Scandoval: The Official Timeline. Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval sparked a romance in summer 2022 while he was still dating Ariana Madix — and the fallout has been messy to say the least.
Vanderpump Rules fans learned Sandoval had a connection with Madix during season 2 of the Bravo hit when his then-girlfriend, Kristen Doute, alleged he cheated with the fellow bartender. Sandoval and Madix denied having an affair at the time, with Sandoval later admitting that they kissed once in Las Vegas.
Following his split from Doute, Sandoval and Madix started seeing each other. They confirmed their relationship at the season 2 reunion, which aired in 2015. The couple moved in together, eventually buying a home in 2019.
After filming for season 10 of Vanderpump Rules commenced in July 2022, Sandoval said he saw a new side of Leviss as she navigated her split from ex-fiancé James Kennedy.
“Raquel and I became really good friends,” Sandoval said on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast in April 2023, noting that he felt “trapped” in his relationship with Madix after nine years together. “I thought she was so awesome. Getting to know her. She’s so kind, she’s smart, she’s witty, she’s fun, she’s down for it. … She’s beautiful.”
The duo crossed the line for the first time in August 2022. Sandoval subsequently celebrated his best friend and business partner, Tom Schwartz, shooting his shot with Leviss as Scheana Shay had suggested the duo make out in the wake of their respective splits. (Schwartz and Katie Maloney announced their divorce in March 2022 after five years of marriage.)
As his feelings for Leviss developed, Sandoval claimed he wrestled with ending things with Madix.
“After Raquel and I kissed and I felt this way, I got my ass into therapy immediately to try to figure out what the hell I’m gonna do because the feelings were very, very strong,” he told Howie Mandel. “Those feelings that I had started to kind of take over. Logic, all that s-t went out the window.”
While Sandoval claimed their “connection was healthy,” sneaking around sparked an “unhealthy” environment.
“But time was always fleeting. Every time we were around each other it felt like it could be the last time we’d see each other,” he said. “It made us both obsessive over trying to see each other and stuff.”
Sandoval cited his and Madix’s respective mental health issues — and various business ventures — as reasons he delayed the split. He claimed he tried to officially break up with her in February 2023. Less than a month later, she learned about his secret romance with Leviss.
Sandoval and Leviss have since apologized to Madix via Instagram statements.
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