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Tom Sandoval‘s former assistant, Ann Maddox, got hired at Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney‘s sandwich shop, Something About Her, after her professional relationship with him came to an end amid production on Vanderpump Rules season 11.
In an extended version of a recent episode, Ariana, 38, revealed that as she and Katie, 37, were preparing for the opening of their West Hollywood venue, they had brought Ann on board to “help out with some sandwich shop stuff.”
“Ann needs a job, and we need to hire someone,” Katie explained, via Bravo.com. “She’s got to look out for herself. Tom Sandoval is not her main priority.”
Although Ann was seen expressing interest in becoming Ariana’s assistant amid her gig with Sandoval, 41, Ariana did not hire her as her PA, and eventually, although Sandoval has claimed he did not fire her, Ann was in need of work.
Looking back, Ann admitted to stressing out at the thought of being unemployed.
“In my panic and sweat, I knocked on Ariana’s door and I was like, ‘I think I’m getting fired,’” Ann recalled in a confessional. “She was so nice. She took my shoulders and was like ‘You’re gonna be okay,’ and I was like, ‘Thank you!’ and then I went downstairs to the kitchen to sob.”
Months later, Ann told The Daily Dish that she’s “currently at a temp job” but looking forward to starting a “new” job this summer.
“I am very excited about it,” Ann said of the role, hinting that she may have been referring to her gig at Something About Her. “I can’t quite share with you what that is yet, but keep watching the show to find out!”
As for why she didn’t quit working for Sandoval, despite the super messy conditions that were often present at his and Ariana’s shared home, Ann asked, “Is it that weird to want to find a new job before leaving your old job?”
“I thought this was normal. I’ve been told in the state of California, you can’t collect unemployment if you quit your job. Los Angeles is pretty expensive,” Ann explained. “Plus, the entertainment industry is still pretty fragile after two major union strikes and the blow of the pandemic. I don’t have parents to lean on like a lot of people do. My dad passed away and I have an estranged relationship with my mother who lives in Japan. I don’t have a backup plan. If I don’t pay rent I can’t just ‘go home.’”
In addition, Ann said she did “love” her job with Sandoval “at times” before the environment became “a stressful work environment.”
Looking back at the recent incident with Ariana’s dog Mya, which saw the animal hospitalized after she was locked in Ariana’s room, allegedly by Sandoval, and swallowed chicken bones, Ann confirmed she was at their home when the repairman went into Ariana’s room “to check the vents and the thermostat.”
“While they were working, Tom had me run a couple errands. I do not know who shut the door while Mya was in there,” Ann shared. “All I know is that when I got home I heard whimpering from behind the door and let Mya out.”
After hearing that Sandoval had suggested she may have been the one who left the door open, Ann said she was “bummed” and added that the door “wasn’t really the issue.”
“It was that someone shut her in the room leaving her stuck for a couple hours,” Ann noted. “Either way, I’m glad we caught it in time, and that she’s happy, healthy, and good as new.”
Ann also addressed Sandoval’s claim that he purchased her tickets to see Taylor Swift, stating that after she spent hours “battling Ticketmaster,” Sandoval reimbursed her for her birthday.
“Because it was my birthday, and he knew how much I love Taylor Swift, Tom Venmo’d me for the cost of the tickets as a present. So yes, he did buy me the tickets after I bought me the tickets. A very nice gift!” she admitted.
Prior to her new gig with Ariana and Katie, Ann said that after leaving her full-time job to allow herself more time to focus on her career in showbiz, she was introduced to Sandoval by a mutual friend of hers and Ariana’s.
“A mutual friend of Ariana and I recommended me to be Tom’s person, and I got the job!” she revealed.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
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