Laughing off the drama. Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix marked her first public appearance since her split from ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval by attending a comedy show.
Madix, 37, was one of several celebs to take the stage at the “Make That Sandwich” show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 18. During the show — described by the venue’s website as “the best, and ONLY sandwich making gameshow on the planet” — the Bravo star was reportedly in good spirits as she was met with plenty of applause from the crowd, which was mostly comprised of Pump Rules fans, according to Page Six.
The Fancy AF Cocktails coauthor’s fellow celeb guests were just as excited to see her, as the show’s host Lindsay Ames noted that comedian Connor Wood (a.k.a. Fibula) was “nervous” to meet Madix.
“You weren’t supposed to say that. I played it really cool backstage,” Wood, 27, joked before attempting to change the topic. However, the host continued to bring up his nerves about meeting Madix, after which the Pump Rules star quipped, “You’re making me nervous.”
The bartender — who began dating the Tom-Tom co-owner in 2014 — paired a matching brown tweed blazer and skirt, sparkly brown turtleneck and brown knee-high boots with a smile throughout the night as the drama surrounding her ex’s cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss was not mentioned. Us Weekly confirmed on March 3 that she called it quits with her partner of nine years, 39, after discovering he had been having an affair with their Pump Rules costar Leviss, 28.
After the news broke, an insider exclusively told Us that Sandoval’s infidelity was the tip of the iceberg for their long-term relationship. “They were having problems for a while,” the source noted, adding things only “came to a breaking point” the day before the Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder’s cheating made headlines.
While the comedy show marked Madix’s return to the spotlight, the Florida native has stepped out a handful of times following the breakup. The night the split broke, Scheana Shay posted a clip of her and Madix singing along to Tove Lo’s “Cool Girl” at the artist’s March 3 concert in Los Angeles. Earlier that day, Shay, 37, Katie Maloney and Kristen Doute — the latter of whom previously dated Sandoval from 2007 to 2013 — showed support for their friend by showing up at her house with gifts of wine and flowers.
Several days later, Madix was spotted partying in Oaxaca, Mexico, while attending a wedding for her friends Lauren Basco and Michael Jenkins. On March 16, she broke her silence on Sandoval and Leviss’ scandal — which has subsequently been dubbed as Scandoval — by sharing a picture of herself in the pink and green dress she wore to the Mexico wedding via Instagram.
“I want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks,” she captioned the photo. “When i have felt like i couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone. so many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels.”
She wrapped up her post by stating she is “so f–king lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope i can repay every single person for the love you have shown me,” which she followed by writing, “What doesn’t kill me better run.”
Sandoval issued an apology via Instagram on March 8, in which he expressed his disappointment over hurting Madix. “I can only imagine how devasting this has been for Ariana and everyone around us,” the Missouri native wrote. “My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never mean to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”
He concluded his message by writing, “I am beyond sad that it ended the way it did. The choices I made hurt so many people. I acted in a way that clashes with who and how I want to be. I will continue to reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have, and I always will.”
Fans will see get to watch the demise of the former couple’s relationship on Pump Rules season 10. In the show’s midseason trailer, released on Monday, March 20, Sandoval tells his now-ex, “I wish we both would have tried harder,” to which Madix follows up by stating, “You don’t deserve one f–king tear from me.”
Following a clip of Madix screaming at the Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras frontman, the teaser ends with the musician asking Madix if she needs anything from the kitchen. “For you to die,” she angrily responds.
