‘Vanderpump Rules’: Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s Cheating Drama Timeline Amid Ariana Madix Split

Tom and Ariana Split

Life & Style confirmed the news of their breakup on March 3 with a source confirming Tom had cheated on Ariana with Raquel.

James Kennedy Reacts

James was one of the first VPR stars to speak out, seemingly confirming the scandal in a series of Instagram comments. When one commenter called Tom and Raquel “the most vile subhumans I’ve ever met,” James wrote back, saying, “CORRECT.”

Peter Madrigal Pleads the Fifth

As news broke that Raquel and Sandoval were having an alleged affair, she was casually dating Peter on the current season of VPR.

The SUR manager seemingly addressed the rumors via Twitter.

The ‘VPR’ Cast Rallies Around Ariana

After news of the cheating scandal broke, VPR cast members took to social media and expressed their support for Ariana.

Raquel’s Sister Enters The Chat

Vanderpump Rules star Charli Burnett seemingly tweeted about #Scandoval on March 3, 2023.

“At the end of the day, no one deserves to feel this gut punch. To say Im disappointed would be an understatement,” she wrote.

Tom Seemingly Addresses the News

His band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, played a show on March 3, and the reality star appeared to address the scandal while on stage.

“Have you ever been one of the most hated people in America?” Tom asked the crowd that night. When fans started chanting Ariana’s name, he said, “We love her.”

Sandoval’s Official Statement

Tom shared a statement via Instagram on March 4.

“I fully understand and deserve ur anger [and] disappointment towards me, but please leave [Tom] Schwartz, my friends and family out of this situation. Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing,” he wrote. “Also, Schwartz & Sandy’s might have my name on it, but also there are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom, I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong.”

The musician went on to say that he “will be taking a step back [and] taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees [and] partners.”

Lisa Vanderpump Heartbroken By the Alleged Affair

Andy asked fans via Twitter how many parts they needed for the VPR season 10 reunion as more information unfolded the day the news broke.

Lisa responded, “Ummm one … I’m not sure my heart is up to it.”

Schwartz and Sandy’s Releases a Statement

“In light of the recent news we appreciate the many words of support but we also understand the outpouring of outrage that has been directed towards our businesses,” the restaurant’s Instagram page shared on March 4, addressing the scandal. “However, those of us who are not famous have dedicated our time hearts and money to make this restaurant a reality. We too are disappointed by the current situation as Ariana has always been a good friend and a great supporter of the restaurant.”

The post asked followers to remember “that the livelihoods of others also depend on this business.” The note added, “There are four more people involved in this venture other than just Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz,” calling out various members of the staff.

“Please take into consideration, that posting negative comments affects more than just the individual you may be upset with,” the restaurant concluded. “Our goal has always been to create a place where our community can come and enjoy a fun atmosphere with good food and friendly service and we intend to continue to focus on that endeavor. ”

Lala Defends Her and James’ Past Hookup

Lala addressed haters on social media on March 4 after they slammed her for sticking up for Ariana after she and James admitted to hooking up at the start of their respective relationships with Randall Emmett and Raquel.

“Since so many wanna point out James and I hooking up. Let’s not forget that reunion where R*quel said ‘We really started our relationship after I moved in with him,’” Lala shared via Instagram Stories. “And we now know R*ndall was indeed married at the time (& lied about it), and you can’t cheat on a married person — so as far as I’m concerned, James and I were two single people having a goooood time. Enough with your noise. It’s starting to sound like S*ndovals band and it’s hurting my freshly pinned back ears.”

Ariana and Tom Avoid Post-Breakup Interaction

Ariana appeared to be running out of her and Tom’s shared home on March 4, per photos obtained by Page Six. In the snaps, she got into her car while he was pictured arriving back at the home.

Scheana Gets Dragged Into the Drama

“Always got your back! #TeamAriana,” Scheana Shay posted via Instagram on March 5.

One commenter brought up Scheana past drama with Eddie Cibrian, who previously cheated on then-wife Brandi Glanville with the “Good as Gold” singer.

“Wonder who had @brandiglanville’s [back]. So quick to team up but let’s not forget you walked in @raquelleviss shoes @scheana,” the social media user wrote. Scheana fired back, adding, “I don’t recall having an affair with my best friends bf KNOWINGLY but go off!”

Lala and Katie Expose Raquel’s Alleged PR Strategy

Celebrity gossip Instagram account Deuxmoi posted a blind item from a person who exposed Raquel’s alleged PR strategy to save her image from the cheating scandal.

Andy Cohen’s Take

“I think this was going on during BravoCon,” Andy Cohen speculated during his SiriusXM “Radio Andy” show on March 6, referring to the three-day-long annual convention in NYC that took place in October 2022. “This is reverberating, OK.”

Andy also reflected on a recent Watch What Happens Live appearance with Raquel and Scheana from March 1. Per the talk show host, the duo played the “BFF Test,” and when asked, “Who’s the cuter Tom?” both women answered Tom Sandoval. During the commercial break, Andy said that Scheana told Raquel, “You know, I only picked Sandoval because I knew that you were going to pick Schwartz.” Raquel replied, “Well, Sandoval has abs.”

During another moment from the radio show, Andy confirmed that the “cameras were up over the weekend” and filming the Vanderpump Rules stars as the drama continues to unfold.

Raquel Takes Legal Action

Raquel is reportedly taking legal action against her Vanderpump Rules costars after her affair with Tom was exposed. The former beauty queen’s lawyers sent a letter on behalf of the star claiming that an “intimate FaceTime session” between herself and Tom had been screen recorded “illegally without Raquel’s knowledge or consent,” TMZ reported on March 7.

The letter didn’t explicitly accuse Tom of the illegal recording, however, the lawyers cited a California revenge porn law, which outlaws “nonconsensual pornography.” While the letter apparently doesn’t share any other details, it implores anyone with the video to remove it from their phones or in “any other manner or method in which the recording may exist.”

Reps for Raquel and Tom did not immediately respond to Life & Style‘s request for comment.

Their First Onscreen Kiss?

It appears Tom and Raquel’s romantic feelings will play out during season 10 of the show, as the pair reportedly shared their first Vanderpump Rules onscreen smooch. “They kissed on camera,” a source told Page Six on March 7, adding that the lip lock occurred at Raquel’s North Hollywood apartment on March 4, the day after news broke about Tom and Ariana’s split due to his affair.

Lala Speaks Out

During an appearance on Amazon Live on March 7, Lala weighed in on the ongoing scandal and revealed that Raquel hasn’t contacted anyone since things imploded.

“She obviously hasn’t reached out to me or anyone on my side, because I was never friends with her. I don’t know if she’s reached out to anyone else,” Lala said. When asked if she thinks Tom will apologize to Ariana for how everything has gone down, Lala continued, “I am not in Tom’s head. I don’t know what he’s thinking. Never liked that guy, and now it feels good to have everyone else feel the same way I do.”

Tom Might Call It Quits

As the situation has gone from bad to worse, Tom has reportedly been struggling with the Vanderpump Rules production. A source told ET on March 7, “Tom told production that he would no longer shoot Vanderpump Rules if they don’t listen to him,” alluding to a scene shot with Raquel that he didn’t approve of.

Adding fuel to the fire, Jax Taylor posted in a since-deleted tweet that Tom was “refusing to film” amid the ongoing drama.

Restraining Order Filed

Raquel filed a restraining order against Scheana on March 7, In Touch confirmed, after an alleged altercation between the ladies. After a judge granted Raquel her request, photos of the VPR star with a black eye surfaced, allegedly from the reported physical altercation between Raquel and Scheana. Raquel claimed in the legal documents, first reported by TMZ, that Scheana pushed her into a brick wall and proceeded to punch her in the eye. She went on to assert that Scheana “doesn’t regret the physical attack on me and would do it again if she found that further emotional distress was caused to our mutual friend [Ariana].”

Tom’s Apology

“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process,” Tom wrote via Instagram during the early hours of March 8. “Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly. I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us.”

He continued, “My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends. My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever have captured. Some of our best times together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest struggles. I wish things happened in a different order and our relationship was not severely tarnished, and that it ended with the same respect for her that it began with. I owed Ariana better.”

Raquel’s Official Statement

“I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana,” Raquel said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight on March 8. “I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved. I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”

The model noted that she “chose to be on a reality show” and understands the “good and bad” of putting your life in the public eye, but she said things have gone much further.

“I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated,” her statement continued. “I have begun counseling to end my unhealthy behavioral cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries and learn to protect my mental health. I don’t expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness. Right now I must focus on my own health and well-being and as I strive to be a better person moving forward, I will prioritize my mental health and learn from my mistakes.”

Raquel’s Second Statement

Raquel took to Instagram on March 8 to issue a second statement regarding the scandal. “Besides the indefensible circumstances surrounding our relationship, my feelings for Tom have always been sincere and born out of a loving friendship,” she wrote in a text post. “Knowing how many people we hurt, I need to understand my choices and learn to make better ones.”

“I need to take care of my health, work on self growth and take time to be ok with being alone,” the TV personality continued. “I care for Tom and I don’t want to label anything or predict what lies ahead. Right now I need to heal.”

Lisa Vanderpump Weighs In

Lisa Vanderpump weighed in on the affair while appearing on the March 8 episode of Watch What Happens Live.

“I literally had no words. I didn’t see it coming — nobody saw it coming,” Lisa said, adding that Raquel made her way onto the show by dating several cast members. “I clearly didn’t know who Raquel was. She stuck her toe in the Peter pond, she snagged Oliver, she schmoozed with Schwartz and she shagged Scandoval.”

She went on to admit that she wasn’t impressed by Tom’s apologies. “Obviously, it was because he had some kind of reaction to the first apology that he felt it was necessary to apologize to Ariana. But I don’t think these apologies are worth the paper or the social media they are written on,” Lisa said. “I want to see true contrition and I hope that when the reunion comes, we actually all sit down and we can have a better understanding how this happened, why this happened, when this happened.”

The businesswoman concluded the topic by predicting what she thinks the season 10 reunion will be like amid the scandal. “I think it is going to be really tough. I don’t think it is going to be the same reunion where there are these accusations flying because they admitted to it. I think it is going to be difficult,” she noted. “This is breaking up a couple that has been together for [nearly 10] years and the deceit.”

Lisa added that Raquel “acted like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Kristen’s Update

Kristen Doute shared insight into why Ariana felt like there were problems in her relationship with Tom during the March 8 episode of her podcast, “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters.”

“She had his phone and she told me that she just had this gut intuition to look at it,” Kristen recalled of a conversation she had with Ariana, noting that the pair had always been a “trusting” couple.

The Bravo alum then explained that Ariana found a screen-recorded FaceTime video between Tom and Raquel on his phone “masturbating each other.”

Ariana Returns to Instagram

Ariana returned to Instagram on March 9 after deactivating her account following the affair news. Upon her resurgence on the app, she appeared to block both Sandoval and Raquel and unfollowed Schwartz. Neither her ex nor Raquel’s Instagram handles now appear in any previously tagged posts on her page, a huge snub in the social media world.

Schwartz and Raquel’s Makeout Resurfaces

According to Schwartz, his infamous makeout session with Raquel at Scheana’s August 2022 wedding was all thanks to Sandoval’s persuasion. 

“Oh my God. [Sandoval] made me do it. I didn’t want to do it,” he told ET Canada at the season 10 premiere in February, one month before Sandoval and Raquel’s cheating scandal came to light. “He’s like, ‘If you don’t do it, you’re a wussy’ … He steamrolled me.” 

Sandoval jumped in saying, “I thought it was fun.”

“They went behind this little greenery wall and I went and cracked two beers and handed it to them,” he added.

Ariana Flees to Mexico

The reality star found a way to escape the “Scandoval” drama while being surrounded by non-Vanderpump Rules pals. She attended a friend’s destination wedding Oaxaca, Mexico, on March 11, which was on her schedule well before Tom’s cheating scandal broke. Ariana was photographed smiling in group snapshots that didn’t include any other Pump Rules stars.

Lala Blasts Schwartz

Lala believes Schwartz knew about Sandoval’s affair with Raquel and should have stepped up to let Ariana know. “I don’t like weakness. At times, you have to be a good person,” she told TMZ on March 13.
“[He should have] rolled up on Ariana or said [to Sandoval] ‘You tell Ariana, or I will,’” the longtime Vanderpump Rules star added.
Two days prior, a cameraman for the website caught up with Schwartz at L.A.X. and directly asked the bar owner if he knew about his business partner and BFF’s affair with Raquel. “You’ll see it play out on the show,” Tom responded, adding, “It’s f—king complicated. That’s the understatement of the year.”

Who Wore It Better?

Lala called out Raquel for stealing her style, pointing to the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards as evidence. Raquel donned a black and nude lace gown with a high ponytail and a black ribbon in her hair to the June 15, 2019 event. Two weeks prior, however, Lala wore a suspiciously similar look to the Critics Choice Reels Awards on June 2. 

“Say, Ambular, that you going through my laundry?” Lala shared via her Instagram Story on March 14 over photos of the two looks. “That one time I wore this to an award show and the next award show R*quel showed up in the saaaaame look. The red flags have been everywhere this whole time [sic].”

Ariana’s Statement

Ariana broke her silence about the scandal after reactivating her Instagram account during the early hours of March 16.

“Where to begin? I want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support I have received from friends, family and people I’ve never even met in the last two weeks,” Ariana captioned a photo of herself smiling in a pink dress. “When I have felt like I couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours.”

She continued, “To say I have been devastated and broken is an understatement. However, I know that I am not in this alone. So many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. I am so f–king lucky to have the best support system in the world and I hope I can repay every single person for the love you have shown me. What doesn’t kill me better run.”

Katie Threatens Schwartz

During a March 15 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, when Katie was asked how she would react if she found out ex-husband Tom Schwartz “willingly” protected Sandoval’s affair with Raquel, she immediately fired back, “I would light him on fire.”

Katie went on to explain that even though she asked Schwartz when he found out about Tom cheating on Ariana, she still doesn’t know what the TomTom co-owner told his longtime BFF. “Part of me believes that he was duped … by both of them,” Katie said about her ex.

Katie and Lala Diss Raquel

On the March 15 episode of the “Give Them Lala” podcast, the friends and costars detailed how they dealt with Raquel prior to finding out about her affair with Sandoval.

“I can confidently say f —k you to her, because I gave you every opportunity. I was so kind to you when I didn’t have to be, but I was,” Katie declared. “And the fact that you didn’t really step up or really appreciate that or recognize that, and you just walked all over that and took a giant dump on it? Like, you’re an idiot and I don’t care. I don’t care what’s coming to you right now. You deserve it,” Katie continued about Raquel
Lala felt good about the fact that she never tried to strike up a friendship with Raquel. “Thank God I did not give this ho a chance to be in my presence and breathe my air,” she said.

Midseason Trailer

VPR fans got a sneak peek of what’s to come in the latter half of season 10 after the midseason teaser trailer dropped on March 20, 2023 – including a glimpse at Sandoval and Ariana addressing his months-long affair with Raquel.

Toward the end of the former couple’s tense discussion, Sandoval asked Ariana if she wanted anything as he rummaged through the kitchen of their Valley Village, California, home, to which the Drink From Home founder replied, “For you to die.”

Additionally, the trailer showed Sandoval locking lips with an unidentified woman – who fans believe is Raquel – in bed, as well as what appears to be Scheana’s reaction to finding out about Sandoval and Raquel’s “full-blown love affair.”

Andy Cohen Teases ‘Great’ Reunion

During the March 20, 2023, episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, the Bravo patriarch touched on the highly anticipated season 10 reunion, which is set to start filming soon. “Vanderpump Rules reunion, full steam ahead guys,” he said. “Everyone is very concerned because they love the show and they want to get a great reunion. I’m here to tell you, you gonna get it. You’re gonna get it.”

Andy also revealed that he watched forthcoming ninth and tenth episodes and was planning on watching episodes 11 and 12 before flying to Los Angeles.

“But again, it continues. The foreshadowing … continues and things that read one way when the show was shot read completely differently now,” he explained. “There are some interactions between Raquel and Katie, Raquel and Lala, where you just, again, you won’t believe it and what and how it all plays out with Raquel and Schwartz. Oh boy. I want to save it because I just don’t want to give it away, but it’s really something.”

Raquel Confirms She Will Attend Reunion

The former pageant competitor confirmed via her Instagram Story on March 22, 2023, that she would be attending the season 10 reunion “in person,” which is set to film the following day.

“We can’t wait to see you @raquelleviss,” Lala wrote over a repost of Raquel’s Story on her own Instagram Story, adding a smiling devil emoji to the end of her short statement.

Trading Bravo for Lifetime?

Amid the messy news, it was announced that Ariana will star alongside Meagan Good in the Lifetime movie, Buying Back My Daughter. Already filming, the VPR star is joining Riverdale‘s Faith Wright and Arrow star Roger Cross, clearly turning her attention away from Scandoval and onto professional endeavors.

Ariana Reacts to Scandoval Post-Reunion

The reality star was asked her thoughts about reports Tom and Raquel went out to dinner following the explosive reunion show taping and she is over it. “I don’t know what they do. I don’t follow that,” she told a paparazzo in a video published by Page Six on March 26.
“At this point, I don’t care about anything that either of them does,” Ariana added in her first public comment since the taping.