Breaking down their split. Ariana Madix explained why she thinks her relationship with Tom Sandoval would have ended even if she didn’t discover his affair with Raquel Leviss.
“It is hard to say in this moment because there was a plan. Still together? I almost think no — given what I know about this plan,” the Florida native, 37, said on the Tuesday, May 23, episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
Madix recalled the details she learned about how Sandoval, 40, intended to end their relationship — and ultimately go public with Leviss, 28.
“The plan was to end the relationship without any sort of mention of an affair or cheating. Whether that was pre-reunion or not or pre-going to film Winter House or not. And then they would just start dating,” she shared. “The narrative that he was the victim in our relationship or [that] I just suck would have already been planted.”
The Something About Her cofounder, however, said she was “so glad” she found out publicly about her ex-boyfriend’s infidelity, adding, “Because if I had found out the way you all had planned — I would have been just a cog in the machine of this whole narrative.”
Us Weekly confirmed in March that Madix and Sandoval pulled the plug on their nearly decade-long romance due to his secret connection with Leviss. Amid the drama, the TomTom co-owner faced backlash when his initial response to the controversy didn’t mention Madix. He later issued a second statement toward his ex-girlfriend.
“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” he wrote via Instagram in March. “I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”
The Missouri native continued: “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”
Two months later, viewers got a glimpse at the former couple’s breakup during the season 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules.
“I have been with you for nine years. Back when you lived with [Tom] Schwartz, we became friends. When you were wearing combat boots and skinny jeans and didn’t have a f—king dime to your name driving a 1997 Honda Civic. I loved you then — when you had nothing,” Madix said in the May 17 episode, which she later revealed was over two hours long. “You got a little bit of money, a bar, a little band and now this girl is going to act like she’s enamored with you? Because that is what you want. You want someone just to gas you up.”
Later in the finale, the Fancy AF Cocktails coauthor made it clear that she will “never speak” to Sandoval again.
“I regret every moment I stood up for you, defended you, supported you. You are worth nothing and I want you feel that deep in your soul,” she concluded. “I want you to hear those words coming from the mouth of the woman who stood by you and loved you and was ready to build the rest of my life around you. Hear my words and know that is how I feel about you. I regret ever loving you.”
During her podcast appearance, Madix admitted she may have “turned a blind eye” to potential red flags over the years. “But I think I was given a lot of assistance in doing that because I would bring things up and I would be shot down,” she noted on Wednesday. “I was very much committed and I feel like I was doing my absolute best as a partner. But I don’t think I would do anything differently, just because I feel like all I can do is my best — and whether my best was good enough or not for anyone, that’s what it was.”
