Tom Sandoval expresses the wish that his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, can now move forward from their relationship.
During an appearance on The Viall Files podcast, Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval, 40, expressed his desire for Ariana Madix, 38, to “move on” and “leave me behind.” This comes ten months after his cheating scandal with their former costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, leading to the end of his nine-year relationship with Madix.
“I think her biggest thing is, like, stop, like, focusing on — don’t focus any energy on me,” Sandoval said of where the pair stand now. “Leave me behind,” he added.
“That’s not really for you to say,” challenged host Nick Viall.
Responding to Madix’s situation, Tom Sandoval, accompanied by friend and costar Tom Schwartz on the podcast, criticized Madix, stating she appeared “a little spiteful” in her behavior towards him and emphasizing that such actions “aren’t a good look” overall.
“She’s entitled to her spite. When it comes to you,” Viall, 43, said in defense of Madix.
Despite his critique, Sandoval reiterated the importance of his ex moving on, emphasizing, “No, no, no, no. But, like, 10 months later, let it go. Keep going, keep doing you… Just live your life, keep going, keep doing you, forget me, keep going. It’s just, it’s not a good look. I just want her to, like, move on. You know what I mean?”
Sandoval and Madix’s relationship concluded in March 2023 after his months-long affair with Leviss, 29, was exposed. The affair’s revelation occurred post-filming for season 10 of the show, with Bravo cameras capturing the aftermath.
Following the scandal, Leviss entered a mental health treatment center and made the decision not to return for season 11 of the series, which premiered on Tuesday.
On the podcast, Sandoval expressed regret for the way the saga unfolded, vowing never to cheat on his future partner in the same “way” as he did with Madix.
When asked if he’s “ready to protect someone’s heart” post-affair fallout, Sandoval replied, “Am I ready to protect somebody’s heart? Yes, of course I am … I don’t know what to say except I f—ed up … It doesn’t matter the scenario, it doesn’t matter. I f—ed up, and I do know that. I do love hard, I really do.”
Reflecting on his actions, Sandoval admitted that his affair with Leviss stemmed from “low self-worth,” saying, “I regret it, hardcore, I really do.”
Sandoval’s recent interview coincides with the premiere of Vanderpump Rules Season 11, which explores the aftermath of the cheating scandal. In one episode, Madix navigates her living situation with Sandoval post their long-term relationship.”
Three months ago, when Tom blew up our lives, I was not prepared to be kicked out of my house and start a whole new freakin’ life. Even though we still live under the same roof, I’ve been able to maintain a no-contact policy,” she explained. “We communicate via his assistant Ann, which is great for me because I don’t have to look at his stupid face but bad for Ann because that’s literally her job.”
Madix also discussed her new romance with boyfriend Daniel Wai, mentioning, “I met Dan at one of my oldest friend’s weddings, literally ten [or] 11 days after everything freakin’ blew up. He’s a personal trainer and bartender, and he lives in New York, so we’re doing [a] little long-distance thing.”
