Shocking Reality TV Exits

Rife with scandal or just the right time to walk away? Stassi Schroeder, Lauren Conrad and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi are among the reality stars who left their shows in surprising fashion.

Schroeder, for one, was fired from Vanderpump Rules after eight seasons alongside costar/frenemy Kristen Doute. Bravo confirmed their departures in June 2020 after their past racially insensitive actions toward former castmate Faith Stowers resurfaced.

“It is important that I continue to take accountability for what I have said and done, while pushing myself to do better. I have grown significantly from the person I was then, and I am still filled with remorse and regret for the hurt I caused,” Schroeder wrote via Instagram days before her dismissal. “I am grateful for the people in my life that continue to check me and push me to evolve into a more educated person.”

Not all reality TV exits are plagued by controversy. Polizzi, for her part, left Jersey Shore: Family Vacation after three seasons, announcing her retirement in December 2019. She later explained exclusively to Us Weekly that her decision stemmed from her children’s reactions to her filming away from home, pointing out that her absences “scarred” son Lorenzo.

“Anytime I say ‘Mommy’s going to work,’ he’s like, ‘Mom, you cannot leave me again like you did. I was so upset. I don’t want you leaving,’” she recalled in January 2020. “So now every time I say I’m leaving for work, he goes, ‘How long are you leaving?’ It kind of gives him anxiety now. I can’t do that anymore. They are definitely happy that I’m not going to be leaving for days on end now.”

Polizzi spoke to husband Jionni LaValle about her decision, followed by the cast and crew. “[Producers] know they can’t change my mind, so everyone accepted it and they respected it,” she told Us. “They were always very accommodating when it came to us and moms and working to also being with our kids.”

Scroll down to revisit the most shocking reality TV exits of all time — from The Bachelor, American Idol, Teen Mom and more!