Ariana Madix attended the Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere party on Wednesday at The Hollywood Palladium — as did her ex-boyfriend, Tom Sandoval. So, how was it?
During a couple of new interviews, Ariana, 38, opened up about her reunion with Sandoval, 41, as she clapped back at the suggestion that she’s moving too fast with her new boyfriend, Daniel Wai, reacted to Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, claiming she didn’t return to Pump Rules, in part, because she didn’t want to expose her to more heartache, and shared plans to buy a new home.
As she walked the red carpet at the January 17 event, Ariana first spoke of her upcoming role as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.
“That feels crazy to say. It’s absolutely the number one dream of my whole life to be on Broadway, so it feels good, and I’m glad it’s something that keeps me busy, you know,” Ariana told Entertainment Tonight of her eight-week run, which begins on January 29.
She was then asked about being in the same room as Sandoval nearly one year after his months-long affair with Raquel was exposed.
“I feel good,” she shared. “I feel like I only really have to put myself in a certain place as much as I really want to. Everyone on production is so supportive, and they never put me in a position where I feel super uncomfortable, so it’s fine. I’ll be OK.”
As Pump Rules fans well know, Ariana and Sandoval continued living together post-“Scandoval.” But, weeks ago, after being unable to convince Sandoval to sell their $2 million home, she filed a lawsuit against him, requesting a “partition by sale,” which would force him to unload the property and split the proceeds.
“I guess we’ll see what the judge says,” Ariana said of the case.
For now, Ariana is spending her time in New York City, where Daniel resides.
“I didn’t jump into another relationship,” she clarified of their romance, which began in April 2023. “I met a guy, and we were having a good time, I got to know him, and things evolved. I don’t have friends that think that; one person who said that … I didn’t say, ‘Hi, nice to meet you, let’s get into a relationship.’”
As for Raquel suggesting she quit to save Ariana from additional pain, Ariana said she wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t really think that was the case,” she stated.
During another interview, Ariana again discussed her shared home with Sandoval.
“I own the house,” she told PEOPLE. “I felt like it was the last thing, and I’m just really motivated to be able to get my investment that I made into the house out so that I can make another investment and be able to fully just move on from being tied to that.”
According to Ariana, she’s “a little bit of a control freak” and wants to be in charge of the fate of the home.
She also noted that she’s ready for a new home.
“I’m ready. I want to own my own home,” she explained.
During an episode of her new podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, earlier this month, Raquel suggested that Sandoval was “being stubborn” because he didn’t want to lose the home.
“I think that’s also a big reason why he didn’t break up with her sooner — because he wanted that house,” she said. “They worked hard to make money and invest it into this big house, and I feel like there’s areas of comfort there. Now that the relationship is broken up, I believe that Tom is having a really hard time letting go of that house.”
Vanderpump Rules season 11 premieres on Tuesday, January 30, at 8/7c on Bravo.
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