A Bravo celebrity says it wasn’t the network’s drama-filled Vanderpump Rules that triggered her recent mental health crisis—it was a completely different reality series.
Scheana Shay opened up on a new episode of her Scheananigans podcast about falling into a months-long depression following her brief appearance on Season 13 of The Masked Singer.
‘I have really just been feeling depressed the last six months,’ Shay, 40, admitted. ‘It was something that I kept trying to just mask and say, “No, I’m fine. It’ll go away.” But it all started around The Masked Singer.’
Shay initially turned down the offer to compete on the show, saying she feared public humiliation.
‘I got asked to do the show. I immediately was like, “Hard pass, absolutely not,”‘ she recalled. ‘I didn’t care how much money they’re paying me. I was not going to go on another show on national television just to get made fun of.’
Despite her reservations, Shay ultimately joined the competition as The Bat, performing Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter—only to be eliminated after the first episode.
A Bravo celebrity says it wasn’t the network’s drama-filled Vanderpump Rules that triggered her recent mental health crisis—it was a completely different reality series
Scheana Shay opened up on a new episode of her Scheananigans podcast about falling into a months-long depression following her brief appearance on Season 13 of The Masked Singer
‘I totally had a meltdown in my trailer,’ she said.
‘I’m like, “This is why I didn’t want to do this show. I’m not good enough. I get sent home first. Now everyone’s going to make fun of me.” I just wanted to put myself out there.’
She revealed that rather than confronting her feelings, she tried to manage her depression by adjusting her medication without proper guidance.
‘I just was like, “Maybe I up my meds a little bit.” But then I started grinding my teeth a lot at night,’ Shay explained.
‘So I’m like, “No, I’ll just go back to like 25 mg.” As if that’s enough Zoloft for anyone. It’s not. I’ve learned that and I’m now at 75 mg and considering 100 mg.’
Shay said she eventually sought professional help: ‘In that time, I was able to talk to my psychiatrist and able to talk to my therapist. Then it’s the holidays. We’re getting into Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and then wildfires across Los Angeles.’
Describing a cascade of emotional challenges, Shay added, ‘It was just a few really heavy months emotionally. Then we’re in March and the show’s airing. Now I really need to focus on what’s been brewing and what’s going on. Because I felt like getting sent home first was part of it—but it couldn’t be all of it.
The reality star came to realize that broader changes in her life, including her departure from Vanderpump Rules, were also weighing heavily on her mental state.
‘I have really just been feeling depressed the last six months,’ Shay, 40, admitted. ‘It was something that I kept trying to just mask and say, “No, I’m fine. It’ll go away.” But it all started around The Masked Singer’
Despite her reservations, Shay ultimately joined the competition as The Bat, performing Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter—only to be eliminated after the first episode
‘I totally had a meltdown in my trailer,’ she said. ‘I’m like, “This is why I didn’t want to do this show. I’m not good enough. I get sent home first. Now everyone’s going to make fun of me.” I just wanted to put myself out there’
‘As excited as I am for this new chapter of my life—I got to film The Valley and be with all of my friends this past summer—it filled the void of not filming a season 12,’ Shay explained.
Shay was a staple on Vanderpump Rules from the very beginning, appearing on the Bravo hit since its debut in 2013.
Over 10 seasons, she became known for her high-profile relationships, emotional storylines, and unwavering loyalty to her inner circle.
But after more than a decade on the show, her time came to an end.
Bravo recently confirmed that Vanderpump Rules will be rebooted with a new cast for Season 12, leaving Shay—and other longtime stars like Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, and Katie Maloney—off the roster.
Though bittersweet, Shay has said she’s looking forward to her next chapter.
‘But then the show getting rebooted… that’s a huge chapter of my life that now is just done. As happy as I was for honestly that chapter to be done, I’m like, “Wow, that’s been a huge part of my identity that now is just done.” A combination of these things just led to me kind of going into a depression.’
Ultimately, Shay said she felt compelled to speak out to help others who might be struggling behind the scenes.
Shay was a staple on Vanderpump Rules from the very beginning, appearing on the Bravo hit since its debut in 2013
Shay is married to Brock Davies. The couple tied the knot in August 2021 and held a wedding celebration in August 2022. They share one daughter, Summer Moon Honey, who was born in April 2021.
‘Everything is great but mentally it hasn’t been,’ she said. ‘I just wanted to open up about that because I feel like you could have everything in the world and still not always feel completely happy. I just wanted to normalize it.’
Shay is married to Brock Davies.
The couple tied the knot in August 2021 and held a wedding celebration in August 2022.
They share one daughter, Summer Moon Honey, who was born in April 2021.
