'Vanderpump Rules' takes big step after Ariana Madix 'refusal'

Ariana Madix was a key part of Vanderpump Rules. So, when she reportedly refused to be part of the show, the makers apparently decided to shake up the cast.

"It's no secret that Ariana refused to film with Tom, and the fact is their storyline was the only one the viewers really cared about, so it put the producers in a very tough spot," the source told  Life & Style after the high-profile Scandoval controversy.

With the ongoing feud between the stars, insiders say the producers and execs decided were at pains to film the new season with the original cast.

"There's only so many reaction scenes they can do with other cast members," the tipster tattled. "To keep the show interesting, they needed Tom and Ariana to work together." 

Ultimately, the bird chirped that "Ariana might have good reason not to want to see Tom's face," the obstinate refusal to deal with him after his betrayal has caused chaos for the show, which was "built around having the cast interact as a whole." 

"There's no doubt it threw a huge wrench in things and now that the show got canned of course there's a lot of blame being directed towards Ariana," the mole squealed. 

Before concluding, the source also added, "That's not the only issue. A lot of people are whispering that the salary demands from her and from LaLa were also an issue, so fingers are also being pointed at her over that aspect, too."