Picture Supply: Getty / Todd Williamson / Bravo
The Bravo world was rocked on March 3 when “Vanderpump Rules” stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix break up after 9 years collectively. Within the aftermath, quite a few shops reported that their break up was prompted by the revelation that Sandoval cheated on Madix with their costar Raquel Leviss in a months-long affair. Dozens of Bravo stars appeared to verify the information on social media, together with producer Andy Cohen, who tweeted out a siren emoji after which requested, “How many parts is too many parts for the #pumprules reunion???” POPSUGAR reached out to reps for Sandoval, Madix, and Leviss for touch upon the allegations however didn’t obtain responses.
The web has since been ablaze with Bravo followers attempting to determine what precisely occurred between the three stars. On March 8, Sandoval and Leviss each launched statements apologizing to Madix for his or her roles within the state of affairs. Then, over every week later, Madix launched an announcement about her breakup and the aftermath. When you’re not a Bravo head, or are muddy on the main points, this is a full timeline of the drama, together with the most recent statements on the problem — together with what viewers discovered through the three-part season 10 reunion.
Who Are Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, and Raquel Leviss?
Sandoval, Madix, and Leviss are all forged members of “Vanderpump Rules.” Sandoval and Madix met and have become pals once they labored as bartenders at eating places owned by former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Lisa Vanderpump earlier than the present started filming. Sandoval was a forged member when the primary season premiered in 2013, whereas Madix joined for season two the next yr. Sandoval’s finest buddy is fellow forged member Tom Schwartz, with whom he is began two eating places: TomTom With Vanderpump, and Schwartz and Sandy’s totally on their very own. Schwartz break up from his spouse, castmate Katie Maloney, in early 2022.
Leviss, in the meantime, was first launched in season 5 because the girlfriend of forged member James Kennedy. The pair acquired engaged in Could 2021 after 5 years collectively. (Sandoval even helped Kennedy plan and pay for the over-the-top proposal.) Nevertheless, the couple finally break up that December.
In the course of the summer time of 2022 (and as filmed for the present, which is at present airing on Bravo), there have been rumors that Leviss was hooking up with Schwartz and that their attraction got here to a head on the wedding ceremony of forged member Scheana Shay in late August. For the reason that present premiered, Leviss has mentioned that it was OK for her to be concerned with Schwartz regardless of Maloney’s needs as a result of she and Maloney weren’t pals. Shay and Leviss appeared collectively on the March 3 episode of the “Chicks in the Office” podcast (which was launched earlier than information broke), and Leviss mentioned, “Ariana [and Scheana] were the ones that really embraced me into this group and have been there for me since day one, so I know who my true friends are.”
How Lengthy Have been Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Collectively?
Sandoval and Madix started courting in 2014. They purchased a home collectively in Valley Village, in Los Angeles, in 2019.
Did Tom Sandoval Cheat on Ariana Madix With Raquel Leviss?
On March 3, TMZ broke the information that Sandoval and Madix had break up amid allegations of dishonest involving Leviss and that “Vanderpump Rules” was filming the fallout. Different shops rapidly confirmed the information, as did a few of their “Pump Rules” costars on Instagram, together with Kennedy and Lala Kent. Madix reportedly came upon concerning the affair that Wednesday when she noticed Sandoval’s telephone and his texts with Leviss.
Sources informed Folks that the affair had been occurring for six months. On April 11, TMZ posted a photograph of Sandoval and Leviss collectively in Sandoval’s hometown of St. Louis, which was reportedly taken on December 29, 2022 — which is throughout the timeframe that the affair reportedly occurred in.
Within the months earlier than Sandoval and Madix break up, Leviss continued to play up rumors that she was concerned with Schwartz. She wore a TomTom sweatshirt to BravoCon in October, and when Maloney accused her of being a “fangirl,” she wrote on Instagram that she largely wore it to be comfortable and added, “I also wore it to support BOTH of the Toms.” She included #NumberOneTomStan.
Weeks later, Sandoval dressed as Leviss within the sweatshirt for Halloween, as Leviss memorialized in her Halloween Instagram spotlight.
What Has Tom Sandoval Mentioned Concerning the Affair?
Again on March 4, Sandoval posted an announcement on his Instagram asking that folks not direct their anger towards Schwartz, who he says knew nothing about his actions till lately. He additionally requested that folks not take their frustration out on their restaurant Schwartz and Sandy’s. “Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger and disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation,” he wrote. “Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions.”
“This was a very personal thing,” Sandoval continued. “Schwartz & Sandy’s might have my name on it, but also there are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom, I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong.”
Sandoval went on to apologize to his companions who “have to suffer for my actions.” He added that he could be stepping away from the eating places for now “out of respect for my employees & partners.” He concluded his put up, “I need some time to address everything else. Sorry for everything.” Sandoval didn’t point out Madix in that assertion.
Hours earlier, Schwartz and Sandy’s additionally posted an announcement on Instagram asking individuals to be form to the employees there who had “nothing to do with this unfortunate situation.” The assertion additionally known as Madix “a good friend and a great supporter of the restaurant.” Schwartz has not commented, however that Saturday, followers posted images of him on the restaurant greeting friends.
On March 8, Sandoval posted a brand new assertion to his Instagram web page, writing, “I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”
He continued, “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including out loving family and friends.”
Sandoval then appeared to handle “Vanderpump Rules” viewers, writing, “My love for Ariana was strong than any camera ever could have captured. Some of our best time together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest struggles. I wish things happened in a different order and our relationship was not severely tarnished, and that it ended with the same respect for her that it began with. I owed Ariana better.”
He concluded, “I am beyond sad that it ended the way it did. The choices I made hurt so many people. I acted in a way that clashes with who and how I want to be. I will reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have, and I always will.”
On March 28, following the filming of the “Vanderpump Rules” reunion particular, Sandoval spoke to a TMZ cameraman concerning the affair. He largely dodged questions on Madix and Leviss, however did say he “of course” regrets the circumstances of his relationship with the latter. “I could have handled things way better,” he admitted, additionally saying, “Hindsight’s always 20/20, man.”
Picture Supply: Getty / Charles Sykes / Bravo
On April 11, Sandoval sat down for an interview with Howie Mandel and elaborated on his facet of the story, telling the host that he broke up with Madix on Valentine’s Day — earlier than she found the affair. He additionally mentioned that he had been attempting to interrupt up with Madix for some time.
“I made it pretty clear in therapy that I wanted to, like, take the steps to break up. And then actually Ariana kind of just really started fighting for it and I felt so, so bad about it because she was being so unbelievably sweet and amazing,” he mentioned, including that Madix was “completely in denial” concerning the finish of their relationship. “She’s like, ‘I’m not letting you leave me. You’re gonna have to force me out of this relationship,” Sandoval claimed, alleging that Madix informed him, “. . . if you break up with me, you will effectively be ending my life.'”
What Has Raquel Leviss Mentioned Concerning the Affair?
Leviss launched an announcement to “Entertainment Tonight” on March 8, which started together with her writing, “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”
She continued, “I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved. I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
The assertion went on, “Although I chose to be on a reality show accepting the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own actions I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated.”
Leviss concluded, “I have begun counseling to end my unhealthy behavioral cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries and learn to protect my mental health. I don’t expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness. Right now I must focus on my own health and well-being and as I strive to be a better person moving forward, I will prioritize my mental health and learn from my mistakes.”
Leviss’s assertion got here a day after it was reported by TMZ that her legal professionals had despatched letters to the “Vanderpump Rules” forged saying that the video on Sandoval’s telephone that Madix discovered was recorded with out her permission and that everybody who had the video ought to delete it. That very same day, Leviss additionally served Shay with a restraining order, as confirmed by Individuals, although the explanation for the order is unknown (although Leviss claims in her assertion that she was bodily assaulted and doesn’t identify the particular person).
In a March 9 assertion to POPSUGAR, Shay’s lawyer, Neama Rahmani, responded to the submitting saying, “This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel, period. The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months. Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Rachel going forward. The judge has only heard a one-sided account of what happened, and we look forward to presenting the full and true story at the March 29 hearing.”
In the meantime on March 9, Leviss addressed hypothesis concerning the standing of her relationship with Sandoval in an Instagram put up amid rumors that the pair deliberate to proceed their scandalous romance. Wrote Leviss, “Besides the indefensible circumstances surrounding our relationship, my feelings for Tom have always been sincere and born out of a loving friendship. Knowing how many people we hurt, I need to understand my choices and learn to make better ones. I need to take care of my health, work on self growth and take time to be ok with being alone.”
Concluded Leviss, “I care for Tom and I don’t want to label anything or predict what lies ahead. Right now I need to heal.”
On April 14, Leisure Tonight reported that Leviss had checked right into a psychological well being remedy facility, a call she apparently made previous to the affair going public. “Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” the supply mentioned. “She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health.” The supply additionally clarified that Leviss is just not going to rehab for substance-related points. Reps for Leviss didn’t reply to POPSUGAR’s request for remark.
What Has Ariana Madix Mentioned About Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s Affair?
Within the early hours of March 16, Madix took to Instagram and shared a photograph of herself in a protracted pink and inexperienced robe. She started the caption, “hi. where to begin?”
She continued, “i want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks. when i have felt like i couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone. so many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. i am so f*cking lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope i can repay every single person for the love you have shown me.”
She concluded, “what doesn’t kill me better run,” and signed off, “love, ariana.”
Earlier than Madix spoke out, her buddy (and Sandoval’s ex-girlfriend) Kristen Doute posted a video on Instagram on March 3 of the pair hugging. Doute assured followers that Madix was not alone, and her pals have been there supporting her.
Her brother, Jeremy Madix, additionally commented on Kennedy’s since-deleted Instagram put up concerning the information on the time, writing, “It’s funny to watch people social climb and be soooooooo fake that they’re willing to sh*t on people that are supposed to be their ‘best friend’ (a term that gets thrown around very often around here) all just to come up or have some sort of story line,” in keeping with Us Weekly.
On Could 3, Doute appeared on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” and shared her ideas on the entire scandal. “Since the Raquel news broke, I’ve heard multiple things that are now coming out of the woodwork,” she informed Cohen. Whereas Doute mentioned it is not anybody she is aware of personally, she claimed a “friend of a friend” allegedly attached with Sandoval whereas he was doing appearances with Schwartz.
Madix later appeared on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Could 23, the place she revealed much more stunning particulars about Sandoval and Leviss’s affair. “I’ve learned some things even after filming the reunion,” Madix mentioned, referencing the “Vanderpump Rules” reunion that aired its first half on Could 24. “One of those things is a text message from Rachel to Tom saying I just talked to a mutual friend, I won’t name, and they said that, ‘You should be honest with Ariana. Maybe not so much about all the details like sleeping in the house together but that she deserves to know about this.’ And then it’s like, ‘I love you, you got this.'”
Madix additionally seemed again on the pink flags she ignored throughout their relationship. “There were times where we would have like a bunch of people over at our house and we have a guest bedroom and that guest bedroom gets used a lot by a lot of our different friends and her [Raquel] being one of them,” she defined. “And there were times where I would like go up to bed or whatever because it’s late and I have a life and a career and responsibilities and 28-year-old failed pageant queens don’t. And so, they’d be able to stay up super late and hang and have no reason to get up the next morning and that’s fine if you weren’t f*cking my boyfriend.”
Madix continued: “I think they had sex in my guest room while I was sleeping in my own bed that he and I went to bed in together and then he left the bed and went to the guest room and f*cked her.”
Madix then mentioned she found that Sandoval would allegedly fly Leviss round to totally different locations with him. “I know that she was at that ‘Watch What Happens Live’ appearance where Schwartz was covering his mouth and acting all weird, it’s because she was in the hotel room. She was there in New York, I know for a fact,” Madix mentioned. “He was using other people’s credit cards and things to like basically make them pay for things and then Venmoing them later.”
What Has Sandoval’s Greatest Buddy, Tom Schwartz, Mentioned Concerning the Affair?
On March 11, Schwartz — Sandoval’s finest buddy and enterprise companion — broke his silence concerning the affair. TMZ caught up with the restaurateur on the LAX airport the place he gave an replace on how his companion is doing. “[Sandoval’s] OK, I think. Relatively speaking, I mean, he has a sense of profound sadness, rightfully so, that he’s a piece of sh*t. And to some extent, maybe he is,” Schwartz mentioned. “But he knows he f*cked up, and the whole thing is just really sad.”
He went on to precise his hope that Madix is surrounded by pals and is shifting ahead. “Luckily, Ariana has a really good support system, and she’s with her friends,” he continued. “I hope she’s living a good life, just indulging. Hope she goes on a living spree. I’m just hoping this whole thing blows over.”
Schwartz went on to say he hasn’t been involved with Leviss since information of the scandal broke, and he denied publicly kissing her to cowl up the affair for his buddy. “It’s f*cking complicated. That’s the understatement of the year. I think Tom’s OK,” he mentioned. “Really, I’m just sad about the negative impact it’s having on our business, but I think cooler heads will prevail, and I’m just gonna keep on keeping on.”
“Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 Midseason Trailer
The “Vanderpump Rules” cameras turned again on to movie the fallout of the dishonest allegations, and that footage was included on the finish of the season, which lately wrapped. On March 20, Bravo launched the season 10 midseason trailer, which begins with Shay’s wedding ceremony and Maloney and Madix on the lookout for an area for his or her new sandwich spot earlier than issues actually get ugly. “I was the OG homewrecking whore of this group,” Shay tells Leviss within the clip. “And then came Lala. And now here you are.” We additionally see Madix seemingly confront Sandoval concerning the affair when she tells him, “You don’t deserve one f*cking tear of mine.” In the meantime, Leviss is heard in a voiceover, saying, “I don’t f*cking regret our relationship.”
A number of forged members have additionally posted images of themselves filming speaking heads for brand new episodes, and there are quite a few rumors about scenes filmed between Madix and Sandoval and Leviss and Sandoval. On March 10, Bravo confirmed Madix’s buddy Doute could be returning to the sequence after she was fired in 2020 for a racist prank she pulled on her then-costar Religion Stowers. Her return comes after the fact TV star posted her supportive Instagram for Madix, which suggests she’ll be wading into the controversy that Bravo followers have dubbed “Scandoval.”
Moreover, Schwartz confirmed to TMZ that the messy state of affairs would unfold in entrance of the cameras. When requested when he came upon concerning the affair, he mentioned, “You’ll see it play out on the show.”
The “Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 Reunion
Half one of many “Vanderpump Rules” reunion aired on Could 24, and the forged didn’t maintain again when it got here to confronting Sandoval. At one level, issues acquired so heated that Sandoval and Kennedy needed to be bodily separated from one another by Cohen. “Get in my face again and I will f*ck you up, motherf*cker,” Sandoval yelled at Kennedy, who gave the impression to be essentially the most visibly indignant at Sandoval for his months-long affair along with his ex-fiancée Leviss. “Look at me bro, I’m way more ripped than you!” Kennedy clapped again, including, “You’re a worm with a mustache!”
Kent additionally went in on Sandoval, evaluating him to her ex Randall Emmett, who has been accused of providing performing work to girls in change for sexual favors, owing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to buyers, and forcing his assistants to have interaction in criminality on his behalf, per the Los Angeles Instances (Emmett has denied all allegations). “Give it 10 years, he is Randall Emmett. It’s absolutely terrifying,” Kent mentioned. “I couldn’t get Randall to stay home, and then when sh*t hit the fan, I couldn’t get him the f*ck out of the house. That is a f*cking narcissist. Everyone needs to be warned about this person, like this is a dangerous human being.”
After Vanderpump jumped in to attempt to defend Sandoval, Kent maintained her stance, including, “He was sleeping next to her — that was his life partner. If he can do that to her, there’s something wrong with this person.”
When the third a part of the “Vanderpump Rules” reunion aired on June 7, it featured an interview with Leviss six days after the primary reunion had filmed. An emotional Leviss mentioned she did not “want to lie anymore.” “The worst is out, yet I’m still finding myself having to lie about specific timeline things,” she mentioned.
Nudged by the producer, Leviss admitted that the timeline she and Sandoval introduced through the reunion — that that they had attached as soon as in early August after which not rekindled the connection till later — was a lie. As an alternative, she mentioned, she and Sandoval have been intimate for a second time throughout Shay’s wedding ceremony in Mexico in late August. They continued to sleep collectively by the top of filming, although Leviss mentioned, “It definitely picked up speed more after we wrapped filming.” As for why she lied about this, she mentioned it was Sandoval’s concept, explaining, “He feels like it would be less hurtful to say that this wasn’t going on for so long.”
Leviss additionally addressed the rumor that she and Sandoval had attached at Sandoval and Madix’s dwelling whereas she wasn’t there. “He’s asked me to not disclose all this information,” Leviss mentioned, earlier than revealing that that they had. “The reason why Tom wanted to lie about it is it’s a really bad look to hook up with their friend’s boyfriend in their house when they’ve gone out of town, especially when they’re at a funeral,” she defined.
Leviss additionally mentioned that in their affair, she requested Sandoval if Madix may be open to the three of them forming a throuple. “I love Ariana as a person and also I’m in love with Tom Sandoval, so [a throuple] didn’t sound like a farfetched idea,” she defined of her thought course of. Sandoval rejected it. Leviss additionally claimed that she had lied about these particulars as a result of Sandoval is the “one person” who’s stood by her through the saga.
— Further reporting by Victoria Edel
