Pump Rules’ Scheana Shay Offers Update on Tom Sandoval Friendship

Scheana Shay is still dealing with a multitude of emotions while trying to pinpoint where she stands with Tom Sandoval.

During the Friday, September 8, episode of her “Scheananigans” podcast, Scheana, 37, broke down her complicated feelings toward Sandoval, 41.

“I never thought he was a bad guy. He was one of my best friends for almost 15 years. He was the only person who had my back on this show, who fought for me whenever something was unfair and he was the person there in my corner,” she told guest star Kelly Osbourne.

Scheana’s history with Sandoval also affected her ability to cut ties. “I have personally really struggled with all this because I’m like, ‘Yes, you did a really bad thing. But you weren’t a bad friend to me. But then what you have done has affected me,’” the reality star added. “So it’s just changed the entire dynamic of our group.”

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After Sandoval’s affair with Raquel Leviss went public in March, Scheana, who is best friends with Sandoval’s ex Ariana Madix, told Us Weekly that she said goodbye to their friendship.

“I can picture [us filming together] because I’ve had to picture it. That’s the name of the game. But I can’t envision what type of event that would be at. It would have to be something Lisa Vanderpump hosts,” she exclusively told Us in May. “[Because] they’re not getting invited to any birthday parties, that’s for sure.”

Scheana subsequently caught backlash when a fan photo surfaced showing her arm around Sandoval during a group picture. “I don’t know why I feel the need to defend taking a photo with my hand like this [in a fist] in the back of someone,” she said in an Instagram Stories video in July as the cast continued to film season 11.

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Amid the online backlash, Ariana, 38, made it clear that she wasn’t upset with Scheana for taking a photo with her ex-boyfriend.

“@Scheana is an amazing friend who took a photo with a fan for their birthday. There’s been so many mean comments towards her for it and she was just doing something nice,” she wrote in an Instagram Stories post at the time. “We always try to stop for photos and when the whole cast is present, it’s common for the whole cast to be in the photo regardless of what is going on between any of us at the time.”

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Scheana went on to tease a difficult day where she had to film one-on-one with Sandoval. The “Good as Gold” artist recapped a “spiritual meditation” that paired her and Sandoval off together even though they were not “expecting” to cross paths.

“We went to Tahoe, it was all filmed for season 11. Ariana and Katie [Maloney] did not come, but Tom Sandoval did. There was one day [that was] beyond the most emotionally draining day I have ever had in 11 seasons of Vanderpump Rules,” she shared during her Amazon Live later that month. “No joke, my eyelashes hurt from how much I cried that day. My contacts were dry and I was congested. I felt weak in every way possible. 11 seasons and that day got me the most.”