Lala Kent was accused of being jealous of Ariana Madix after she declared, “I have never experienced someone who gets cheated on and suddenly becomes God,” in the Vanderpump Rules season 11 trailer. And now, after Lala denied any such thing, Ariana is speaking out.
After Lala, 33, suggested her statement was “taken out of context” and said she’s “always been a fan” of Ariana, 38, the Vanderpump Rules star, who was cheated on by Tom Sandoval, 41, with their friend, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, amid season 10, reacted in a couple of TikTok comments.
“I have always been a fan of hers. I think that that shows throughout the years,” Lala said during an Amazon Live appearance last week. “Have we had our ups and downs? Absolutely. But to see my friend thrive after such heartbreak? I am so happy for her, and I am so proud of her.”
Meanwhile, on TikTok, Ariana confirmed Lala has been “supportive” in the months since news of Sandoval and Raquel’s affair first broke.
“She’s been honestly very kind and supportive even since filming and I love her a lot a lot,” Ariana wrote, via Us Weekly.
Ariana also responded to the idea that her decision not to speak to Sandoval in the season 11 finale led Lala to say what she did.
“Correct. Except anyone can turn down a production request. They aren’t God and I’m not God. Just someone who said no like other cast [members] have many times,” Ariana explained.
Meanwhile, as Ariana prepares for her upcoming role as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, an expert, Amy Luca, Executive Vice president and Global Head of Social at Media.Monks and an Adjunct Professor of Digital Marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business Program, is detailing how “Scandoval” helped Ariana allegedly make $2 million.
“She’s bringing something else to the table other than just, ‘Hey, hold a bag of chips.’ There’s a story she can tell,” Amy explained to The Post, giving a nod to the Pump Rules star’s social media deal with Lay’s potato chips.
“She’s probably highly involved in the creative of whatever those partnerships are, which is really wonderful for brands and agencies. We love when we get some creative partnership,” Amy added. “And she’s an entrepreneur at heart.”
In the months that followed the news of Sandoval’s cheating, Ariana landed gigs with a number of notable brands, including Uber One, Bic Razors, Lay’s, Glad, Duracell, Bellesa sex toys, Raising Cane’s chicken restaurants, and Bloomingdale’s.
“She’s got a good team behind her who’s looking for those opportunities and brand deals,” Amy explained, estimating that Ariana, who has 2.2 million Instagram followers, makes between $50,000 to $70,000 per social media post.
In addition to online partnerships, Ariana also scored big when she and her Something About Her sandwich partner, Katie Maloney, 36, released “F*ck Me in This T-Shirt” merch. In fact, they made a whopping $100,000 in just 36 hours.
Additionally, Ariana partnered with Lip Lab.
“[Her team] is really working on fostering the model that Kris Jenner pioneered,” Amy said. “You take a public event that had created some fame and you parlay that into many, many business deals and different areas that are authentic to that talent.”
Other deals Ariana has scored since “Scandoval” broke include a role in Lifetime’s Buying Back My Daughter, a position on Dancing With the Stars (potentially worth $300,000), and a new book, Single AF Cocktails, which reportedly garnered her an estimated advance in the mid-to-high six figures.
While an insider told The Post that they “can’t imagine Ariana Madix is making much money” for her upcoming role on Broadway, they noted that the eight-week run was a major status symbol for the aspiring actress.
Also in The Post, an Emmy-nominated casting director noted that Ariana is “more talented than someone like an Erika Jayne.”
“I could see her in a half hour sitcom, I feel like you wouldn’t cast her far from who she is,” he said. “She would basically play herself.”
Vanderpump Rules season 11 premieres on Tuesday, January 30, at 8/7c on Bravo.
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