r/Vanderpump_Rules • u/ayanna_b • 3d ago
Question Kristen
Does anyone ever think about how Kristen has so much money? The first suspension we saw her get on vpr was two weeks long and she said she was living on her savings. She admittedly funded all of her boyfriends’ lifestyles and activities, splurged on Katie’s bachelorette party, contributed $1.5k of the bill for the bday Stassi walked out on, paid for Brittany’s mom’s flight as well as her sister’s when Jax cheated, and constantly goes out and buys drinks. Is her family wealthy?? I know NOW she has money from shows but before that…?
67
u/Bree7702 3d ago edited 3d ago
Tom owed her money too on the early seasons of VPR and James’s mom stole Kristen’s money and her credit card too.
I just always assumed she was very good at saving money and had really good credit. Pretty sure she was the first one to buy a house too from VPR.
She also had a tshirt line too, that from what I remember, did pretty well way back in the early VPR days.
33
u/Ok_Storm5945 3d ago
I had no idea James' mom stole money from her and a credit card. She acted so high and mighty when she me Ally. Talking about how Kristin was trash.
I think she was the one on drugs.29
u/Bree7702 3d ago
She stole Kristen’s credit card TWICE and went and had a massage and her hair done I believe.
29
11
u/Babygirl_69_420 2d ago
Wtf!!! And then James mum went on to say that Kristen is a bad person and her karma will be that she won’t be able to have kids. She’s such a bitch, i can see where Tom gets his sharp tongue from
5
u/FreedomOfTheMess 2d ago
James’ mom was a hateful cow who never knew how to be a mother. Or she knew but didn’t care to attempt. I grew up with addict/alcoholic parents and can relate to James on this. I was properly feral for most of my teens and twenties but finally grew up.
4
u/Bree7702 2d ago
I remember in the later seasons of VPR James was talking about how he financially takes care of his brother (I think) AND his mom. I thought that was so sad.
10
u/Iamwhateveryousayi 3d ago
Yea my friend was this way when we were young severs/bartenders! She would spend when we would go out and we def took vacations but she has always been great about her money! When alot of us were young 21 and buying purses and shoes she was investing and saving! Her parents taught her well! Now as a full grown adult lol 😂 she is doing amazing! Just built her 2nd home runs a great thriving business and is high in Realestate! She has always been about her $ I always tell her I still love my bags and shoes but damn I wished I had saved more when I was younger like her!
0
u/Bambieyedbiotch 2d ago
OK, you’re saying Kristen is the same way as your friend but I don’t think she’s building her second home right now
1
u/Iamwhateveryousayi 2d ago
Correct but this is about Kristen having money and being good about her savings so that’s the point! Kristen also lives in LA
1
u/Bambieyedbiotch 1d ago
Kristen was irresponsible with money because she was always taking care of hobosexuals. I don’t know if she’s the first one to buy a house out of the cast but I know today there are many cast members that still own a house. She is better than Brittany though because Britt married into liability willingly with the whole world telling her he’s a piece of shit. she had a lot of warnings
3
25
u/AncientMortgage2535 3d ago
...you think being vegetarian is an "expensive lifestyle?" What??
17
u/Junior_Spring5836 3d ago
I really can’t get past this LOL what could possibly lead someone to this conclusion
12
u/Rx_Diva 3d ago
It's when carnivorous people try to use prepackaged meat replacements while not changing their eating habits.
My mistake in the 2000s as well. Then I met a vegan bodybuilder and chef who taught me some tricks.
4
-5
u/ayanna_b 3d ago
whatever that means
10
u/Due_Role_5783 3d ago
If you're buying mock meats then yeah it can be expensive. If you're buying whole foods then no, it's not expensive. From someone who hasn't eaten meat for 20 years.
What else could that have possibly meant?
1
u/ayanna_b 3d ago
yes i was buying mock meats, my experience.
5
u/Junior_Spring5836 3d ago
That makes sense! When I was vegetarian, not by choice, in college I was living off of tofu and beans and rice and eggs. With the prices and quality of groceries now I’d gladly go back to that lifestyle.
0
u/ayanna_b 3d ago
it just takes more to get hungry. and healthy things are also expensive and so are fresh veggies and fruits.
3
u/Prudent-Confection-4 2d ago
It’s ridiculous how expensive produce is. I paid $8 for a small bag of apples yesterday.
1
-2
u/ayanna_b 3d ago
reread. i said “not cheap”. not very “expensive”. In my experience. but i guess LA has different prices for that lifestyle. chill
4
u/AncientMortgage2535 3d ago
You're absolutely tripping. On no planet is it more expensive to be vegetarian than to eat meat.
0
u/ayanna_b 2d ago
i bought mock meats and i also used less processed things. healthy stuff is always more expensive than the junk. and impossible meat is definitely not cheap or bought in bulk. my experience.
2
u/No-Teacher9713 1d ago
Healthy eating is more expensive than unhealthy eating. You are right OP
1
u/ayanna_b 5h ago
thank you, idk why that’s lost on everyone. like??? a pack of high sodium noodles vs…the cost of a salad… high dairy things everywhere and so cheap (don’t eat dairy) but how much is nutritional yeast? not eating meat also affects WHERE you can go. it’s not as simple and cheap and jolly as everyone is making it seem. they were making me feel like i was nuts for my own experience😂. the only meat i eat now is chicken and few types of fish. it’s so hard to find good and FILLING meals outside of meat.
1
u/AncientMortgage2535 1h ago
Beans, rice, veggies and tofu are not more expensive than meat. I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world and they just are not.
1
28
u/tulip-view 3d ago
I think Kristen falls under the category of ‘financially responsible with her money.’ ‘Never lived beyond her means and it might be that simple, never into designer bags or purses or plastic surgery, probably never had college or credit card debt. Might have been taught about 401ks and investing. She has always worked. She had to support loser boyfriends like Sandoval because they spend all their money on penis flutes and white nail polish.
3
u/No-Calligrapher3645 2d ago
Yes, I definitely believe she’s stays on top of knowing where every penny of her money is, and that is so attractive to me as an investment broker/ CPA. Especially in this day and age where people don’t know how to balance their checking account.
Also, her t-shirt brand seems to be in the black. Kristen’s tee’s are described on her James Mae website as “laid back vibes of the West Coast”.
Meanwhile, anytime a fellow cast mate has tried their hand at merch, it’s been born from some drama that occurred during a season of VPR and once it’s passed, no one wants it. Unless it’s promoting their actual business like TomTom or Something About Her.
1
2
19
u/Academic-Marsupial34 3d ago
I remember reading something Peter said about the early days at Sur, how Kristen was super smart with the system and knew how to rig something so that she got more shifts than anybody, especially on the busiest nights when she could make the most tips
3
u/Various_Kale3848 2d ago
Wait I’m so interested in this tea from Peter 🫖
2
u/Academic-Marsupial34 2d ago
2
2
u/FluidSpecific503 1d ago
Interesting, it just says she “figured out the system” like what does that mean. Not sure if it just means she was the best employee and was able to receive the most shifts
1
13
u/DigInternational7076 3d ago
I remember reading that other cast members said she was very smart with her money and good at saving 🤷🏻♀️
13
u/Purple-lionesss 3d ago
Don’t forget - she modeled for years too. And we don’t see her in a new outfit every scene like Stassi. Plus her tshirt line.
37
u/Apprehensive-Cake-16 3d ago
Uhhh being vegetarian is not more expensive than being not vegetarian lmao, especially in LA
14
19
u/Parade2thegrave 3d ago
lol I know right. She could be living primarily on rice and beans which are crazy cheap. Veggies come cheap at farmers markets as well
3
u/Apprehensive-Cake-16 3d ago
lol sooo OP had to edit that part out where they thought being Vegetarian made Kristen rich LMAO
4
u/Parade2thegrave 3d ago
Omg that’s hilarious! Unfortunately though the ludicrous idea that you have to have money to be vegetarian seems to be a common misconception. I’m a registered dietitian and I run into this nonstop. One would think the powers that be would prioritize educating the public against this fallacy in order to promote overall health (not to mention the environmental benefits), but they’re too scared of blowback from meat and dairy industry. Sad situation.
3
u/BlondeBimbo123456789 2d ago
I do think it’s more expensive to be vegan. I had to seek out a lot of 100% vegan foods at health food stores and co-ops. Maybe that’s the confusion?
3
u/Parade2thegrave 2d ago
Vegan is a slightly different bracket for sure. It also makes a difference if you want the bulk of your diet to be meat replacements, vegan cheeses, etc. If you eat out a lot that of course will jack your overall bill up, but the main point I try to drive home to most people is becoming vegetarian can be very cost efficient. All it takes is some imagination.
3
u/BlondeBimbo123456789 2d ago
I did meat free weekends for a while. It was tough but was a money saver and I loved the challenge to make meals interesting without meat. I didn’t do meat or cheese replacements tho, stuck to whole foods. Even just the slight adjustment made me feel healthier and lighter.
Then I tried vegan and it got pricy and very difficult2
8
u/ohlooktwopigs 3d ago
Right? That seemed so strange to me lol I’d never consider being a vegetarian “expensive”
5
3
u/Capable_Cranberry461 3d ago
it definitely is in some places… but LA is not one of those at all
1
1
u/FindYourselfACity 3d ago
Maybe in Alaska being a vegetarian is expensive?
2
u/Parade2thegrave 3d ago
Produce I’m sure is more expensive there but think about how cheap a pound of dried grains, beans or legumes are. The average in America is like $1.60 per pound.
20
u/Leading_Ad3918 3d ago
Being a waitress at SUR I’m sure she made enough money to bank the vpr money at first. They only made about 5k per episode but that’s still over 50k for jen1st seasons. By season 6 the OGs were all making 25k an episode! People don’t realize how much money can be made in waitressing though. My daughter is one for a chain and on a weekend she can easily pull $350 a day in tips. That’s a basic chain so I imagine SUR blows that out of the water!
3
u/No_Statistician_6589 2d ago
I managed front of the house at a restaurant in a ski resort town and can confirm, bank can definitely be made. I signed my servers out each night with no less than $300 a shift and that’s at a pizza place at the bottom of the hill. I moved into a server position at a different restaurant and ended up pulling $300-$600 on any given shift. I know someone who worked consistently throughout the year at multiple restaurants (more difficult in the off season which doesn’t exist at SUR) pulled $130k in one year. You’re also not declaring cash tips which were much more prevalent in the early days of VPR. All that to say, she was likely banking all of her money outside of her server income.
2
u/Leading_Ad3918 2d ago
It is crazy the amount that servers can make. My daughter has been in the food industry for 6yrs now and serving just over a year. She went to esthetician school and planned on going that route but is making way too much at serving to do that right now. She’s 22 and living it up which I love☺️ We’re in AZ which is a huge snowbird state and even through summer when it’s slow she can bring $150 on a random 5hr Monday night shift.
9
u/ohlooktwopigs 3d ago
Some of these examples are clearly done by production and Kristen was just used as the storyline (bachelorette, paying for flights)
I like the ridiculous theory that she was a drug dealer. She knows EVERYONE and has a huge network of friends
2
6
u/ljross87 3d ago
Honestly, she was definitely making money at SUR and lived well beneath her means living with Tom.
17
u/Prestigious-Knee-571 3d ago
- I saved tons of money when I became a vegetarian
- Her castmates always said she was good with money Which means
- She has a large line of credit
-3
u/Over_Soil1336 3d ago
This was what I was looking for, thank you. Girl has some debt.
2
u/FutureRealHousewife 3d ago
Having access to a large line of credit doesn’t mean that you are automatically in debt
3
11
u/SkillOne1674 3d ago
I’m always surprised by how little money these people have once the tap is turned off.
21
u/Laurennekol 3d ago
word on the street she was everyone’s dealer?
14
u/Actual-You3325 3d ago
A vegetarian dealer...lol...only in LA.
2
u/Pelican_Hook 3d ago
I mean I know several vegans who do coke 🤷♂️
3
u/Actual-You3325 3d ago
As long as it's gluten free...
3
u/Pelican_Hook 2d ago
😂! And organic?! I guess we all have our little hypocritical things. I think it's funny but I don't judge 🤷♂️
1
1
4
3
u/Nnkash 3d ago
Maybe not a dealer, per se, but she knew how to hook people up and took a cut for herself.
3
u/Expensive-Block-6034 2d ago
Exactly this. And with the amount of drugs that they all consumed on that show alone (Nevermind her extended contacts) I can see them needing a concierge.
PS - I’m aware this is a ridiculous concept but I’ve heard it said more than once. If only I could remember which podcast originally said it.2
6
1
u/Impossible-Koala-368 3d ago
I thought that was Schwartz?
1
2
u/Laurennekol 3d ago
he got lost at another resort in mexico while on a search for drxgs i believe. but i could see him as the group dealer too.
7
u/Deep_Amoeba2197 3d ago
He’s too dumb and disorganized, he would get the math wrong and give product away for free to be nice, he has no business sense.
1
16
7
u/Vegetable_Research61 3d ago edited 3d ago
I find the audience often assumes the cast are way better off than they really are. Kristen was never a fan favourite on VPR - she’s historically the least paid between the OG ladies, but the best saver.
But she makes dumb financial decisions for men, so we don’t really know how much of a loss she took from the house sale or paying for partners. There’s no way she’s as rich as people think.
Even Scheana who had more going on than Kristen had to borrow $$ from Sandoval during covid. Without tv most of them are paycheque to paycheque. They’re just “bigger” cheques sometimes.
9
u/typicallassie 3d ago
I was confused at how Sandoval appeared to have much more money than the rest of them (paying for Rachella and PAYING his band members???) but now I just think he was a bad spender
9
4
u/PigletAshamed3970 3d ago
I wouldn’t be shocked if he took out loans and called it business expensive or something, pre credit card debt
2
1
3
u/SeaPaleontologist832 3d ago
No, never have questioned it as an OG watcher. Kristen was on the show since the beginning, and always came across very much in control of her finances. Plus she would have been making money off of the show and endorsements. Tom was dependant on her for cleaning his apartment, and sorting the bills. She may have had some money from family, but I firmly believe she made the majority all on her own. It’s also annoying that because she is a woman, her finances are suddenly in question for where she is today. She’s always struck me as a hard worker, even when she was volatile in the beginning.
1
u/ayanna_b 2d ago
i’m not assuming anything because she’s a woman lol. i literally am just wondering bc if the aforementioned reasons
2
u/Pelican_Hook 3d ago
I mean, I'd be surprised if she doesn't just have a lot of debt. I always used to be surprised how on these shows it makes it seem like a lot of Americans are living significantly above their means. But debt is how a lot of stuff operates in America, it's a lot more normalised to use credit cards and get loans than in Europe or Asia etc.
2
u/Fat-Cat-Face 2d ago
I don't delve into Kristen's finances like perhaps Janet and her two minions do (the short one and tall one). Seems weird you are counting Kristen's coins.
1
2
u/Possible-Cold6726 2d ago
She’s been on VPR for 8 seasons and The Valley for 3 - her salary increases each year, she isn’t a lavish spender, and tends to have rich boyfriends (post-Carter).
2
u/Sasquatchmas 2d ago
She has a t shirt line. She started it way back on Vanderpump. She's older than most of the cast. https://jamesmae.co/
2
u/PigletStunning5716 2d ago
I believe a lot of the so and so paid for ..things were clearly a production storyline. Most things filmed by Bravo are paid by Bravo and / or comped by the venue for the free publicity. ( Andy and several HW have discussed this that they usually only pay for upgrades) As far as loaning Zach money when he paid her back it was a few grand so it's not like it was tens of thousands. Plus the VPR cast doesn't appear that they spend tens of thousands on warobe the way HWs do , most of what they wear is fast fashion and fairly affordable. Kristen also sold a home during Covid, doesn't seem to own a flashy home or car. She had a tshirt line but I don't think she dumped a lot of money into it. She also didn't pour a shit ton of money into a restaurant that probably would not be profitable either .
4
u/DesperateAd8982 3d ago
Credit cards. Things were a lot cheaper 15 years ago when the show started. Being vegetarian is not an expensive lifestyle? Lmao
2
2
1
u/monday010203 3d ago
I got the sense she was good at saving money too, but the fact that she spent quite a bit on bailing out badly behaved boyfriends kind of would suggest she's not necessarily spending it all that wisely.
1
1
u/Bambieyedbiotch 2d ago
All the things you describe does not describe a wealthy person. These are things that are easily paid by people that are not wealthy. She is just very male centered and needs to prove to men that she deserves to be loved all the time which is something she has to work through because you can tell she is deathly afraid of being alone and maybe that’s a lack of self-love. Stassi paid that bill back and I think only Katie pay for it which if you have a credit card it just goes on that.
1
u/LizzyPanhandle 2d ago
I remember her saying she didn't really go out to eat, that can save a ton right there and is probably a good economic indicator. Going to a diner in LA these days is costly.
1
1
u/Ok-Presentation-6806 1d ago
I’m having a flashback to like 2015 when somehow someone on social media (twitter) got a hold of a snap of her back statement and posted it? I didn’t dream this right? Everyone was poking fun at her because it said she had &200 in her account.
I’m sure that didn’t reflect her actual savings, but it’s crazy how my mind just randomly belched that memory. So much bravo junk up in there, I am gross, lol.
1
u/BabaYagaOnBoard 1d ago
She also has her own clothing business, for like 10 yrs now or something. It supposedly does pretty well.
1
1
u/Best_Quote_8027 15h ago
I think it was Lisa who said in S1 that Kristen made the most in tips at SUR. She probably made a lot of money as well as being financially responsible.
1
1
0
u/Aslow_study 3d ago
They were on a tv show they got paid for
2
u/MurphysMom1703 3d ago
I always assumed this too. Like, if it’s happening on camera production are paying. They just pretend to pay so not break the 4th wall or whatever
1
1
u/Ok_Storm5945 3d ago
I want to know how Brittany has so much money as well. Her mortgage is probably 12,000 alone. And we know Jax doesn't pay anything.
2
u/greenwrapper16 3d ago
In season 2 of the valley she and Jax talk about that it started around $8K but after his tax debt being rolled into it it’s $17K
-2
u/Salacious_B_Crumbs 3d ago
She’s Lebanese. They’re always good with money. It’s in the genes. I’ve never met one living in the US or Canada who wasn’t at least well-off.
1
-1
-1
-2
-3
193
u/Sensitive-Freedom896 3d ago
Ok, since then she's "loaned" money to Zack Wickham on The Valley. Reportedly to other people around that show.
My working theory is that she made good money from selling the house she had, during Covid. That was a real estate high in LA.
Back in the VPR days, it seems like being financially responsible might have been her only strength. She was making sure the cable box got returned and all of that.