Tom Sandoval Gives an ‘Unexpected’ Reason for the Intense Criticism He’s Received Since His Affair With Raquel Went Public
March 2023 will forever be known as the month of the “Scandoval.” TMZ first revealed that Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval had been having an affair with fellow castmate Raquel Leviss, a close friend of Tom’s longtime girlfriend, Ariana Madix. The affair had been going on for at least six months, and Sandoval and Leviss may even be dating now.
Clearly, this has not been a smooth process for anyone involved. Madix was understandably left “devastated and broken” by the news, which apparently completely blindsided her.
The fallout (so far) from the Tom Sandoval affair
Since the affair was revealed, there has obviously been quite a bit of fallout among the close-knit cast. Aside from Madix being understandably hurt and angry, the former couple’s friends have taken sides, mainly siding with Madix. Leviss had been on thin ice with several of her castmates even before she got busted sleeping with her friend’s boyfriend. This seemed to push them over the edge.
First, Katie Maloney distanced herself from Leviss when Leviss made advances toward Maloney’s ex-husband, Tom Schwartz. Next, Leviss’ on-and-off good relationship with Lala Kent crashed and burned, as they argued over boundaries and hooking up with friends’ love interests and exes. Madix was one of the few women unwilling to write Leviss off, which must make this betrayal even more hurtful.
But the worst fallout seems to be between Leviss and Scheana Shay. Leviss got a temporary restraining order against Shay after Shay had allegedly punched and injured her. Shay has denied those claims. Raquel then Leviss skipped a court hearing about the restraining order.
Sandoval breaks his silence
Sandoval and Leviss stayed out of the limelight for a few weeks after both posting apologies on their Instagram pages. But recently, TMZ was able to catch up with Sandoval and ask him if he regrets cheating on Madix.
Sandoval said he regrets his cheating but that “hindsight is 2020.” When asked why he seems to be taking so much heat, Sandoval said because the affair was “really unexpected.”
While this isn’t the first cheating scandal to happen to the show, Sandoval has a point — it did seem to come out of nowhere, even though some fans (and Lindsay Hubbard) claim that the signs were there.
Leviss talks about the scandal
Leviss also recently opened up to a TMZ reporter, who found her sitting alone outside a Hollywood nail salon and ready to talk.
Leviss claimed she apologized to Madix, who “didn’t receive it very well,” and that she and Sandoval were “on a break at the moment.” Her encounter with TMZ and the somewhat polished responses make it seem like the run-in wasn’t a coincidence. It leaves viewers wondering if the “surprise” confrontation with Sandoval was also staged.
Although Sandoval claims he is sorry about the cheating, viewers question whether he’s being sincere. He’s been spotted with Leviss in public, enjoying dates.
