For more of Doute’s interview, pick up this week’s issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
