Listen up, everyone! There will be no more mention of Tom Sandoval while Ariana Madix is on Broadway!
While fans eagerly waited to meet the 38-year-old cocktail book author outside of the stage door at New York City’s Ambassador Theatre this week, where she is currently starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago, one of the security guards laid down an important ground rule. What was it, you may ask? No one can mention her cheating ex at any point! As seen in a video posted on Instagram, he said:
“Y’all fans of Ariana, right? Please don’t mention her ex at all. He’s irrelevant. Thank you.”
Fans applauded the security guard. Some even insisted they would “never” bring up Sandoval. Watch the video (below):
OMG!
Is this a permanent rule? Or was this guy just making a joke? If Ariana really did ask for fans not to mention Tom at the stage door, we wouldn’t blame her! No one wants to be reminded of their ex every single second of the day. And we can imagine folks at the post-show stage door have bombarded her with questions and comments about Scandoval ever since she started her run in January!
Whelp, you’ve been warned! Moving forward, anyone who attends Chicago and waits outside the venue to meet the cast don’t bring up Sandoval! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Drop them in the comments below.
In a new lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Leviss, 29, accused co-stars Tom Sandoval, 40, and Ariana Madix, 38, of revenge porn, eavesdropping, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to entertainment publication US Weekly, which obtained and viewed the legal filing, Leviss alleges that Sandoval recorded a sex tape of her without her consent.
Leviss and Sandoval infamously had a bombshell affair that came to light during Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules, when Sandoval was in a nearly decade-long relationship with Madix. The affair — which would go on to be known as “Scandoval” among the show’s fans — grabbed international headlines in March 2023 and brought record-breaking viewership to the show. Much of the scandal revolved around the alleged existence of a sexual FaceTime call between Leviss and Sandoval, which Leviss said Sandoval recorded without her permission.
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Leviss is seeking unspecified damages and destruction of the sex tape. She has requested a jury trial.
Sandoval and Madix have yet to comment publicly on the lawsuit or the accusations.
In the lawsuit, Leviss says the massive public attention surrounding the cheating scandal saw her “humiliated and villainized for public consumption.” She argues she “remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters.”
Scandoval, according to the legal filing, made Leviss “without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.”
Leviss told the court she checked herself into a “mental health facility” for three months as public interest in Scandoval exploded.
While noting that she has apologized to Madix “repeatedly” for her “morally objectionable” actions, Leviss, through her lawyers, claimed there is more to the story than the public is aware of.
“Lost in the mix was that Leviss was a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal,” the filing read.
Leviss said she was “misled” by reps at Bravo, the network that airs Vanderpump Rules, into believing she could not publicly comment about the situation.
“It is clear that Bravo deliberately sacrificed Leviss for the sake of its commercial interests from its refusal to allow her the opportunity to tell her side of the story and defend herself, which she repeatedly begged for permission to do,” the lawsuit reads.
Earlier in 2023, Leviss also hit several of her Vanderpump Rules co-stars with cease-and-desist letters insisting they stop speaking about the intimate video, as it constituted a violation of California’s “nonconsensual pornography” laws.
(One Vanderpump Rules cast member, Lala Kent, would go on to apparently earn enough money to pay the downpayment on her house after calling out Leviss for the cease-and-desist online. Kent told Leviss to send the legal notice to her lawyer, Darrell, then capitalized off the sale of merchandise reading, “Send it to Darrell!”)
Bravo, NBCUniversal and the Vanderpump Rules producers, including Andy Cohen, are not named as defendants in the lawsuit. As of this writing, there has been no public comment from any of these parties, either.
Leviss has so far not appeared in Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules, which is currently airing.
Katie Maloney of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ talks drama and twists in new season
Tom Sandoval is in a celebratory mood right now after the closure of a bakery in Los Angeles. …Wait, what?!
OK, let’s rewind real quick! Right after Tom’s months-long affair with Vanderpump Rules co-star Rachel Leviss and breakup with Ariana Madix came out in March 2023, the El Lay-based bakery Sweet Lady Jane began to sell Scandoval-themed cakes. They included ones with the words “Sandoval’s a liar” and “Team Ariana” written on top. Ch-ch-check out some of the sugary digs (below):
And months later, Sandoval still appears to be very salty over the cakes! When Sweet Lady Jane announced it was permanently closing after 35 years this week, the reality star did not hesitate to express pure joy over the news. After pal Billie Lee tagged him and asked, “Karma,” in the comments of the Instagram announcement, he responded:
“I never had a cake by @sweetladyjanecakeshop that wasn’t super dried out. Maybe people started to catch on? Also, to charge $$$ selling cakes using my name in negative sangs [sic] on it really hurt my feelings, and almost pushed me over the edge. Good riddance”
Jeez! Billie then added:
“well now we know they were desperate to sell cakes but obviously the hatful negative approach didn’t work.”
See their comments (below):
(c) Sweet Lady Jane/Instagram
Does this remind anyone else of the time he went off on Glamour and journalist Stephanie McNeal for saying he ruined white nail polish due to the cheating scandal? We point out again that out of all the criticisms people have made about him for the past year since Scandoval broke, it is odd that this is what he chooses to clap back at. He was upset over a bakery for selling “Sandoval’s a liar” and “Team Ariana” cakes, which weren’t even the worst things said about him last year! Plus, the shop is already closed, so why continue to kick them while they are down?
Not to mention, he has not even given anywhere near this same energy to his co-stars — especially the most vocal among them, including James Kennedy, Lala Kent, and Scheana Shay. You would think Sandoval would have plenty of strong feelings about them profiting off the scandal and want to express it online or on his podcast. Instead, the singer is slamming a random bakery…
But what are your thoughts on this matter, Perezcious readers? Do you think his comment was unnecessary? Let us know in the comments below.
Where were you when Scandoval dropped? To find out why one cheating scandal dominated the zeitgeist in 2023, we have to go back in time. Ten years ago, Scheana Shay walked out of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and into the first-ever episode of Vanderpump Rules, creating an unholy lineage of mistresses that spans all the way to the now infamous March 3, 2023, TMZ headline: “TOM SANDOVAL & ARIANA MADIX CALL IT QUITS … Allegations He Cheated With Costar Raquel Leviss.” Meet the Cool Girl Ariana Madix and the endearing but toxic Tom Sandoval—Vanderpump’s most reliable couple. Until they weren’t.
Host: Jodi Walker Producers: Kaya McMullen, Andrew Gruttadaro, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville
Are Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz really the guys to talk about cheating? Well, in a way the Vanderpump Rules stars have the right experience for the job…
Sandy has of course become synonymous with cheating thanks to Le Scandoval. It was revealed this March he’d carried on a seven-month affair behind longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix‘s back — with her co-star and “friend” Rachel Leviss. And the extent of Schwartz’s cheating on Katie Maloney hasn’t been fully revealed. We do know he “strayed a few times.” And it ended badly for both!
So while we wouldn’t trust these guys with our sisters, they may actually be the right choice to talk to guys who might cheat. Sort of a Scared Straight thing.
On this week’s episode of Sandoval’s podcast Everybody Loves Tom, the pair decided to “give a PSA” to all their listeners, with Schwartz starting off:
“If you’re unhappy in your relationship, if you feel lost or have experienced feelings for a coworker and it’s starting to escalate, don’t do it. Don’t do it. Just sit down and have that very uncomfortable conversation with your partner. Go to therapy, or just say it’s over. Don’t have a f**king affair.”
We mean… yes! Exactly right! Sad he had to go through with affairs to learn that, but at least he’s here now, on the other side of it, sending the right message!
Sandoval got really personal, expressing:
“One thing that really kept me hanging on was the insecurity I had in myself. I felt like. ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t lose this other person because I’ll never get this.’ I had such an insecurity with myself that I felt if I let this go, it will never happen again.”
But even if you don’t think you’ll find the kind of stability or contentment you already have, you’re better off breaking up and taking that risk, Sandy explained — because “banking on that is a much safer bet than staying and doing and living in that.” Because living that double life will destroy the relationship AND you with it. He explained:
“You become an addict. You cling on to that fling that you had. That euphoria and that feeling you have when you’re with that person… You start to hide from the reality of the rest of your life. And you just become lost in that. Dude, I look back on that now and I’m like, ‘Holy s**t.’ And Schwartz and other people around me, they saw me and I was f**king fixated and barely present.”
At least he’s holding himself accountable now for his behavior… right?
What do YOU think, Perezcious readers? Are the Toms doing a good job convincing folks not to cheat??
In this special episode of Morally Corrupt, Rachel Lindsay talks to Jodi Walker all about her upcoming narrative podcast series An American Scandoval, which drops on the Ringer Reality TV feed December 26. Jodi dishes on what pushed her to create a narrative podcast about the exploits of Tom, Ariana and Raquel, what surprised her most during her reporting process, and what exactly made Scandoval such a huge moment in 2023 pop culture.
Some unexpected changes could be happening in the Vanderpump Rules universe soon!
When news broke earlier this year that Tom Sandoval had a months-long affair with Rachel Leviss behind then-girlfriend Ariana Madix’s back, she received an outpouring of support from fans and even other celebrities. Heck, she got 100x more famous than she’d ever been before!
However, the 38-year-old seems to be preparing herself for the public’s opinion about her to change drastically once Season 11 premieres next year! Someone on social media commented on Instagram in response to the teaser trailer for the season:
“Mark my words, everyone’s gonna hate Ariana this season, and develop a soft spot for Tom.”
This remark prompted Ariana to fire back:
“certainly wouldn’t be surprised if the audience swings that way.”
Whoa! And she was there, so she knows more than that commenter! See (below):
It’s hard to believe fans would switch over to Team Sandoval following the cheating scandal. Even if Scandoval never happened, there have been a ton of fans who’ve never liked the 41-year-old reality since day one of Vanderpump Rules! So we have to wonder what the heck happened in the upcoming season that would make fans turn against Ariana! It must be pretty bad if she feels everyone would switch sides. Unless she simply believes producers are giving Sandoval a redemption arc this season?
And unfortunately, the short teaser doesn’t give us any hints! If anything, the video makes it seem like fans would dislike Sandoval more as Ariana slammed him for allegedly “attempt[ed] to kill [her] f**king dog.” Hmm. We will have to wait to find out if Ariana’s prediction comes true when the show airs again in January!
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Would you ever switch over to Team Sandoval? Let us know in the comments below!
Ariana Madix appears to be on the up following her post-Scandoval life.
After landing a role in the beloved competition “Dancing with the Stars”, and a cameo in th reality TV phenom, “Love Island”, she’s now releasing a recipe book for delicious cocktails in a major slight to Tom Sandoval.
Revealing the fab book cover on her Instagram on Friday, the media maven reflected on how up-and-down her last year has been since her partner’s affair went viral and made headlines everywhere.
Titled Single AF Cocktails, Madix will share her recipe for getting over your ex with a delicious array of alcoholic mixes. The book cover features the reality star, 38, tossing a drink in a spicy black ensemble with a pair of tan heels in her other hand.
“These last few months have been a whirlwind and though I’m in a better place now, having my personal devastation unfold so publicly was painful,” says the star, who’s been spotted shooting the 11th season of Lisa Vanderpump’s hit reality show.
“Through all the rumors and crazy headlines, everyone had their own hot take on what happened and I’ll forever be grateful for those who continue to support me through all of it.”
Hitting bookshelves and digital stores on December 5, Madix declared the end to her breakup blues, elaborating that the book will tell the story of her embattled relationship with Sandoval, from the “honeymoon phase” to the destructive end.
“I wanted to share my side of it to help anyone who has also gone through this heartbreak,” she ends the post, promising that both taste buds and hearts will be satisfied with the story.
Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules officially came to an end with part three of the show’s highly anticipated reunion, and a shocking bombshell not even the cast could predict.
And that’s not all, as many fans suspected the affair started much earlier than Sandoval and Leviss originally let on, throwing the timeline that things started with a kiss between the two in August, out the window.
The pair were already sleeping together during Scheana Shay‘s wedding in Mexico, hooking up for the second time there and multiple times during the trip. They even slept together while Madix was away at a family member’s funeral. After they stopped filming the season, they started hooking up even more, with Sandoval and Leviss delving into a relationship that evolved into something that was more than just sexual in nature.
Leviss met Sandoval’s mom who she said was aware of the situation. The revelation was the first time viewers really see Leviss break down over the situation and the lies she and Sandoval have told in order to save face in front of the group and their fans.
News of Sandoval and Leviss’ months-long affair first broke in March, thereby ending Sandoval’s nine-year relationship with Madix — sparking the “Scandoval” that has since set reality TV ablaze.
Host Andy Cohen and Bravo EP Alex Baskin teased the shocking revelation ahead of part three, including a comment from Sandoval that Cohen said was going to “upset every woman in America.”
Sandoval poked fun at Madix for having sex with him with a shirt on, something he found un-attractive when discussing the lack of intimacy in their relationship.
“She kept her t-shirt on, it was really hot,” Sandoval scoffed.
The comment was instantly met with backlash, especially from women on the cast who were appalled by what Sandoval had to say.
While parts one and two saw the cast break down the scandal, and roasting Sandoval for his part in it, part three saw Leviss finally take the stage and get her own flogging.
Despite hits on Leviss’ lack of empathy in previous episodes — with the former pageant contestant cracking a few smiles in part two — she did attempt to apologize to Madix and other members of the cast, but they weren’t having it.