Lisa Vanderpump Speaks Out About Racist Tweets by Her Show's New Stars Max Boyens & Brett Caprioni
Lisa Vanderpump is addressing the racist tweets that resurfaced this week written by new Vanderpump Rules stars Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni.
The 59-year-old reality star condemned both Boyens’ and Caprioni’s previous statements — which included repeated use of the n-word — calling their old tweets “heinous.”
“I do not condone any of the heinous comments made in the past by Max and Brett and I am glad they understand the severity of their offenses and have shown utmost remorse and contrition,” Vanderpump said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“I embrace a community of diversity and do not tolerate bigotry of any form within my workplace,” the restauranteur continued. “Max and Brett are both appropriately ashamed of their past obnoxious teenage arrogance and casual use of unacceptable terms. While both have now matured as adults, they have shown remorse for their prior reckless defamatory statements.”
“I do sincerely believe both have learned the power and impact words can have, and I have every hope this will be a lifelong lesson for them as we move into this new decade,” Vanderpump concluded.
On Wednesday, Boyens made his Twitter account private, but not before several racist tweets were seen by PEOPLE and captured by the Instagram account FaceReality16.
“It upsets me that the word n— is not allowed to be said unless you are black because quite honestly it’s my favorite word,” Boyens wrote on Twitter in 2012. In another tweet, he wrote, “Something about Asians that just makes me want to punch them in the suck hole.”
RELATED: New Vanderpump Rules Star Max Boyens Used the N-Word Multiple Times in Resurfaced Racist Tweets
The TomTom manager apologized in a statement to PEOPLE, saying that he is “disgusted and embarrassed” by his previous behavior.
“I want to sincerely apologize for what I tweeted in 2012 — it was wrong on every level,” Boyens’ statement said. “It is not a representation of who I am. I am shocked I ever tweeted that — and I am disgusted and embarrassed — I am truly sorry.”
The same Instagram account also shared old tweets from Caprioni, many of which contained the n-word, spanning from 2011-2013.
“wassup wit black people wearin so much Aeropostale I don’t get it lol,” he wrote on Twitter in 2012, according to the screen grabs.
RELATED: Another New Vanderpump Rules Star, Brett Caprioni, Accused of Posting Racist Tweets
“I want to express my deepest apologies for the insensitive, ignorant, and hurtful comments I made,” the SUR server told PEOPLE in a statement. “I am incredibly ashamed and accept full responsibility, and acknowledge that this language was as unacceptable then as it is now.”
“Please know that I have learned and grown since then and would never use this language today,” his statement continued. “From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry.”
