You have probably heard about the Scandoval of it all. The most recent season of Vanderpump Rules has fans talking about Tom Sandoval, a cast member who cheated on longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with their friend, Raquel Leviss. Filled with lies, twists, and betrayals, the affair has been the talk of social media for the entire season because Sandoval and Madix have been together since season 3 of the series. What’s especially interesting is that this particular affair has been made into a huge deal when it’s far from the first cheating scandal in the show’s history.
For some reason, Sandoval’s affair is the one that broke through the quiet noise the show has maintained for its 10-season run, reaching social media in a way that even those unaware of Vanderpump Rules have all flocked to see what the deal is. To be fair, the more I learn about this affair, the more I think about how other scandals on the show were more interesting—but whatever gets people talking online.
This affair in particular involves a great many members of the Vanderpump cast, which is why more people are interested in what’s going on. The series began because Lisa Vanderpump was a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where her restaurants were often the setting of fights. When Scheana Shay appeared to help serve a party and it was revealed that she was the woman Brandi Glanville’s ex-husband Eddie Cibrian cheated on her with, fans were fascinated by the drama.
Then Vanderpump Rules was released and we couldn’t get enough. All this led to the recent boom in the show’s ratings with Scandoval, but it’s important to note that there have been worse scandals.
Cheating scandals are regular issues on the show
From season 1 and beyond, it was obvious that Vanderpump Rules was going to have a new cheating scandal each season. Why? Because the cast could not seem to stop doing it. Season 1 featured the shocking reveal that Jax Taylor cheated on Stassi Schroeder in Las Vegas and got a woman pregnant. That seemed to be the biggest ordeal until season 2 topped it—and so on and so forth.
In season 2, the shocker was that Kristen Doute—who was originally with Tom Sandoval for nearly six years—cheated on Tom twice with his best friend Jax Taylor on their couch in their apartment while Sandoval was sleeping. Doute, to try and make herself seem innocent, maintained that Sandoval cheated on her with Madix (even though they both continued to deny it), going as far as to say that because they shared a drunken kiss, it was somehow worse than her sleeping with Jax Taylor while Sandoval was in the other room.
Scandoval is such a big deal because it does have this energy to it. One of the rumors is that Madix was suspicious of what was going on with Leviss because she’d been staying with Madix and Sandoval after her break-up with DJ James Kennedy.
Tom Sandoval is a disaster
Part of why the Scandoval has continued to be a thing is because of Tom Sandoval and his current tour with his band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras. The Most Extras are the heavy lifters in this band because … well, frankly, Sandoval cannot sing but he still thinks he’s a musician, which has been a running issue on the show since season 1.
Sandoval is aggressive, annoying, and he thinks that he’s better than everyone—and now fans have had to see his very public breakdown during his concerts.
Maybe this is because he’s seeing public ridicule while on tour, but it is odd how this was what he’d talk about time and time again. Sandoval’s ego has been a topic of conversation for seasons, mainly with Taylor, who mocks it. But to see how Sandoval’s own view of his musical talent is so warped by his bad singing voice is, well, hilarious.
People love mess
Vanderpump Rules thrives because of the messy lives the cast members are leading. When they settle down and there’s not a scandal? The show isn’t talked about nearly as much. But because the cheating scandal is the thing that ran the show this season, fans have been back on Bravo week after week, looking for more. It sets a weird precedent for Vanderpump Rules. Without a cheating scandal, will people watch?
I binge-watched the entire series recently and found that the show is entertaining overall, but there are seasons where the “drama” is so manufactured that it’s not as interesting. On one hand, I don’t disbelieve this happened. I’ve seen the TikToks. I just also think that the Scandoval of it all was a way to get people invested, and it worked. Now, we wait to see what happens in the final reunion episode.
(featured image: Bravo)
