Cheating scandals within the Bravo universe are rarely ever devastating. Real Housewives fans often anticipate them. And it’s rarely a surprise when one of the guys on Southern Charm or Vanderpump Rules is caught making out with someone who isn’t their girlfriend. However, some explosive infidelity rumors involving Vanderpump Rules’ longest-standing couple are currently breaking Bravo fans’ hearts on social media.
According to TMZ, VPR star Tom Sandoval has allegedly cheated on his girlfriend of nine years, castmate Ariana Madix, with none other than his co-star and the couple’s friend, Raquel Leviss. Now, a Page Six exclusive is claiming that the two had been inappropriately communicating “for months” and “want to be together.”
Sources told TMZ that Madix discovered Sandoval and Leviss’ alleged affair over the “past couple of days.” While Season 10 already wrapped shooting and is currently airing, producers are allegedly firing up their cameras and trying to film the entire cast in the wake of this bombshell. While the TMZ article claims that Sandoval and Madix have been “on the outs for some time now,” an insider told Page Six that Madix was “blindsided” by the news.
Neither party has confirmed the news, but the cast of Vanderpump Rules is already reacting. Leviss’ ex-fiance James Kennedy posted a screenshot of the TMZ article on his Instagram. (Madix’s brother Jeremy left a lengthy comment, seemingly confirming the allegations). Lala Kent aimed some fiery words at the TomTom owner on her Instagram Stories. Katie Maloney posted some clown emoji on hers as well. Additionally, fans noticed that cast member Scheana Shay, who just appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Leviss on Wednesday, is no longer following her on Instagram. Andy Cohen even tweeted a siren emoji when the news first broke.
Currently, Madix’s Instagram and Twitter accounts are both disabled.
Meanwhile, Bravo fans (and some Bravolebrities) on Twitter are expressing their collective shock and disappointment at Sandoval and Leviss.
After a snoozy last season, the Bravo series had finally been heating up again thanks to several shocking–well, not that shocking—breakups within the cast. Leviss has also emerged as a rather controversial star due to her, well, adventurous dating life following her breakup from Kennedy.
In Wednesday’s episode, we watched the SUR waitress approach Tom Schwartz, who recently divorced fellow castmate Katie Maloney, for a makeout session, which he denied. According to the trailer, though, we’ll eventually see the two lock lips at some point, to Maloney’s dismay. And in the preview for the next episode, Leviss is shown kissing Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais’ son Oliver Saunders, whose wife called him out on Instagram last year for cheating on her with the 28-year-old.
While Leviss has been lauded on social media for bringing the drama this season, it appears she might’ve flown too close to the sun with her latest alleged romance. Since appearing on the show in Season 5, Madix has befriended Leviss and frequently defended her against other castmates. Sandoval also publicly defended Leviss during a silly Internet feud between her and Maloney last fall after the 36-year-old called Leviss a “fangirl” for wearing TomTom merch at BravoCon. In response, the 39-year-old jokingly dressed up as Leviss, sporting a TomTom hoodie for Halloween, bob wig and all.
I guess we finally have some context for his involvement.