New ‘VPR’ stars Marcus Johnson and Kim Suarez Defend Their ‘Toxic’ Relationship After Season 12 Premiere (Exclusive)

Suarez shared that she and Johnson were “working through real-life problems” prior to filming.

“There’s a lot that happens in regards to friendships and their opinion of my relationship,” she teased, adding, “It’s that constant forgiveness and compassion and trying to put myself in their shoes.”

When it came to their costars, each had a different opinion.

Davis, 32, who is the only cast member not working at SUR but has been a longtime friend of Johnson, defended their relationship.

“Look, I grew up a little differently, so I’m used to people having big ups and downs and being maybe a little more passionate in their particular love life,” he told Us. “I wouldn’t say it’s all that toxic to me.”

Johnson and Suarez’s closest pal, Binkley, 27, however, admitted that he didn’t like how Kim reacted toward Maguire, also 27, after accusing her of flirting with Marcus in the premiere episode.

“I was really close with Kim and Marcus, and so for me to see that type of behavior, it really rubbed me wrong,” he exclusively told Us. “I think it made me and Natalie closer because I always root for the underdog, and whenever I feel like there’s injustice, I want to stand up for them, and that’s how I felt about Natalie in this entire situation. So I think it just showed everyone’s true colors, truthfully.”

For her part, Maguire said she “was so surprised” at Suarez’s accusations “because there are actually people here that have a history with Marcus, and she’s totally fine with them. So it’s pretty shocking.”

Johnson’s love life wasn’t the only topic of conversation that put him in the hot seat in season 12’s first episode. Fans also watched him get reprimanded by Vanderpump for drinking on the job, an act that made the restaurant’s co-owner, Nathalie Pouille-Zapata, cry.

Johnson defended his behavior.

“I respected everyone’s disappointment in me,” he told Us. “I was just someone who got caught in the moment. This is a party all the time. I was just not slick enough that day to get my partying off.”

While Johnson confessed he felt “a little bit bad” about the situation, he said, “I’m not gonna let it change how I behave at work.”

New episodes of Vanderpump Rules season 12 airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo and the next day on Peacock.