Everything Vanderpump Rules’ Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Said About Their Relationship Pre-Split

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Everything Vanderpump Rules’ Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Said About Their Relationship Pre-Split

Vanderpump Rules stars Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval ended their relationship in March 2023 after the Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder cheated with costar Raquel Leviss, Us Weekly confirmed at the time. The reality stars’ split came weeks after the former SUR bartender shot down rumors that she and Sandoval were in an open relationship. “I feel like when you let things ruminate like that, it kind of just becomes more than it is,” Madix exclusively told Us in February 2023 about why she decided to dispel the gossip. “Honestly, it would be really sexy if we were, but we’re not." That same month, both she and Sandoval spoke to Us about choosing to reach their relationship milestones in their own way and on their own timetable. While several of their Pump Rules castmates are parents, they weren't worried about having kids. “Both of us definitely are not, like, trying to like, keep up with anybody else,” Sandoval told Us at the time. “If we do anything, it's gonna be like on our time and our terms type thing.” Madix — who had been vocal about their decision to not get married — said that same month that she “[didn’t] like the idea of spending hundreds of thousands … of dollars on any of that.” The Florida native had previously shared her thoughts on why she and Sandoval never wanted to walk down the aisle. [jwplayer Q030fy7l-zhNYySv2] “Honestly, I just think that if you're gonna be together, you're gonna be together forever,” she told Us in July 2022. “It doesn't really matter if you have the wedding or not.” Madix continued: “I think that there's also a lot of emphasis … placed on staying. Like people, like however long they were together is considered that they were, like, more successful as a couple. And I feel like … if you're happy, stay in it, and if you're not, you know … so, I'm happy! I'm here!” Sandoval, for his part, agreed. “I’m happy, yeah,” he added. Later that year, the duo — who began dating in 2014 amid drama with Sandoval’s ex Kristen Doute — faced split rumors, which they denied to Us in October 2022. “We’re great. We’re doing really good,” Sandoval said at BravoCon 2022, adding that he’s seen headlines about their supposed breakups “for years.” He explained that the split rumors most likely occurred after a truck was spotted outside of their house and fans thought it meant one of them was moving out. “We shot this thing for Alka-Seltzer and people were like, ‘Oh, yep, they’re done. [There’s] moving trucks out front,’” he shared with Us at the time. Keep scrolling to see Madix and Sandoval’s quotes about each other through the years:

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How Their Emotional Availability Helped Them Fall in Love

“I think being friends for so long before we started dating, I knew that this was a good person who cared about the people in his life,” Madix told Bravo’s The Daily Dish in 2020 about first falling for Sandoval six years earlier. “So, that was just kind of helpful to know. But then, also just somebody who was just willing to be emotionally available and allow me to be emotionally available. I think that was a big thing in the beginning.”

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Attacking the Big Issues Together

After Madix shared her struggles with body image, Sandoval exclusively told Us in March 2018 how he was able to support his partner during the more difficult moments.

“I just try to be as supportive as I can, the same way she would be with me. We try to work things out together and do the best we can. I mean, we both love each other so much, and care so deeply for each other, so neither one of us want to see somebody struggling with anything,” he explained. “I think it was liberating to get that out there because now it's been something that we've attacked.”

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Marriage Is ‘Not on the Agenda’

The Bravo personalities explained to Us in December 2018 that they didn’t plan on getting engaged — ever. Sandoval said the two will “probably never” choose to wed, while Madix added, “It’s not on the agenda for us.”

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Those 3 Little Words

Sandoval exclusively told Us in 2019 that he was the one to say “I love you” first while on a “magical” vacation to San Francisco.

“Ariana and I were secretly kind of dating because we didn’t want to tell [people just yet]. We didn’t want to let everybody know that we were, that me and Kristen had broken up because that was, like, a big thing with our show. On January 1, when the rest of the world was reeling from their hangover, Ariana got off work and we took a road trip straight to San Francisco. We created this awesome playlist. It was like, honestly, one of the most magical times in my entire life,” Sandoval told Us about the getaway, during which he uttered those three little words to Madix while they “were going to sleep one night” on the trip.

He gushed: “We stayed at Napa Valley Lodge and had a fireplace. We had a hot air balloon ride, and then we decided like, ‘OK, let’s stop by San Francisco on our way back.’ So we went there, we went to the Palace of Fine Arts and it was just an unbelievable trip.”

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How Tom Supported Ariana Through Mental Health Issues

After Madix revealed to her costars on a 2019 episode of Vanderpump Rules that she struggles with suicidal thoughts, Sandoval explained to Us how he helped his then-partner cope with her feelings.

“All I could do is try to be supportive, try not to be annoying. Because I’ll try to overcompensate it and it’s annoying. I know it’s annoying, but I don’t know what to do,” the Missouri native shared with Us. “I want to help. I want to help, but you can only do so much.”

Ultimately, he explained, “I feel like she deals with it the best she can, very well, we’re very much aware of these things and we just try to deal with it and be happy.”

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How Ariana Coming Out as Bisexual Strengthened Their Relationship

“I think that the more you’re open and honest about who you are, I feel like it just makes you stronger in the end,” Sandoval told Us in February 2020 after Madix shared her identity publicly. “It’s something I’ve known.”

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No Specific Plans

Sandoval said that he didn't have any specific plans for his future with Madix after they bought their home. “I don’t really have any relationship goals,” he told Us in February 2020 when asked what he thought the year ahead might hold. “I think maybe take a trip, just spend time with each other, do some fun activities, keep ourselves busy. Whenever we’re busy, whenever we’re working out, healthy, being proactive, it just tends to be a positive influence on our relationship.”

The bartender went on to say that he and his then-girlfriend joked around with each other regularly. “We have great debates, intelligent debates,” he said at the time. “We have a lot of respect for each other. It’s a positive thing.”

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Quarantining Together Was ‘Reasonably Positive’

Sandoval acknowledged that quarantining with a partner during the COVID-19 pandemic could be difficult for some, but his experience hunkering down with Madix had been “reasonably positive,” he exclusively told Us in April 2020.

“We’ve been, like, cooking dinner and stuff more and doing like hang sessions and putting puzzles together and Legos and doing some, like, creative stuff,” he shared at the time. “It’s been nice. … We have our own things going on, but we’ve been doing stuff together.”

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As Long as You’re ‘Happy,’ ‘It Doesn’t Really Matter’ If You’re Married

Madix and Sandoval exclusively told Us in July 2022 that they were “happy” where they were in their relationship — and didn’t need to make things legal. “It's been eight and a half years, which is, like, crazy. It's so crazy,” Madix told Us.

When discussing why she and Sandoval didn’t want to tie the knot, she explained, “I think every couple is different because I have friends and family [where] they've been married for a while and it's like, it's really working. And honestly, I just think that if you're gonna be together, you're gonna be together forever,” she said. “It doesn't really matter if you have the wedding or not.” Madix added: “I think that there's also a lot of emphasis … placed on staying. Like people, like however long they were together is considered that they were, like, more successful as a couple. And I feel like … if you're happy, stay in it, and if you're not, you know … so, I'm happy! I'm here!” Sandoval concurred: “I’m happy, yeah."

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Denying Previous Splits

“We’re great. We’re doing really good,” Sandoval explained during BravoCon 2022, noting he’s seen headlines about their alleged breakup “for years.” He added: “We shot this thing for Alka-Seltzer and people were like, ‘Oh, yep, they’re done. [There’s] moving trucks out front.'"

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Shutting Down ‘Open Relationship’ Rumors

Madix denied open relationship rumors that aired in the season 10 trailer.

"We dont have an open relationship. I’m really not that cool. Thought that was obvious," she tweeted in January 2023, exclusively telling Us one month later: "I shut it down just because I feel like when you let things ruminate like that, it kind of just becomes more than it is. Honestly, it would be really sexy if we were, but we’re not."

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The Baby Factor

Sandoval made it clear that he and Madix were not looking for anyone else to dictate whether they had kids.

“Both of us definitely are not, like, trying to like, keep up with anybody else,” he told Us in February 2023. “If we do anything, it's gonna be like on our time and our terms type thing.”

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A Hard No on Marriage

Madix exclusively told Us in February 2023 that she had no desire to get married. “I don't like the idea of spending hundreds of thousands … of dollars on any of that,” she said.

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Working Through Any Problems

In a March 2023 episode of Vanderpump Rules, which was filmed in July 2022, Sandoval reflected on his bond with Madix amid a personal tragedy.

"Ariana has never had much interest in bearing children but if she could have given birth to [her dog] Charlotte, she would have," he said in a confessional. "We obviously knew that this day was coming but now it is here. I am very concerned about how this is going to affect Ariana. I just need to be there in any way I can. She's my girl."