Speaking his piece. Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz broke his silence on Tom Sandoval’s cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss and split from ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix

“[Sandoval’s] OK, I think,” the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner, 40, said in a video obtained by TMZ on Saturday, March 11. “Relatively speaking. I mean, he has a sense of profound sadness, rightfully so. I think he feels like a piece of s—t, and to some extent, maybe he is. But he knows he f—ked up. The whole thing is just really sad.”

Schwartz added that the situation now dubbed as “Scandoval” is “f—king complicated.”  

“Really, I’m just sad about the negative impact it’s having on our business, but I think cooler heads will prevail, and I’m just gonna keep on keeping on,” he added. 

On March 3, Life & Style confirmed that Sandoval, 39, had cheated on Madix, 37, with Leviss, 28. One day later, Sandoval and Schwartz’s bar addressed the situation and the backlash it received from VPR fans in an Instagram post. 

Scandoval! Pump Rules' Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Cheating Scandal Timeline
Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

“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 statement from the business’ Instagram page read on March 4. “However, those of us who are not famous have dedicated our time hearts and money to make this restaurant a reality. … Our staff, from the waitresses and bartenders to the cooks and dishwashers, all have had nothing to do with this unfortunate situation. Please take into consideration, that posting negative comments affects more than just the individual you may be upset with.”

Apart from their business, Schwartz also expressed his support for Madix, whom Sandoval dated for nine years. 

“Luckily, Ariana has a really good support system, and she’s with her friends,” the Bravolebrity explained. “I’m not sure where she is. I hope she’s living a good life, just indulging. I hope she goes on a living spree. I’m just hoping this whole thing blows over, you know?”

Since the news of her and Sandoval’s split broke, Madix has remained quiet on the situation. However, Sandoval and Leviss released their own respective statements via Instagram. 

“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” Sandoval captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 7. “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.”

For Leviss’ part, the former pageant queen also apologized to Madix, writing via Instagram on Wednesday, March 8, “There is no excuse, I am not a victim, and I must own my actions, and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”

Schwartz and Leviss previously made headlines for their steamy makeout session in August 2022, shortly after he split from his now-ex-wife, Katie Maloney, that summer. In light of the news of Leviss and Sandoval’s affair, fans speculated whether Schwartz only kissed Leviss at the time to help cover up her affair with Sandoval. 

“No, that’s not true. Unless I was a pawn in the game,” Schwartz said on March 11. 

As for whether he knew about the ongoing affair, Schwartz added, “You’ll see it play out on the show.”