Kristen Doute Questions Whether Tom Sandoval Can Make a ‘Comeback’ After Raquel Leviss Cheating Scandal: ‘Viall Files’ Revelations

Credit: Shutterstock (3)

Kristen Doute Questions Whether Tom Sandoval Can Make a 'Comeback' After Raquel Leviss Cheating Scandal: 'Viall Files' Revelations

The fallout continues. Kristen Doute is still sharing her unfiltered thoughts on Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' cheating scandal — and continuing to stand up for Ariana Madix. The former Vanderpump Rules star, 40, dove into the drama during the Thursday, March 16, episode of the "Viall Files" podcast. "He needs to flee the country," she joked of Sandoval, 40, whom she dated for several years before he moved on with Madix, 37, in 2014. "But I don't know what country would want him right now. ... You would think that nobody could ever be worse than Jax Taylor on that show or, like, me back in the day. But this just takes the cake." Host Nick Viall didn't shy away from sharing his take on the situation, joining Doute in throwing shade Sandoval's way. "We all have made mistakes in life. We all have been selfish at times," the former Bachelor, 42, said as he encouraged Sandoval "to do the right thing" amid the scandal. "You have a trail of destruction, there are people lined up out the door — people you have hurt and scarred." Us Weekly confirmed on March 3 that the Missouri native and Madix split after nine years together due to his affair with Leviss, 28. At the time, a source exclusively told Us that the former couple's issues "came to a breaking point" when Madix uncovered Sandoval's infidelity. [jwplayer B0OIPq6i-zhNYySv2] Both the musician and Leviss have spoken out as the controversy continues to develop, with Sandoval initially addressing the backlash his and Tom Schwartz's businesses received in a March 4 Instagram statement. He later issued a public apology to Madix, who broke her silence via social media on Thursday after briefly deactivating her Instagram account. "Hi. where to begin? i want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i've never even met in the last two weeks," she wrote. "When i have felt like i couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone." She added: "So many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. i am so f–king lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope i can repay every single person for the love you have shown me. what doesn’t kill me better run. love, ariana." Bravo cameras were picked back up to film additional content for season 10 amid the scandal — and Us confirmed that Doute joined her former costars for a scene. (The He's Making You Crazy author was fired from the reality series in 2020 for past racist behavior.) "I filmed that scene because Ariana specifically said, 'I really need you to do this for me,'" Doute told Viall. "I told her, 'I have nothing to gain from this. I, in fact, will probably look like an opportunist or thirsty.' I specifically said to her, 'This has nothing to do with the network, the production, the ratings, whatever. What do you need?'" Despite their past ups and downs, Doute has been there for Madix since news of the affair made headlines. When it comes to Leviss, the Michigan native admitted that she "can see why" Sandoval made his move. "Ariana has a backbone. Raquel does not," she claimed on Thursday. "Raquel validates everything that Tom needs to be validated." Scroll down for the biggest bombshells from Doute's "Viall Files" interview:

Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Tom Was 'Gaslighting' Ariana Over Scandal

Doute shared an update on Madix's mindset amid the drama, noting, "Of course she's going to go back and think, 'Was that true? Is that true?'"

She added: "One of the worst things is when they had to have their first conversation and ... he was just gaslighting her. There was no genuine apology. He was just saying how she never supports him, she doesn't validate him. [This was] after she found out and he was blaming her. That is Tom to a tee."

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Raquel 'Validates' Tom's Ego

Doute joked that she thinks Leviss is "f--king dumb" and has "no personality," unlike Madix, who has more of "a backbone" in her relationships. "Raquel validates everything that Tom needs to be validated," she alleged, adding that Leviss makes Sandoval feel "cool" and "talented."

She went on to diss her ex for his "stupid band and his sequined pants and his nail polish and his dumb haircuts and the pedophile mustache, for f--k's sake."

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Tom Allegedly Hooked Up With a 'Fan Girl'

"He had a show two days after this s--t went down, and he actually went and played it — the audacity," Doute said, seemingly referring to the Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras concert on March 3. "Allegedly he ... went to a bar after and got completely smashed and had sex with some fan girl that night. I don't put anything past him at this point. It's the only thing he can do to make himself feel better about all this."

A source close to Sandoval, however, insists the allegations are untrue.

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Can Tom Make a 'Comeback'?

Doute referred to her own cheating scandal with Taylor, which unfolded during season 2 of the Bravo hit, while discussing Sandoval's next steps. "This is what I think needs to happen to him," she said. "I don't know if he has an opportunity for a comeback at this point, but the only way would be to truly humble himself, to lose everything and to really do the self-work. And maybe in a couple of years people will give him a shot again. That's how long it took me." 

Viall chimed in with his own opinions, claiming, "He will only give a s--t in terms of a comeback as opposed to, like, wanting to be a good f--king person and looking in the mirror and saying, 'I've hurt people. I've ruined people's lives.'"

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Ariana Is Setting 'Boundaries' Over House With Tom

The T-shirt designer claimed Sandoval has been "coming and going as he pleases" from his and Madix's shared home despite friends encouraging him to give his ex space. "We're composing this text in the most mature way that we can and not leading with emotions, letting cooler heads prevail and just saying, 'Listen, dude, you gotta at least give her a couple hours heads-up when you need to come home and pick things up. You need to let this rest for at least a few weeks.' ... And of course his response is, 'It's my f--king house, I own half of it. I can come and go as I please and if she has a problem with it, she can leave,'" Doute claimed. 

She added: "So [Ariana] just won't be home alone. Because that's what she's most afraid of is being home alone."

Credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Did Tom Schwartz Know About the Affair?

When asked whether she believes Schwartz only found out about the affair one month before it became public, Doute didn't hold back. "What Schwartz told me is that he said that he was really pushing Tom to just be honest with Ariana off camera. Obviously it would have to be talked about anyway, on or off camera, but to not let this completely humiliate her and blow up in her face," she said. "I believe that he feels that way, but Schwartz doesn't act on anything."

She continued: "This is your opportunity to really man up. This is your business partner and it is your best friend ... but if this was one of my girl best friends pulling this, we would be having serious conversations and space." 

While she argued that Schwartz "knew longer than he's been copping to," she added that he "probably didn't know over the summer while they were filming [season 10]."

Credit: Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock

Was Raquel's Apology Genuine?

Doute joked that Leviss' lengthy statement was "crisis PR if I've ever seen it," claiming that her former costar may not have written the apology herself. "I think she's sorry she got caught, I think she's sorry that she's getting all this negative attention. ... Read the room," she said. 

The former reality star weighed in on the alleged altercation between Leviss and Scheana Shay — which she denied ever happened. "How convenient that she gets this ridiculous temporary restraining order against Scheana ... but they have to film the reunion on March 23," she said. "How convenient that Raquel now doesn't have to sit under the hot lights and be in the hot seat. I mean, I don't know what they're gonna do unless they move the reunion. ... I just think it's really f--king convenient and Raquel's way of getting out of it." 

Credit: Ryan Miller/Shutterstock

How Lisa Vanderpump Is Handling the Scandal

Viall pointed out that Vanderpump seems "almost motherly with the Toms," which Doute argued is "all an act." 

She continued: "Ariana has said that Lisa's welcomed her with open arms, like, 'You can come bring your dog and your cat, you can come stay at Villa Rosa.' Ariana's like, 'S--t, do I do that? That sounds fabulous.' ... The Lisa that I see on the show is just a chess player. I don't have very many kind things to say about her." 

Though her feelings toward her former boss are complicated, Doute noted that she appreciated Vanderpump reaching out to Madix. "She needs all the love and support she can get," she said.