Lisa Vanderpump Condemns Racist Tweets From ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Newcomers Max Boyens, Brett Caprioni

Lisa Vanderpump is speaking out after employees and Vanderpump Rules newcomers Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were revealed to have tweeted a number of racist and otherwise offensive comments in the past. Speaking to PEOPLE, Vanderpump called the tweets in question “heinous,” and saying she believed the two have “shown remorse” for their past.

“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 the outlet.

“I embrace a community of diversity and do not tolerate bigotry of any form within my workplace,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star added. “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.”

She concluded: “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.”

Earlier this week, Boyens and Caprioni’s tweets, stretching from 2011 to 2013, were uncovered by the Bravo fan page Face Reality 16.

“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, saying in another tweet from the same year, “Something about Asians that just makes me want to punch them in the suck hole.”

Caprioni, meanwhile, was revealed to have used the n-word a number of times in his offensive tweets, as well as making racist statements in 2012 such as, “Wassup wit black people wearin so much Aeropostale I don’t get it [laughing out loud].”

After the tweets surfaced, Boyens told PEOPLE in a statement, “I want to sincerely apologize for what I tweeted in 2012 — it was wrong on every level. 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.”

Caprioni also issued an apology, saying to PEOPLE, “I want to express my deepest apologies for the insensitive, ignorant, and hurtful comments I made. 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,” he continued. “From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry.”

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