The Vanderpump Rules fanbase received a major shock this past week, as it was reported that longtime lovers Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval had split up after nine years of dating. What was even more surprising, however, was the news that the split was reportedly caused by cheating on Sandoval’s part. A source would later allege that the TV personality was engaged in side romance with fellow series alum Raquel Leviss. Amid the speculation and fan responses, Sandoval has now broken his silence on the matter.
Many seemed eager to get some answers when it came to VR’s latest alleged cheating scandal. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that a number of people took notice when Tom Sandoval took to his Instagram to post a lengthy message. While the 39-year-old media personality didn’t explicitly mention his love life, he did recognize that some people are upset with him right now. With that, he candidly stated that he can understand why that would be the case:
Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger and disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation… Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing.
The reality TV vet is, of course, referring to his co-star and business partner, Tom Schwartz. (Over the years, Schwartz also had drama with Katie Maloney – his co-star and ex-wife). Tom Sandoval went on to ask fans not to drag Schwartz or anyone else into the sea of backlash that he’s currently facing:
Also, 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. I’m so sorry that my partners Greg, Brett and Schwartz have to suffer for my actions.
Those “actions” allegedly include inappropriate communication with Raquel Leviss amid his romance with Ariana Madix, who he began dating in 2014. It’s reported that he and Leviss carried on for months before the purported cheating scandal came to light. An insider also says that Madix was “blindsided” by the development and was hurt, given that she helped Leviss through her own breakup with James Kennedy – another series vet.
It’s hard to fathom that this isn’t even the biggest cheating situation to ever befall the Lisa Vanderpump-led show. In 2021 and 2022, many saw the breakdown of Lala Kent’s relationship with former fiancée Randall Emmett, who was apparently unfaithful. And in the aftermath of the split, Kent even took to shading Emmett (the father of her daughter).
In terms of Tom Sandoval, it looks like he’s “taking a step back & taking a hiatus” out of respect for his colleagues. He also says he needs “some time to address everything else.” All the while, sources claim that he and Raquel Leviss now want to pursue a real relationship. As of this writing, she has not publicly addressed the situation, and neither has Ariana Madix.
As you await updates, watch new episodes of Vanderpump Rules Season 10 on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo as part of the 2023 TV schedule. You can also stream past episodes using a Peacock subscription.
