Getty Images
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Praise Katie Maloney’s Self-Image After Freak Accident Left Her Scarred
Designer Kevin Lee, one of Lisa Vanderpump‘s friends, brutally body-shamed Katie Maloney on the Feb. 5 episode of Vanderpump Rules… but luckily, Katie’s castmates had her back. In fact, Lisa commended the 31-year-old’s confidence, especially given the freak accident she endured eight years ago.
On Nov. 9, 2009, shortly after Katie started working at SUR, she fell through a skylight at a party. The brunette beauty fell nearly three stories, smashed through a plate-glass window, and tumbled down a flight of stairs. Of course, she lived to tell the tale — which is nothing short of a miracle, if you ask us — but she suffered a broken jaw, a broken collarbone, and a minor brain injury.
“Everything has been put into perspective,” she said during the episode. “When you cheat death, you can’t help but look at things differently… I had a pretty serious accident. As part of that, I have this scar on my face… I could go see a plastic surgeon and they could remove the scar, but erasing that would have erased this pretty monumental moment in my life. I like my scar. It gives me character, and it’s a badge of honor. I went through something crazy, but I’m still here.”
According to Bravo, Katie’s husband, Tom Schwartz, celebrates her life every Nov. 9. “She almost lost her life on this day some years ago,” he wrote on the 2015 anniversary of the accident. “She’s the light of my life, and her light is shining brighter than ever.”
On the show, Kevin called out Katie’s weight at a Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine party, deeming it “out of control” and telling her she needed to “work on it.” After Katie reported his comments to Lisa, the Real Housewives star told the SUR-ver to keep her chin up. “You’re one of the most beautiful girls in my restaurant,” she said. “And don’t let anybody ever tell you otherwise.”
Lisa also tweeted about Katie’s journey on the night the episode aired. “I remember so well…@MusicKillsKate,” she wrote. “Hearing of your accident and how you were so concerned for your job. Loved you then and now.”
And Katie’s fellow SUR employees tweeted their praise, too. “I’m so happy that @MusicKillsKate was finally able to shine light on her accident,” Kristen Doute wrote. “That story will never not make me emotional.”
Even frenemy Scheana Shay had nice things to say. “Despite our differences we’ve had, you are gorgeous, and the comments made about your weight that night made me cringe,” she tweeted to Katie. “You are a beautiful woman.”
It sounds like the only person who needs to do some self-improvement is Kevin.
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.
