James Kennedy now has plenty of time to work on his summer body.
On Sunday’s episode of Vanderpump Rules, Lisa Vanderpump finally fired the obnoxious DJ who’d been thriving as a villain for the past fews seasons. No, it wasn’t about the pasta — it was James’ repeated, drunken fat-shaming of server Katie Maloney-Schwartz that got him the boot.
Not that it was an easy decision. Ever since Katie’s ultimatum last week, Lisa had been agonizing over what to do. She’s always had a soft spot for the British bus boy who’d befriended her son in the SUR kitchen. Plus, her business partners Natalie and Guillermo confirmed that See You Next Tuesday was a big money-maker, and the self-styled “White Kanye West” created the weekly set.
“He’s a good DJ. People are coming to see him play,” Natalie told Lisa. “We’re doing 20 percent more [business] because of him every Tuesday night, you know?”
Later, while interviewing employees for TomTom, she gave Real Housewives of Beverly Hills costar Teddi Mellencamp‘s brother a job on the spot — and invited James over for a stern chat.
Tom Sandoval though it was “messed up” that Katie drew a line in the sand, but her husband Tom Schwartz had her back: “I don’t want to see anybody burned, but like, the guy’s doing it to himself, man.”
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Recounting James’ comments to Katie, Lisa said, “I cannot stand behind that. The way you’re talking to women — who the f— do you think you are, that you can stand there and you can call these beautiful, young women, ‘they’re sluts, they’re whores.’ You’ve got to start showing respect. You put me in a very, very difficult position. I cannot have you as one of the faces of my company with the way you disrespect women.”
James insisted that he’s a nice guy who “changes” when he drinks, blaming Tom’s “elixers” for his boozy behavior at the gay pride parade.
“There’s a darkness inside me that comes out. Seriously, I’m never touching another drop of alcohol again,” he vowed, not for the first time.
“Exactly. You need to be sober for the rest of your life. I’m telling you that,” Lisa said.
“I will if you give me one more chance, I promise. I’ll seek help,” he said.
But it was too late. “I can’t give you one more chance,” Lisa told him.
“Are you firing me?” he cried.
“Yes.”
He dropped his head onto the table and started sobbing: “No way you’re taking this away from me!”
“You’ve given it away yourself.”
He pleaded for forgiveness: “I won’t ever drink again, I won’t ever do anything naughty again.”
“James, I want you to grow up and pull yourself together. You are responsible for your actions, and you will be held accountable,” Lisa said.
James — whose mother is an alcoholic — begged for another chance, pointing out that he’s supporting girlfriend Raquel financially, helping his parents (we did see him pick up the tab for a family dinner earlier in the episode) and just gave his little brother a check for $5,000 as a college graduation present.
Lisa didn’t budge, telling him, “You have to change in your life, and this is going to be a life-changing moment for you, I hope.”
He walked away, and both were left in tears.
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Why did Lisa feel such empathy for this one employee? He reminds her of her brother Mark, who died of suicide on April 30 at his home in England.
“I think I’m sensitive to the fact that James, he’s a young DJ like my brother was,” she told the camera, crying. “And there are kind of two paths you can take: the right one and the wrong one. I see this kind of almost like an echo. So I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Luckily for viewers, though, we likely haven’t seen the last of James.
Vanderpump Rules airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.