The Drama Diet Launch Packs Barnes & Noble at The Grove

Barnes & Noble at The Grove turned into a packed, ticketed book launch for The Drama Diet, as Beverly Hills-based author Lisa Stuart took the stage for a live conversation and audience Q&A hosted by influencer and media founder Rachel McCord.

The evening was structured as a liveaudience discussion between Stuart and McCord, followed by Q&A, with attendees lining up early for check-in and entry. Vanderpump Rules stars Natalie Maguire and Ryan Kissane pose with author Lisa Stuart at the Drama Diet book launch event at Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles on Feb 11, 2026.

Vanderpump Rules stars Natalie Maguire and Ryan Kissane pose with author Lisa Stuart at the Drama Diet book launch event at Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles on Feb 11, 2026.

Stuart’s book, The Drama Diet: How to Shed the Weight of Judgment, Limiting Beliefs, and Toxic Relationships, positions “drama” as a daily force that can be reduced through clearer boundaries, better self-control in reactive moments, and a more direct approach to relationships. The launch conversation leaned into those themes, focusing on how people get pulled into conflict, how to step back without becoming cold, and how to stop confusing attention with connection.

McCord, the founder of The McCord List and The McCord List Media Network, guided the discussion with a mix of personal storytelling and practical prompts, tying the book’s ideas to real-world situations that show up in friendships, family dynamics, work, and online life. McCord is also widely known as the sister of actress AnnaLynne McCord of Beverly Hills 90210 fame.

The event drew a notable crowd that attendees described as a cross-section of entertainment, fashion, and reality television. Guests included Elisha Cuthbert (24), Patricia Kara (NBC’s Deal or No Deal), reality personality Patrik Simpson and designer Pol’ Atteu, along with choreographer BP Major, singer Rainy Terrell, and Vanderpump Rules stars Natalie Maguire and Ryan Kissane, among others.

In the room, the tone matched the book’s message, direct, personal, and solution-focused. Stuart spoke about the idea that drama can be self-created, absorbed from other people, or fueled by old habits, and that the goal is not perfection, it is catching the pattern sooner and choosing a cleaner response.

For fans of The McCord List ecosystem, the night also landed as a media moment, not just a bookstore stop, with the host, author, and audience all treating the launch as both a community event and a platform for wider conversations to follow.