Meghan McCain is still not over Ariana Madix allegedly cropping her out of a photo.
During the Monday, October 22, episode of her “Meghan McCain Has Entered the Chat” podcast, McCain, 39, recalled her past drama with Madix, 38, which stemmed from the two women crossing paths at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner earlier this year.
McCain said she was encouraged to greet Madix, Lisa Vanderpump and Lala Kent when they arrived at the April event. She later posted a photo of the group on social media.
“I post it, she reposts I think Jerry O’Connell‘s picture, and cuts me and my friends out of it,” McCain said on Monday. “I was so confused and shocked, so I called my boss, and I was like, ‘FYI, this is causing unnecessary drama. Also, like, I didn’t even talk to her. What’s happening?'”
A rep for Madix released a statement about the “inadvertent” cropping in the photo at the time, telling Page Six: “I can tell you without a doubt that there is no agenda with this post whether political or otherwise. It’s just how the post came out.”
Madix also took to Instagram to clarify that the photo was uploaded in vertical format, which meant not everyone would be visible. “We all know how aspect ratios work,” she said while explaining the “difference between a main feed and a zoomed IG story” post.
Sharing her version of events on Monday, McCain offered an update on where she and Madix stand now.
“Cut to: She now blocks me on Instagram,” McCain alleged. “I found out on accident. I would’ve respected you if you just said, ‘I don’t f—k with Republicans. I don’t like Meghan McCain.’ Just say that. Don’t come up with this weird story and then block me afterward.”
McCain referred to Madix as a “mean girl” before adding that the situation “totally ruined” this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner for her.
“If you are a person who’s coming to my town, with my people, in my industry, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, it’s a time we come together, happily,” she concluded. “It’s a time for liberals and Republicans and everything in between, and journalists and entertainers, to celebrate covering politics.”
Earlier in Monday’s podcast episode, McCain showed her support for Madix’s former Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. The Bravo series made headlines in March when Us Weekly confirmed Madix’s split from Tom Sandoval after nearly a decade of dating because of his affair with Leviss, 29.
McCain slammed Madix’s response to the drama — which played out on the season 10 reunion special. She questioned why Leviss was judged so harshly by the public and took several digs at Madix.
“I totally switched sides at the reunion — I didn’t like it at all. I actually got s—t for being on Raquel’s team and I was like, ‘I don’t care. I have nothing to do with this except for what I watched,’” McCain said while calling out Madix’s comments toward Leviss from the May special. “I still feel bad for her. Everyone is making money [from this]. Tom is back in the fold with everybody now and Raquel is doing nothing.”
This isn’t the first time McCain shared her surprising hot takes on the Vanderpump Rules scandal.
In June, McCain wrote an op-ed for the Daily Mail about feeling “more compassion” for Leviss.
“Tom and Raquel were smothered in hate – real hate. As Scandoval played out in the media for months, I found myself feeling more compassion for Raquel than Ariana,” she noted. “Yes, she and Tom had behaved terribly. But she took responsibility for what she did, and she was clearly suffering. Raquel checked herself into a mental health facility and had been in hiding — until the reunion finale.”
Madix, meanwhile, is not sweating the small stuff as she continues to thrive on Dancing With the Stars — and as Us’ latest cover star.
“Something that I’m really proud of is my ability to survive,” Madix exclusively told Us earlier this month for our Reality Stars of the Year cover story. “This situation made me realize that I can do hard things. The worst-case scenario literally did happen, and I was OK. Like, look — you can handle what’s thrown at you.”
