Faith Stowers has just been dealt with a setback in her legal battle against Vanderpump Rules producers.
Weeks after Faith, 35, filed a bombshell declaration about the alleged discrimination she faced during her time on the show, with her attorneys claiming she was “subjected to racism, sexual harassment, and physical assault in her first season,” her case has been put on pause.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch Weekly on January 29, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted a motion filed by Bravo and its production company that places Faith’s lawsuit in arbitration, which means that the case will be heard in a private court — and that the details will not be made available to the public.
Bravo and its production company had signaled release forms signed by Faith in their motion, which included an agreement that any dispute should be heard in arbitration and a final decision in the case should be made by an arbitrator.
“The Defendants have satisfied their burden of showing the existence of an agreement to arbitrate,” an order read, confirming the Los Angeles case was being put on pause until the arbitrator makes their final ruling.
The judge noted, “Directly above [Faith’s] signature on the First Agreement is a statement in capital letters and a bold and underlined font: ‘I HAVE HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO READ, AND HAVE INF ACT READ, THIS ENTIRE AGREEMENT. I HAVE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT WITH AN ATTORNEY OF MY CHOICE SHOULD I ELECT TO DO SO. I FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS, PROMISES AND AGREEMENTS. IN PARTICULAR, I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM GIVING UP CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, MY RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT WITH RESPECT TO ANY CLAIM ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT.’”
Meanwhile, in Faith’s declaration, she had accused “many cast members,” including Stassi Schroeder, 36, and Kristen Doute, 41, of staging an “overtly racist social media harassment campaign” against her. She also suggested that Lala Kent, 34, who was not named as a defendant in her case, attacked her with a knife.
“[I] was left deeply shaken by the incident, which was captured on camera and later covered up,” she wrote in her court documents.
Faith also targeted Lisa Vanderpump, 64, suggesting she had made threats against her.
“[The executive producer] downplayed the incident’s significance and strongly implied that speaking out would come with severe career ramifications. The next day, [Lisa Vanderpump] warned me that I would be terminated if I could not find a way to get along with [Lala], my attacker,” Faith wrote. “Out of concern for my job security, I held my tongue and refrained from reporting the incident to law enforcement or disclosing it to the media.”
Bravo and Vanderpump Rules have denied the claims.