Tom Sandoval Films FOX’s Special Forces in New Zealand

Credit: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images, Instagram

Tom Sandoval hasn’t yet been spotted filming the 11th season of Vanderpump Rules — and for good reason.

After Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz, and James Kennedy were seen in production on the new episodes on Wednesday in West Hollywood, it was reported that Sandoval is currently in New Zealand — and that his recent mistress, Raquel Leviss, began negotiating with Bravo and their production team days ago.

According to a report by TMZ on June 30, Raquel is in discussions with Bravo to return to Pump Rules for season 11. And as of yet, there have been no deal-breakers. While the outlet acknowledged that details have not yet been revealed, they noted that salary is typically the first thing brought to the table.

Although Raquel entered treatment for mental health concerns in March, following the reveal of her controversial romance with Sandoval, she is expected to leave the facility “soon,” which is why the network has begun negotiating with her.

As TMZ noted, Bravo did not want to start negotiating with Raquel too soon, nor did they want to welcome her back to the show before her mental health concerns have been addressed, as doing so could lead to legal ramifications for them. That said, the longer Raquel is away from the cameras, the harder it will be for production to acclimate her back into the cast’s dynamic.

As for Sandoval, TMZ revealed he’s been away from Los Angeles in recent days due to his filming schedule in New Zealand for season two of FOX’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, where he and his castmates will be faced with brutally cold conditions and over-the-top challenges from former members of the Special Forces.

But while he is preoccupied at the moment, he is expected to start shooting Pump Rules when he returns.

Vanderpump Rules season 11 is currently in production and expected to begin airing on Bravo later this year or in early 2023.