POV: You’re emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted due to everyone around you spending the past year in a state of pure, unbridled panic over Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, and Raquel Leviss. And yet, it seems like it was just yesterday that one of your friends suggested attending Tom’s show just to chant Ariana’s name, another refused to text in anything but all caps for 48 hours when the news first dropped, and several people yelled at you for not being caught up on Vanderpump Rules.
Point is, if you’ve found yourself scared and in desperate need of a timeline to understand what the f*ck is happening, we’re here to help…ish. Honestly, there’s a lot we still don’t know and NO ONE IS OKAY BUT JUST SETTLE IN, I GUESS.
March 1, 2023
Ariana attends one of Tom’s shows and is spotted supporting/filming him. This is allegedly the night she finds out he cheated on her. (Important background info for any Bravo newbies: Ariana and Tom started dating nearly a decade ago in 2014 while being cast on Vanderpump Rules.)
Per People’s reporting later, Ariana learns the truth when a NSFW video of Raquel pops up on Tom’s phone.
Meanwhile, Raquel attends a taping of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she is asked about kissing Tom Sandoval’s BFF and business partner Tom Schwartz (more on that in a moment), and she has this to say:
We later find out that Raquel allegedly told Scheana Shay about the affair after this taping, leading to a fight:
Per a Page Six source, “After taping Watch What Happens Live, Scheana and Raquel went out to drinks with friends. At one point in the night, Scheana lost Raquel and then found her outside of the bar on the phone with Ariana, who Scheana could hear was bawling.” Raquel came clean, and “a heated confrontation ensued following the revelation. They went back to the hotel separately and haven’t seen each other nor spoken since.”
Two days go by until all of this breaks, which brings us to…
March 3, 2023
Everyone is minding their own business when suddenly, TMZ hops online and drops this:
The outlet reports that “show sources tell us Ariana found out about the alleged cheating in the last couple days and ended things with Tom shortly thereafter” and that “producers got word of what went down and made the decision to fire up the cameras with the entire cast to document the fallout in the coming days.”
Obviously, this is SHOCKING, and to make matters more !!!! Vanderpump Rules’ James Kennedy slides into DeuxMoi’s DMs with this:
Oh, and a source comes in with this intel:
As the internet spirals into chaos and people cancel their Friday night plans to devote their energy to updating their various group chats, Lala Kent hops on TikTok and posts a since-deleted video.
And then Ariana makes an appearance on Kristen Doute’s Insta (they used to have beef over Tom Sandoval, now they don’t, we’re staying focused here by not getting into it) and the vibe is THIS:
On top of all that, Page Six reports that Raquel and Tom’s alleged affair predated her hookup with his bestie Tom Schwartz, leading fans to theorize that said hookup was just a distraction.
March 4, 2023
After a harrowing Friday, a theory emerges that Raquel and Tom have matching lightning bolt necklaces to signal their love:
Meanwhile, Tom drops a statement wherein he doesn’t even attempt to apologize to Ariana but does ask everyone to stop shitting on his restaurant?
And a Page Six source claims Tom and Raquel were actually planning to tell Ariana about their alleged affair “for weeks” before news broke.
As if all that isn’t enough, fans unearth pics of Tom dressing up as Raquel for Halloween, which…do not age well.
Last but not least, Lisa Vanderpump herself and Andy Cohen enter the chat:
And get ready ’cause…
March 5, 2023
Fresh off allegations that she and Raquel got physical, Scheana tweets this:
Meanwhile, Tom’s restaurant Schwartz & Sandy’s drops a (since-deleted) statement of its own, asking fans not to take out their anger at Tom out on them.
March 6, 2023
Page Six reports that Ariana, Tom, and Raquel sat down for a “tense scene” while filming Vanderpump Rules on Friday (the day the scandal broke!!!!). And apparently, it didn’t go well.
“Ariana walked away from the conversation feeling like she was gaslit by Tom,” a source says. “He gave her several excuses as to why he never copped to cheating. Tom said he didn’t tell her about the affair with Raquel because he was worried about how it would impact her mental health, even claiming that he was especially concerned after her grandma died last year.”
Another source notes, “The fact that they own a home together was also brought up, and how he thought that would make their breakup even more complicated.…[Ariana] has recapped what happened with her friends and castmates, the majority of whom are disappointed Tom seems unable to take accountability for his actions or express substantial remorse.”
Meanwhile, Andy Cohen confirms that Raquel and Sandoval are still together during his SiriusXM radio show, saying, “It is my understanding that they are still. But I can’t say that as fact—that’s what I’ve gathered from my intelligence.” However! A rep for Sandoval tells People that he and Ariana are “still living together” in the home they co-own.
March 7, 2023
TMZ reports that Tom and Ariana are done for good and “aren’t working toward any sort of reconciliation.” I mean, not shocked!
Meanwhile, TMZ also reports that Raquel is seeking court-ordered protection from Scheana.
March 8, 2023
Both Tom and Raquel finally release statements apologizing to Ariana:
March 8, 2023
Raquel releases yet another statement, updating everyone on where she and Tom stand. The post has since been deleted, but per the Los Angeles Times, she wrote in part, “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices to Ariana, my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and must own my actions. I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”
Raquel added that since the affair came to light, she started speaking to a counselor and reflecting on her choices, “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,” she said.
March 14, 2023
Andy issues a Vanderpump Rules PSA saying fans will fully think episodes are being recut in the wake of Scandoval, but they ARE NOT!
“There is something I wanted to say about Vanderpump Rules,” he said on his SiriusXM show Andy Cohen Live. “Guys, you’re going to watch Wednesday’s episode. You are going to think that it was recut. Okay? It was not recut. This was the episode.”
“I watched the episode and it had been sent to me weeks ago,” he added. “I watched it on my sick bed, Wednesday’s…this episode that’s gonna air in two days. I watched it and I was like, this…people are going to think we did this or we moved stuff up. Or we somehow…the conversations that go on between Katie and Lala and Raquel are not to be believed in the light of what has come out. But I’m telling y’all, the episode was not touched. This was how it was going to be shown…which makes it all the more shocking. You won’t believe it.”
March 16, 2023
Ariana Madix breaks her silence!
March 20, 2023
Bravo drops a preview for the rest of this season and THERE ARE NO WORDS:
April 3, 2023
Andy teases what went down at the reunion (it sounds…DERANGED)….
And on top of that, Bravo drops a look at Ariana’s Reunion Revenge Dress™.
April 12, 2023
Tom Sandoval makes what might be the messiest podcast appearance ever, telling his side of the story. Truly just watch it because wow, but he goes deep into exactly when things started with Raquel and claims he broke up with Ariana before she found out about the affair.
April 14, 2023
A rep for Raquel tells People that she has entered a “voluntary facility for mental health counseling.”
April 19, 2023
Tom is asked about Ariana moving on at Coachella and tells TMZ he’s “really happy” and muses, “I love that.” Hmm, okay!
April 28, 2023
Bravo drops a sneak peek at Vanderpump Rules where the cast finds out Raquel spent the night at Tom’s house.
April 29, 2023
Ariana is caught reacting to a Scandoval joke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (which she was casually invited to):
May 6, 2023
Tom performs with his band and seemingly says, “Schwartzy, can’t you see that Raquel is not for me?” while covering “Stacy’s Mom.” Some viewers of the clip say Tom is actually singing “hot for me.”
May 17, 2023
The season finale of Vanderpump Rules finally (!!) debuts, and it’s every bit as wild as everyone predicted it would be. FYI, the episode was actually filmed back in March after news about Scandoval initially broke in the press.
In one of the most OMG-worthy scenes, Ariana confronts Tom about the rumors during a convo in the couple’s apartment in Los Angeles. “Still haven’t said sorry for what you actually did,” says Ariana to Tom, who then responds with, “Every time I tried to apologize to you, it just makes you more angry.”
“Good! Let me be angry. You should still fucking apologize,” she retorts. TL;DR: It’s A LOT, so to get a complete scope of everything that went down, ya might wanna watch the episode in full.
After the show, Ariana appears on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen and opens up about how difficult the entire season was for her to watch but maintains that the most cringeworthy moment was witnessing “the fabrication of a narrative that was being formed the entire time without my knowledge, behind my back, by not just my ex-boyfriend but his little flying monkeys as well.” Oop!
Separately, a source tells Page Six that Raquel has “dipped out on” Sandoval and that he’s “not the one for her.” But according to Ariana on Watch What Happens Live, the former pageant queen is still sending her ex letters. “I don’t buy that at all. She was sending letters to my house like four days ago,” she tells host Andy Cohen. “It was in her handwriting.”
Well! Then!!!!
May 18, 2023
Ariana has a convo on Today With Hoda & Jenna and gets tons of praise for her *chef’s kiss* demeanor and candor. And she also admits that she’s seeing someone new!!! “I’m enjoying myself and I would say I’m very happy right now,” Ariana gushes about her rumored new love interest. 👀
May 21, 2023
Ariana denies unfollowing Lisa Vanderpump amid backlash over Lisa lowkey comforting Tom during the VPR finale:
May 24, 2023
Part 1 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion airs, and no one can deal with the fact that Raquel spends it sitting in a trailer:
May 26, 2023
Us Weekly reveals that Raquel’s family has been in contact with the FBI and a rep confirms that both she and her family “have been on the receiving end of violent and graphic death threats both online and over the phone.” This is obviously terrible and completely unacceptable.
May 27, 2023
Lisa denies speculation that she secretly knew about Tom and Raquel’s affair and was hiding it—and that it’ll be revealed in the reunion:
May 29, 2023
Tom is seen on a plane talking to Raquel in a photo obtained by TMZ—which leads fans to assume they’re still together...and leads Lala to say this:
June 1, 2023
After a truly explosive part 2 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion, Lala Kent hops on Insta to absolutely go off on Sandoval for his IUD comment.
“Tonight is the second time that I have seen Sandoval diminish the conception of my beautiful magical daughter,” she said in part (watch below). “I’m disgusted. It makes me sit here and question who the fuck raised you and how they must be sitting there going, do we really gotta claim this fucking guy? Really? I am so glad that I did not hear that at the reunion, because I’ll tell you what: These mama bear paws would have mauled the fuck outta him.”
June 7, 2023
We finally find out what the bombshell info is at the end of the reunion and it’s…a lot. Watch below courtesy of @QueensOfBravo doing the lord’s work, but basically, Raquel decides to tell the truth about her and Tom’s relationship, revealing that they hooked up in Mexico and while Ariana was away for her grandmother’s funeral.
July 2023
Filming begins for Vanderpump Rules season 11. *cue le dramatic music*
July 16, 2023
Raquel officially checks out of her mental health facility in Arizona and announces that she is going back to her birth name, Rachel.
August 16, 2023
Rachel goes on Bethenny Frankel’s podcast for a bombshell two-part interview. For a crash course on all of the 🤯 revelations, head right on over this way:
August 25, 2023
Ariana appears on Scheana’s Scheananigans podcast to discuss Rachel’s statements on Bethenny’s podcast and makes it clear that she had never shared the video Tom allegedly recorded without Rachel’s consent. “That video was gone, gone, gone, gone, gone before I ever even called her on the phone,” she states.
October 10, 2023
In honor of World Mental Health Day, Rachel announces she is auctioning off key pieces of Scandoval memorabilia and that the proceeds will go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “I am currently in the process of letting go,” she says on Instagram. “Letting go of the things that no longer serve me anymore, and as I am cleaning out my closet, I have found a few items that are a little bit triggering and I just don’t want to see them. I don’t want to have them in my possession. I will never wear them again.”
Things people are able to bid on? *That* TomTom hoodie and the lightning bolt necklace from season 10.
December 4, 2023
Rachel announces she’s going to tell her “side of the story” in an all-new podcast called Rachel Goes Rogue.
January 30, 2024
Tom hops on Bachelor Nation star Nick Viall’s podcast The Viall Files during a two and a half hour convo and it’s...brutal.
February 20, 2024
Tom continues his press tour (🫠) in a New York Times profile, and it’s...also quite brutal.
February 26, 2024
Rachel addresses a number of the claims Tom made in his New York Times profile—namely, the one that he had gotten sober for her because he’d assumed they would be together after she left The Meadows, the mental health facility she was in. According to the bar owner, despite his hopes to reunite, Rachel never ended up returning his calls.
“She never even gave me any closure—it was really hard. It still messes with me,” he told the Times, with the outlet also noting, “He even tried reaching out through her publicist but got no response.”
On her podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, the former pageant queen says she remembers the phone call Tom had been referring to and explains the following: “He was really trying to get me on the phone and said he had important info and he would only share it if I was on the phone. Obviously, that’s manipulative and that conversation was wild, but I didn’t respond because I’m trying to stay in reality and I know his priorities are the show.”
“It even got so confusing for me when I was hanging out with him,” she adds.
Rachel also admits to offering up her apartment to Tom while she was completing treatment at The Meadows. “I asked Tom to move out [of his home with Ariana],” she recalls. “I provided an apartment for him to stay at when I was at The Meadows. I asked him to leave the house and find a new place by the time I got back.”
Apparently, in response to her suggestion, Tom simply said, “No, that’s not happening.” “I don’t know what’s going on between them because Tom has told me that they’re roommates and they’re still roommates, even if they weren’t quite roommates before, they are now,” she adds.
February 29, 2024
News breaks that Rachel filed a lawsuit against Tom and Ariana for claims of revenge porn, eavesdropping, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, per Deadline.
According to the outlet, court docs state, “‘Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules....It also caused mayhem in Leviss’s life, culminating in months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.”
According to one of Rachel’s lawyers, Mark Geragos, “This lawsuit is squarely about illegal behavior and those who traffic in it and enable it. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. That’s not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts. They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachel’s mental health.”
“The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law; however, doing so while knowingly enticing them to engage in sexual acts deserves the harshest of penalties allowable under the law,” Geragos adds.
April 4, 2024
Tom makes an appearance on the latest installment of Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast and gets into everything from his relationship with Rachel to how he wishes he would have handled the breakup with Ariana.
According to the reality star, he and Rachel “spent a ridiculous amount of time...It’s embarrassing to say...but we spent so much time together, talking and getting to know each other. We knew everything about each other. It was a very safe, accepting place and very positive in a lot of ways.” However, despite their “connection” being indeed “real,” it ultimately turned into an “escapism.”
“It initially was one thing. And then it grew into something else. But yeah, the feelings...at one point, I would have done anything for her. You know what I mean? Like, for real, like anything,” Tom muses.
And when it comes to how he’d do things differently with his ex? He wouldn’t be so focused on having the “perfect breakup.”
“I think I was so wrapped up and trying because obviously I care for Ariana. I was so wrapped up and trying to have the most perfect breakup. I looked at Tom [Schwartz] and Katie [Maloney]’s breakup and I wanted to be even better. And I think I was wrapped up in trying to do things perfectly.”
April 16, 2024
On the April 16 episode of Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval becomes upset after Rachel says she “wasn’t in love” with him during their affair on her podcast—especially after he felt he’d made a ton of “changes” to himself in the hopes of making the relationship work.
The Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder also confesses to Tom Schwartz that he’d wished “one day that she would see the work that I’d done myself and would appreciate it.” “I don’t understand how she said I was anything but somebody who just loved and cared about her, like I’ll do anything for her,” he adds.
During a later confessional moment, Sandoval reveals, “I wasn’t fully ready to give up hope until I heard it from her own lips and now I have....To go through all that and not even give it a shot, like what was it all for?”
April 26, 2024
Tom's lawyers attempt to dismiss Rachel's revenge porn case against him, claiming that it's a “thinly veiled attempt to extend her fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman.” Per court docs obtained by Page Six, Tom's attorneys state that “these videos were created by Leviss and published by Leviss to Sandoval via a consensual exchange on Facetime, i.e., ‘their video calls.'”
They also requested for the case to be dismissed or amended. “Based on Leviss’ own allegations, Sandoval merely saved private copies of the videos that Leviss had filmed and shared with him,” the documents read.
May 14, 2024
It's the Vanderpump Rules reunion, and during one portion of the episode host Andy Cohen asks the cast for their thoughts on Rachel’s exit and new podcast.
“All this nonsense on a podcast and her denigrating everyone—it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Lisa Vanderpump says before Tom asks whether she actually listens to it.
“I don’t listen to it...I mean, from what I’ve been told,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum replies.
During yet another segment, Ariana opens up about having “the courage to stand up to my perpetrators. I can’t believe I even showed up that day,” which Lala chimes in on and adds the following: “Well, I think credit needs to be given to her with that. Because I’m very proud of Ariana for coming and facing something that was very difficult. She had a solid support system physically in the room and outside, right? For Tom and Raquel to show up—now that was like, 'Damn, I consider myself a tough bitch, I don’t think I could have. I don’t think I would have.'”
Tom, however, doesn't share the same feelings and retorts, “Looking back, I think she’s a f*cking coward. Like, I’m sorry to say it. And I think her sitting here preaching to everybody that she’s moving on but still talking relentlessly about me and everybody is just f*cking ridiculous.”
Yiiiiiiikes.
May 17, 2024
Rachel's team responds to Tom's attempts at having her revenge porn lawsuit dismissed or amended, and things get increasingly...messy.
In new legal docs obtained by People, Rachel's attorneys claim the restauranteur “surreptitiously recorded sexually explicit videos of [Leviss] without her knowledge or consent, in effect turning [Leviss] into an unwilling pornstar and gravely invading her right to privacy.”
Oh, and the filing *also* alleges that Tom's “tortious” behavior led to Rachel accruing “significant medical expenses for in-patient mental health treatment as well as legal fees to halt the further distribution of sexually explicit videos that Sandoval had illegally recorded of her and failed to secure.”
Finally, her team affirms that “Sandoval never asked [Leviss]’s permission to record their video calls, and [Leviss] neither knew about nor consented to him doing so.”
May 24, 2024
After Tom's attorneys attempted to get Rachel's case dismissed or amended, a Los Angeles judge ruled in her favor, allowing her to "pursue her claims of eavesdropping and invasion of privacy." According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the judge said "Any person who is injured by a CIPA [California’s Invasion of Privacy Act] violation is permitted to bring civil action against the person who committed the violation."
Per the docs, “‘Communication’ as used in [CIPA] is not limited to conversations or oral communications but rather encompasses any communication, regardless of its form, where any party to the communication desires it to be confined to the parties thereto. If the act covers eavesdropping on or recording of a telephone call, it surely covers the nonconsensual recording of the most intimate and private form of communication between two people.”
May 28, 2024
Meanwhile... the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion is occurring as ^^^ all of this goes down. While Ariana and Tom barely interacted throughout the season, the Dancing With the Stars alum watched a never-before-seen clip of her and Sandoval arguing through tears during the reunion. The intense conversation allegedly happened as she made a dramatic exit during the season 11 finale.
"I don't know who you are," Ariana said of Tom's "double life" while wiping tears. "I'm sorry if that's something you have a hard time with but that is the consequences of your actions towards me."
They both acknowledged that their "relationship wasn't perfect," and Tom apologized, noting that she didn't deserve to be cheated on.
"I know you don't want to be around me. Whatever our relationship was the good, the bad — whatever you did, whatever I did — it doesn't matter. You didn't deserve that," he said. "And I'm really sorry, from the bottom of my heart."
Through tears, he continued, "Ariana, I regret it every day. I wear it as a badge of shame. I did the thing that I said I would never do and I did it."
July 16, 2024
An... interesting development has been made. According to court docs obtained by Us Weekly, Tom is claiming Ariana "obtained access" to his phone on March 1, 2023, and reviewed sexual videos of him and Rachel without his "authorization or permission." His filing also alleges that Ariana "made copies" of the video and distributed it to "Leviss and third parties" against his authority.
Ariana's lawyers also entered the chat, telling Us Weekly, "It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix. From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing. Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices."
Their statement continued, "If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair. For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself. Even months after the New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval ‘the most hated man in America,’ he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image. Ms. Madix is confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims."
Anyway! Patiently waiting for Ariana to drop a Taylor Swift-esque "I would like to be excluded from this narrative that I never asked to be part of" post any day now.
July 17, 2024
Just when you think there's enough drama, more comes through—because Tom's lawyer, who happens to be the brother of Rachel's lawyer according to Us Weekly (😵💫), also issued a statement to the publication. "While Tom Sandoval accepts responsibility for his affair, he strongly denies the allegations of the lawsuit filed by Rachel Leviss against him and Ms. Madix," the statement read. "In order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved, we filed a cross-complaint on behalf of Mr. Sandoval. This customary legal action was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party. We aim to resolve this legal dispute with upmost respect towards all parties involved."
But wait—there's more. Katie Maloney also commented on Us Weekly's report and provided another perspective, according to the Queens of Bravo Twitter account. "Authorized permission... interesting choice of words dude. Anyways, you fucking suck dude," she wrote on Instagram.
She then responded to a fan's comment, adding that he didn't have "authorized permission" to screen-record his sexually explicit FaceTime with Rachel. "No he didn't but he did share his phones pass code with his partner at the time. Mans confused about how that bit works I guess," Katie wrote.
Aaand that brings us up to date. We’ll let you know what happens with…all of this. *gulp*
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