Tom Sandoval’s latest interview was just as entertaining as it was unhinged.
Sandoval, 41, spoke to The New York Times Magazine for an article that was published on Tuesday, February 20. The candid conversation covered Sandoval’s thoughts on how his affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss blew up the Bravo universe and how he coped with the aftermath. The highlights, however, were Sandoval’s offhand comments about the past year of his life.
He kicked off the conversation by expressing his frustration with how the public reacted to his infidelity. (Sandoval and Ariana Madix called it quits after nearly a decade of dating due to his secret romance with Leviss, 29.)
“I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson,” Sandoval told the outlet. “And he’s a convicted rapist.”
Sandoval’s comparisons didn’t stop there, as he subsequently mentioned O.J. Simpson and George Floyd (more on that later). He also admitted that his thoughts on reality TV have shifted since he became the villain on season 11 of Vanderpump Rules.
“I had no respect for reality TV before,” Sandoval noted after making sure the reporter had her recorder turned on. “And now I don’t have very much respect for actors. I’m like, ‘Y’all try doing this.’”
Despite the public hatred, Sandoval is looking forward to finding love again after his relationship with Leviss fizzled out offscreen.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been single as a celebrity,” Sandoval, who is currently dating Victoria Lee Robinson, noted. “I’m not saying I’m a favorite celebrity, but still just having some notoriety and being single, it’s a cool muscle to flex.”
Keep scrolling for the most out-of-pocket revelations from Sandoval’s NYT profile:
The Questionable Comparisons
After bringing up Masterson, 47, who is currently serving out his 30-year sentence for rape, Sandoval continued to speculate about why Scandoval became so big.
“I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?” he asked.
Where Was His Publicist?
In addition to hiring a new publicity team with a background in crisis P.R., Sandoval is now represented by a 23-year-old, who told the NYT that she has watched Vanderpump Rules since she was in middle school.
“Sometimes he says too much and the following day forgets what he says,” she said after Scandoval’s eyebrow-raising remarks about Simpson, 76, who was accused and later acquitted on charges of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
Floyd, meanwhile, inspired Black Lives Matter protests around the world after former police officer Derek Chauvin murdered him during an arrest in 2020.
After Sandoval’s comments went viral, he took to social media to issue a statement, which read, “My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed.”
Tom’s Newest Assistant
Vanderpump Rules fans are quite familiar with Sandoval’s former assistant Ann Maddox after she made several appearances on season 11. Sandoval has since said that his cousin Josh took over the position.
According to the profile, though, Sandoval now has an assistant named Miles who does tasks such as sorting through his utility bills. “He basically does anything I don’t personally have to do,” he explained on Tuesday.
His Past Claims to Fame
Sandoval entertained the reporter and his publicist with stories about his modeling jobs for Rock and Republic, Ed Hardy and Von Dutch, adding, “I had a versatile look because I could do this, like, ‘Daddy doesn’t love me’ emo look, and I could do a more slicked-back look.”
Tom’s Commitment to Reality (Sort Of)
According to the article, Sandoval’s ceiling lights have been taped over with sheets of paper to diffuse light and make it optimal for filming. He previously removed them when cameras weren’t rolling but has since committed to the bit.
The profile went on to allege that Sandoval can’t always grasp which parts of his life are for the show. According to the article, Sandoval will call producers and “ask how quickly they could have cameras” on him to film when he needs to talk to friend and costar Tom Schwartz.
Plans to Cash In on the Drama
Sandoval revealed that he was hoping to do a residency at Chippendales in Las Vegas after the controversy died down, saying, “I’m in really good shape right now. It’s frustrating because, you know, everybody cashed in. Everybody won on this. The cast, the execs, the network — everybody made so much money. But I try to put it on myself, to make the best opportunity out of it that I can.”
Sandoval also took the chance to throw shade at his time on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. He claimed he felt robbed because he thought producers made it look as though he was eliminated before JoJo Siwa, who voluntarily withdrew from the Fox competition series.
“They said she lasted longer than me,” he added. “But she most definitely did not.”
Accusations Against Ariana
While giving a tour of TomTom, Sandoval showed the trash cans behind the bar where he and Madix, 38, had their initial fight about his affair. Sandoval accused Madix of ripping his chain and splitting his lip.
“She beat my ass,” he alleged. (The outlet noted that Madix declined to comment on the incident through her rep. She has also denied tearing Sandoval’s necklace in the past.)
His Lasting Impression
One of the final interviews with Sandoval for the profile was at a soundstage where he films confessional interviews for VPR. The piece highlighted how Sandoval performed “loud vocal exercises” before sitting down to discuss the events from season 11 of Vanderpump Rules.
He wore a light blue women’s suit from Zara, which the NYT article compared to Heath Ledger’s costume as the Joker in The Dark Knight — specifically “the scene at the hospital where he wears a nurse’s uniform.”
