Update March 6: As the weekend progressed, so has the drama. Tom Sandoval announced on Instagram that he would be “taking a step back & taking a hiatus†from his restaurants “out of respect for my employees and partners.†In his IG apology and response, Ariana is not mentioned once — something that Lala Kent noticed on her IG stories. “It’s called narcissism… & it’s terrifying,†she wrote.
Meanwhile fans are taking to Reddit and TikTok in order to get a full timeline of events. TikTok user @rileyhamilten broke down what they saw at a Vanderpump Rules watch party at TomTom, which concluded with a performance by Sandoval’s band. They believe this is when Ariana Madix found out. Around the same time in New York, “Page Six†claims that Raquel Leviss and Scheana Shay were seen having a “heated confrontation†about the affair.
As for how this drama will play out on-screen, we have answers from none other than Andy Cohen. On his Sirius XM show Radio Andy, Cohen broke down how the break up affects the next ten episodes of Vanderpump Rules as viewers will try to pick up on clues on the inevitable. He confirms TMZ’s news that there was filming that was happening this weekend to get cast reactions. “There are about 10 more [episodes] to go until the reunion,†he said. “Now, we’re shooting the reunion in about two weeks. This is a reunion that’s going to be…I’m girding my loins.†He also believes that Leviss and Tom Sandoval will come to the reunion as well as confirms that his next Watch What Happens Live guest will be Lisa Vanderpump herself.
Original story follows.
What a way to end the week, eh? Us Weekly has confirmed that Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after nine years of dating. Allegedly, he cheated on her with fellow Vanderpump Rules co-star Raquel Leviss. Multiple sources claimed to “Page Six†that Leviss and Sandoval had a “full-on affair†for months — with one source claiming that the pair “now want to be together.†Per TMZ, Madix only found out about the alleged infidelity in the last couple of days and broke up with him shortly thereafter. Although she has yet to comment on the split, she has deactivated her Instagram.
As far as cast controversy goes, this isn’t Leviss’s first Tom time. She previously kissed Tom Schwartz during his divorce from Katie Maloney. But the web of relationships on the Bravo reality show gets even more complicated from there — given that Leviss previously got engaged to James Kennedy … thanks to financial help from Sandoval. Oh, and Kennedy previously dated former cast member Kristen Doute, who in turn previously dated Sandoval. Kennedy reacted to the news on Instagram, writing in a comment, “Hope you all feel as sick as I do. This explains everything.†Doute, meanwhile, declared on an Instagram Story that she is “team Ariana all day,†adding in a caption that “karma is indeed coming, so raquel should just move home.†Maloney simply posted a pair of clown emojis on her Instagram Story.
If social-media reactions aren’t enough for you, don’t worry. According to TMZ, producers of the Bravo show recently got the current cast together to film the fallout from the breakup with hopes of airing that footage before the end of season ten. Either way, Andy Cohen is ready. Shortly after the news broke, he tweeted, “How many parts is too many parts for the #pumprules reunion???†As always, he’s the real winner in this situation.