It was the cheating scandal that shook Vanderpump Rules to its core.
Last March, longtime cast members Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix announced they were splitting up after more than a decade together. The reason? Sandoval’s months-long affair with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss, an event that came to be known as Scandoval.
Infidelity and partner swapping is nothing new in the world of Vanderpump Rules. Before he got together with Madix, Sandoval dated cast member Kristen Doute, who cheated on him with another cast member, James Kennedy, who was later engaged to Leviss. But the dramatic breakdown of Madix and Sandoval’s relationship was uniquely compelling for viewers – and for the show’s namesake, Lisa Vanderpump.
Vanderpump recently opened up about her reaction to Scandoval
Vanderpump has stayed mostly above the fray when it comes to Scandoval. But in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, she said it hurt to see Madix and Sandoval’s relationship come to an end.
“As a mother figure and as a cast member, it was devastating to see an existing relationship break down in such a brutal and public way,” she said.
In a February 2024 episode of Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval opened up to Vanderpump about the dark thoughts he was having after his affair was exposed. He told the restaurateur and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum that he had considered suicide. Vanderpump was understandably alarmed.
“To hear him say he’s had those thoughts and he didn’t call me, that scares the f*cking living daylights out of me,” she said. “After losing my only sibling to suicide, I can’t hear that and do nothing about it.”
Vanderpump then reached out to Sandoval’s close friend Tom Schwartz and urged him to speak to the rest of the cast and try to work through the drama.
Scandoval has been good for ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Though Sandoval might be struggling personally, the Scandoval affair has breathed new life into Vanderpump Rules. The show has seen its popularity spike as the scandal and its aftermath unfolded. Vanderpump acknowledged that the drama was good for the Bravo series.
“As a producer, of course it’s interesting to capture exactly what’s transpiring, and that’s what they signed up for,” she said. “And the cast are very good about actually being pretty honest with what’s going on in their lives.”
She hinted that one reason people were so engaged with Scandoval was because it was a genuinely surprising twist in a show that had begun to feel a bit stale.
“I think that’s why people felt cheated when they found out this had happened, and that they didn’t know, because normally we know more than we want to,” Vanderpump said.
Ultimately, the Vanderpump Villa star said she just wanted what was best for everyone involved.
“But I always find that I get very emotionally involved,” she said. “I care about them all.”
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
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