Tom Sandoval, Lisa Vanderpump Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo; Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Tom Sandoval and Lisa Vanderpump‘s heated conversation on Vanderpump Rules featured a lot of emotions as they addressed the aftermath of his affair.
During the Tuesday, February 14, episode of Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval, 41, visited Vanderpump, 63, and offered her an update on the rift between him and the rest of his costars. Vanderpump started by offering Sandoval some advice about his ongoing issue with ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix about their shared home.
“That ship has sailed. I have no idea why you two are in the same house. It is ridiculous,” she told Sandoval about how he and Madix, 38, both remained on the property. “I think it would be the gentleman thing to do to move out of there. Give her her space and sell the house.”
Sandoval didn’t agree as he continued to push the agenda that Madix should let him buy her out instead.
Leaving their mark on reality TV. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix found themselves at the center of drama after joining Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. Viewers were initially introduced to Sandoval’s love life through his tumultuous relationship with Kristen Doute. Amid their on-and-off relationship, the former couple’s future was called into question when Madix came to work […]
“Or one of us can keep it because it is a great house. I put a lot of work and money into it,” he noted. “I already had my real estate agent talk to Ariana and I sent my letter of intent. It has been radio silence.”
Vanderpump questioned whether Sandoval had any plans about moving “forward” after the scandal. It was at that point in the conversation that Sandoval started to raise his voice as he grew frustrated with the topic.
“Listen Lisa, I am trying to figure this out. This is a lot for me,” he said before Vanderpump interrupted to remind Sandoval that he “created” the drama. “I created it but it is still a lot, Lisa.”
In addition to dealing with being hated by the public, Sandoval listed the other problems plaguing him at the time.
“My friend Ali [Rafiq] died. I have Scheana [Shay] hitting me up telling me that if I need anything I should please reach out to her. Meanwhile the same day she is releasing things that is starting rumors about me and Billie [Lee],” Sandoval mentioned about Shay, 38, previously speculating on his friendship with the former SUR hostess.
He continued: “You know what, Scheana? You know what I need from you? I need you to take a day off from f—king dragging my name through the dirt. It really is like [let’s] drag Tom while he is down. Let’s kick Raquel [Leviss] while she’s down.”
Sandoval’s personal life made headlines in March 2023 after he and Madix called it quits due to his affair with Leviss, 29. Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules picks up months later, with Sandoval admitting that he wasn’t thrilled to see his costars discussing the controversy on their public platforms.
“This guy Nema [Vand] that Raquel dated for a very brief time. Scheana had him on her podcast talking about sexual thing and it is so f—ked up,” Sandoval told Vanderpump. “He claimed that I had told Raquel that Ariana and I were in an open relationship. Which by the way, is not true.”
Sandoval was also not thrilled about how much information Vand, 35, shared regarding Leviss, saying, “But on top of that he went on to say these very explicit things. Like that Raquel was begging for him to have sex with her on Scheana’s bed. I felt so bad for her. I was on the phone with her for quite a while. I was just so grossed out.”
Raquel Leviss didn’t appear on Vanderpump Rules until season 5, but her love life has made plenty of waves among her fellow SURvers. When the California native joined the show, she was in a relationship with James Kennedy, whom she met during a New Year’s Eve party celebrating the arrival of 2016. The former pageant […]
During Tuesday’s episode, Sandoval called out the “mob mentality” within the friend group. Vanderpump suggested that Sandoval “point out” his issues to his costars, which he wasn’t onboard with at the time.
“Because they will be like, ‘Oh, you don’t mean it.’ That is what they always say,” he added. “I am damned if I do and damned if I don’t. I just want to move on.”
Vanderpump pushed back by asking whether Sandoval even wanted to make amends.
“Do you want to move on without all these people? Or do you want to have a relationship with them? Let’s break it down. Stop being so angry,” she said as Sandoval interjected while raising his own voice, “Lisa, you’re attacking me.”
Sandoval argued that Vanderpump had no idea what he was going through.
“This is my life. I am not living my rockstar dreams. I am f—king literally grueling. It is grueling f—king work,” he shared.
His boss, however, wouldn’t accept his excuse, saying, “I am trying to help you! Have some remorse and sensitivity!”
Sandoval subsequently discussed how much his mental health suffered amid the drama. “If I f—king say I am sorry and I cry then it is [called] crocodile tears. I battled with suicide [thoughts]. Don’t tell me what I felt,” he fired back. “I was hanging on by a thread. The walls start closing and you can’t see past the hurt and the pain. You can’t dream about better days. I was getting to the point where I was like, ‘What is the f—king point?’”
While some things never change, the cast of Vanderpump Rules is used to a shake-up … and a touch-up. Vanderpump Rules was introduced to Bravo viewers during a special episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in January 2013. Season 1 starred Lisa Vanderpump, who was a Beverly Hills Housewife at the time, Stassi […]
As the conversation took an emotional turn, Vanderpump got upset with Sandoval for not letting her know how bad it got.
“I reached out to you and you know how I feel about that. Losing my brother [in 2018] — I understand you might have felt like that. And you promised me,” she said, elaborating in a confessional, “Tom Sandoval assured me after the reunion when I called him from the car on the way home. I said, ‘You promise me Tom that if you ever have any thoughts like that…’ And he said, ‘I am not that person. I wouldn’t do that.’ So to hear him say he had those thoughts and he didn’t call me. That scares me the f—ing daylights out of me.”
Vanderpump ended the tense talk with some insight on how Sandoval could move forward.
“Can you find your way to friendship with anybody? The only way you can repair is with utter sensitivity and contrition,” she noted. “Do you understand that? Just say you do without fighting me.”
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Peacock the next day.
