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Faith Stowers lost her effort to fight Vanderpump Rules producers in public over her claims that she was discriminated against days after she slammed former costar Lala Kent, In Touch can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted a motion brought by Bravo and VPR producers to move Faith’s lawsuit to arbitration.
Arbitration is a private court where the proceedings are not available to the public. The final decision in a case is made by an arbitrator. Bravo and Vanderpump producers argued that Faith, 35, signed multiple release forms to appear on the reality show.
They argued the release forms all stated any dispute that arose from filming the show would be heard in arbitration and not in public court, like L.A. Superior Court where Faith filed her complaint.
Last week, lawyers for Faith and the defendants appeared in court. At the hearing, the judge ruled in favor of the defendants. The case was moved venues, and the L.A. case will be put on pause until a final decision is made in arbitration.
The court found that the appearance releases signed by Faith were enforceable and clear. “The Defendants have satisfied their burden of showing the existence of an agreement to arbitrate,” the order read.
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.”
The judge ruled the verbiage, despite Faith’s objections, that was included in the agreement was enough to move the case.
As In Touch first reported, earlier this month, Faith filed a bombshell declaration as part of her effort to keep the case in L.A. court.
She detailed the alleged discrimination she experienced during filming. Her lawyers said Faith was “subjected to racism, sexual harassment, and physical assault in her first season.”
“Over time, her treatment got even worse. Many cast members embarked on an overtly racist social media harassment campaign, accusing her of having gone AWOL from the military [false], of being a thief [false], and being a career criminal wanted by the LAPD [false],” her lawyers added. Faith accused her costars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute called police to accuse her of a crime she did not commit.
The incident resurfaced years later and Stassi, 36, and Kristen, 41, apologized.
However, backlash over the incident led to the two being axed from the show. Kristen was later cast on the Vanderpump Rules spinoff, The Valley.
In her lawsuit, Faith said she also dealt with racial slurs including one about her hair. Faith also called out costar Lala, 34.
She said, “I was also attacked by a cast member brandishing a knife to my neck while threatening to ‘cut a bitch.’ I was terrified that I would be stabbed, sliced, or disfigured and was left deeply shaken by the incident, which was captured on camera and later covered up.”
In her original complaint, Faith’s lawyer described the alleged incident between Faith and Lala with more detail.
“[Lala] and [Faith] were in SUR’s dining room arguing over [Faith’s] disclosure of something [Lala] believed was said in confidence. [Lala] became severely agitated, losing all self-control and hurling barbs at [Faith]. [Faith] and [Lala] retreated to a backroom, with [Lala] still screaming,” the suit read.
Faith’s complaint continued, “With the cameras rolling, [LaLa] grabbed a knife from a nearby counter and began brandishing it at [Faith], holding it to her neck and threatening to ‘cut a bitch.’ [Faith] looked into [Lala’s] eyes while [Lala] was wielding the knife and could see that [Lala] was deadly serious and had completely lost control, and, consequently, that she [Faith] was in actual danger.”
Lala is not a named defendant in the lawsuit.
Faith said an executive producer advised her against involving the police or speaking to the media.
Faith said, “[The executive producer] downplayed the incident’s significance and strongly implied that speaking out would come with severe career ramifications. The next day, Vanderpump warned me that I would be terminated if I could not find a way to get along with [Lala], my attacker.”
She said, “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.”
In her suit, Faith said she did as she was asked but despite her complying she was not asked back as a cast member the following season. “Notwithstanding, [VPR producers] and NBC declined to exercise my option, instead forcing me to sign a new contract stating that I would henceforth be a ‘volunteer.’ I was relegated to this ‘volunteer’ status for my final two seasons on the show. I received no compensation despite being treated like an employee under [VPR producers] and NBC’s complete direction and control and remaining a central part of the plot,” Faith told the court.
Vanderpump Rules and Bravo denied the claims and said they “vigorously dispute [Faith’s] claims” in the lawsuit. As In Touch previously reported, Vanderpump Rules’ alum Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval are in the middle of their own court war.
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