One year ago, the landscape of reality TV shifted dramatically when Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval committed a grave mistake. Despite being in a nearly decade-long relationship with Ariana Madix , he engaged in a prolonged and secretive affair with their friend and co-star, Raquel Leviss. The scandal erupted on March 1, , when Ariana stumbled upon incriminating evidenceβa personal video of Rachel on Sandoval's phone during one of his performances with his band, Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras.
Ariana wasted no time in ending their relationship. Dubbed "Scandoval," the ensuing drama captivated audiences both within the reality television sphere and beyond. Bravo swiftly deployed cameras to capture the fallout for Season 10, propelling the show to new heights of popularity and earning it an Emmy nomination.
Meanwhile, Season 11 chronicles the VPR cast as they navigate the repercussions of this seismic event. Nearly 10 years ago, Sandoval and Madix confirmed their relationship during the season 2 reunion episode of Vanderpump Rules.
The couple then went Instagram official on their accounts. Madix has since deleted her Instagram. The couple got together after Sandoval learned his then-best friend, Jax Taylor, was secretly hooking up with his then-girlfriend, Kristen Doute. It is believed Sandoval and Madix hooked up at least once while Sandoval was dating Kristen.
The couple hit choppy waters when Sandoval outed Madix for hooking up with co-star Lala Kent. During a Vanderpump Rules episode, fans watched as Sandoval told a group of his male friends about the encounter and ran the story by Kent. Word got back to Madix who was very upset. According to People , Madix shared in a confessional interview, "I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of what happened between Lala and I, but I do feel like Tom betrayed my trust by telling this story to his guy friends.
