Finding the silver lining. Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor think Ariana Madix‘s life has changed for the better since her split from Tom Sandoval.
“For Jax, I feel like he’s gotten closer with Ariana,” Cartwright, 34, said during a recent episode of the “Forever Young” podcast, noting that her husband, 43, and Madix, 37, “always had their fights” in the past.
The Kentucky native — who exited Vanderpump Rules with Taylor in December 2020 — explained that the couple have bonded with Madix in the weeks since Sandoval, 40, and costar Raquel Leviss’ cheating scandal made headlines. (Us Weekly confirmed in March that the Fancy AF Cocktails coauthors called it quits after nine years of dating amid his affair.)
“Ariana’s been around. She came to Cruz’s birthday party,” Cartwright explained on the podcast, referring to the pair’s 2-year-old son. “She just seems like she’s doing great. On that side, I feel like things are better. We haven’t talked to Tom.”
Taylor agreed with his wife, telling the podcast’s host, Dr. John Layke, that he has “nothing against Ariana” — even though they didn’t exactly see eye to eye during their time on the Bravo series.
“We’re just two different people. We just never really got along, we’d just butt heads,” the Michigan native recalled. “Ever since this has happened, I feel like she’s a different person. She seems really happy. She seems like a totally different person.”
Cartwright — who cohosts Peacock’s Vanderpump Rules: Watch With Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor with her husband — chimed in, “[It’s] like the weight was lifted off her shoulders.”
The former SUR bartender called Madix a “beautiful person,” who “looks gorgeous” after forging her own path in the wake of Sandoval and Leviss’ scandal.
“She looks great. She just seems really happy,” Taylor continued, noting that the Florida native “has a huge support system.”
While Cartwright pointed out that she’s “sure it’s been really hard still” for the Buying Back My Daughter actress to move forward after her breakup, she and Taylor agreed Madix is “just glowing” now.
Both Sandoval and Leviss, 28, publicly apologized to Madix in March after their months-long affair was uncovered. Amid the drama, cameras continued rolling on season 10 of Pump Rules, which is set to conclude with a bombshell finale later this month.
The TomTom cofounder addressed the scandal during an April appearance on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast, claiming that he attempted to break up with Madix in February, but she was in “denial.” Sandoval also alleged he and Leviss were “taking a break” from each other and were “not” friends with benefits. (She later checked into a mental health treatment facility amid the backlash.)
Earlier this month, the restauranteur raised eyebrows when he seemingly poked fun at his secret romance with Leviss during a Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras performance.
The Missouri native did a rendition of “Stacy’s Mom” during his Thursday, May 4, show in Long Island, inserting Tom Schwartz and Leviss’ names into the lyrics. “Schwartz’s mom has got it going on. She’s all I want and I wait for so long. Schwartzy can’t you see that Raquel is hot for me,” he sang as the crowd cheered.
In the comments section, Pump Rules fans questioned whether Sandoval said the former pageant queen was “not” for him or “hot” for him.
Taylor, for his part, claimed during his May 2 podcast appearance that Sandoval is lacking in “empathy” amid all the drama.
“I feel like he’s not sorry at all. There’s no sadness,” the Sharknando 4 actor told listeners. “I know when I went through this deal I was mortified. It was an awful situation. I was so upset with what I’ve done.” (Fans watched Taylor’s affair with Faith Stowers play out on season 6 of Pump Rules before he and Cartwright tied the knot in 2019.)
Madix, meanwhile, has been linked to fitness coach with Daniel Wai after the pair were spotted packing on the PDA at Coachella in April.
Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Peacock drops Vanderpump Rules: Watch With Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor on Thursdays.
