Scandoval is coming to a head on Vanderpump Rules. And during tonight’s episode, we saw Ariana Madix sing the praises of Raquel Leviss — all while the former beauty queen was secretly hooking up with Madix’s boyfriend of nine years Tom Sandoval.
During a camping trip for Leviss’ birthday, the former bartender and Scheana Shay talk about the recent turmoil with Katie Maloney, who recently questioned why Sandoval and Leviss were dancing at a club together at midnight while Madix was out of town.
“I get it. Katie hates Raquel,” Madix says in her confessional, referring to Leviss’ recent makeout with Maloney’s ex-husband Tom Schwartz. “But like, Raquel is my friend. And she’s someone that is kind and sweet and loyal and just a delight since the day I met her.”
In another scene, Leviss emotionally opens up to Madix about feeling lost since aging out of pageants, which she hoped would make her a “role model” for girls and women. In turn, Madix — who was comforting her ex-friend — told her that getting through her breakup with James Kennedy and just “being you” has proven her to have “even more … role model behavior.”
“I’ve always been the good girl but now that I’ve aged out of pageants, I don’t have to worry so much about my reputation,” Leviss tells the cameras. “Honestly, I feel like I’m kind of making up for lost time right now.”
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Later on in the episode, the whole group is back together at Tom Tom, where Maloney and Madix talk about the former’s suspicions regarding Sandoval and Leviss’ late-night rendezvous.
“Obviously, I love Raquel dearly,” Madix tells her business partner. “She’s one of my closest friends. Not only do I trust and love her but I trust and love my boyfriend.”
Meanwhile, Lala Kent wasn’t buying the act between Sandoval and Leviss — who recently had a sleepover with one another after the cast beach day.
“I think Sandoval has a thing for Raquel,” Kent speculates. “The last time that Sandoval was talking about a woman the way that he talks about Raquel is when he was talking about Ariana to the group when he was with Kristen [Doute].”
Vanderpump Rules airs on Wednesday nights at 9/8c on ABC. New episodes are available to stream the following day on Peacock.
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