Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval and Ex Kristen Doute’s Relationship Timeline: Dating Costars, Cheating Scandals and More

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Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval and Ex Kristen Doute’s Relationship Timeline: Dating Costars, Cheating Scandals and More

Romance rewind! Tom Sandoval and Kristen Doute dated for years before they made their Vanderpump Rules debuts — and their ups and downs were reality TV gold. Doute began working at SUR in 2008, one year after she and Sandoval sparked a relationship. The pair’s romance, however, didn’t survive the reality TV curse as the twosome called it quits in 2013 shortly after taping seasons 1 and 2 of the Bravo series. During the show’s sophomore season, which filmed in spring 2013, the cracks in Doute and Sandoval’s dynamic became clear. Their relationship fell victim to cheating rumors and scandals on both sides, which they each addressed during the season 2 reunion in early 2014. The James Mae founder slept with costar Jax Taylor while still dating Sandoval, while the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner admitted to kissing castmate Ariana Madix before he and Doute officially parted ways. (Taylor was trying to win back ex-girlfriend Stassi Schroeder when he had sex with Doute.) “I do understand from a fan point of view that it’s something that people are always going to talk about, and that’s something I’ve accepted and I’ve forgiven myself at this point,” Doute wrote in her June 2020 memoir, He’s Making You Crazy, referring to her 2013 fling with Taylor. “And I think Jax has forgiven himself, and I think we’ve forgiven each other and I know that Tom has forgiven me. So that to me is enough.” While Sandoval insisted that he and Madix didn’t do anything but kiss when he was dating Doute, the former TV personality wasn’t convinced. [jwplayer da8rdbp3-zhNYySv2] “When we broke up, he started dating someone else immediately — or, you know, maybe they were already secretly dating; they don’t ever have to cop to it, but I can theorize about it in my own book!! And now I love them both,” Doute wrote in her memoir. “I made a choice to let everything go, because whether or not I thought those rumors about an illicit rendezvous or two behind my back had been true or not, it didn’t matter anymore.” She added: “A girl can’t actually steal someone’s boyfriend. He made a free-willed choice to leave me, and a free-willed choice to be with her. I needed to let them be happy. … They needed to find their own path to forgive me.” Sandoval and Madix went on to date for nine years before Us Weekly confirmed in March 2023 that the bartenders broke up amid his affair with costar Raquel Leviss. As the scandal made waves among Bravo fans, Doute was one of the first people to have Madix’s back. “I don’t know why I feel like I need to make this clear, but there’s so many people right now wondering if this is making me happy,” the designer — who appeared on Vanderpump Rules for eight seasons before being fired in 2020 — wrote via Instagram in March 2023. “And you guys, Ariana and I’ve been really good friends for many, many years now. So, I am team Ariana — all day, every day. That’s what’s up.” Scroll down to relive Doute and Sandoval’s ups and downs before and after their 2013 split:

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2007

Doute and Sandoval started dating years before they became reality TV stars.

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March 2013

The then-couple made their Vanderpump Rules debuts during season 1, which filmed in 2012 but aired in early 2013.

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Spring 2013

Rumors surfaced that Doute slept with Taylor while he was trying to win Schroeder back during season 2 of the Bravo series, which aired in December 2013. At the time, Doute was still dating Sandoval. The affair drama came to a head toward the end of the season, which was filmed in summer 2013.

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Spring 2013

Doute accused Sandoval of cheating on her with Madix during season 2. At the reunion, which aired in February 2014, the TomTom cofounder confessed to kissing Madix in Las Vegas while he was still dating Doute. He claimed, however, that they never fully hooked up until his relationship with the Michigan native was over.

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Summer 2013

The “Sex, Love and What Else Matters” podcast cohost and the restauranteur called it quits sometime in 2013 — which fans saw play out toward the end of season 2. Doute admitted during the season 2 reunion that she had an inappropriate relationship with one of their former SUR coworkers amid a rough patch with Sandoval. The Missouri native, meanwhile, confessed at the time that he had hooked up with a bottle service waitress in Vegas before their breakup.

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January 2014

Doute moved out of her shared apartment with Sandoval. “I wake up every morning with a smile on my face knowing that I no longer live in a total dump cleaning up after someone else,” she quipped during an exclusive interview with Us in April 2014.

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February 2014

During the season 2 reunion, Sandoval confirmed that he was dating Madix after sparking romance speculation in late 2013.

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Summer 2014

During season 3 of the Bravo series, which aired in late 2014 and early 2015, Sandoval pleaded with his ex-girlfriend to cut Madix some slack as they all worked together at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant. Doute, however, appeared to still be scorned by the breakup and flew in a girl named Annemarie — dubbed “Miami girl” by the group — to mess with her ex. During a January 2015 episode, Doute allegedly received a message from the mystery woman claiming that she slept with Sandoval while he was dating Madix.

Sandoval, for his part, denied the allegations. “This crazy, f—king stalker comes up to me at my f—king place of work,” he said during the episode. “Now, because of Kristen, I’m having to acknowledge this f—king stalker.”

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September 2015

Between seasons 2 and 3 of Pump Rules, Doute began dating Sandoval’s friend James Kennedy. At the time, Sandoval claimed he and the DJ were working on music together and planned to be roommates before he was blindsided by Kennedy’s romance with his ex-girlfriend.

“I didn’t plan for James and I to start dating. He is an amazing friend to me and I truly thank him for giving me the tough love I needed after the breakup. He put his foot down against my tears and told me to move on the way that Tom already had,” Doute wrote in a February 2015 blog. “He wasn’t trying to woo me into bed or screw Tom over — it was a natural transition that neither of us expected or planned. He became one of my best friends and the chemistry was undeniable.”

Sandoval, for his part, claimed during the show’s 2014 reunion special that Doute didn’t respect his boundaries as she hooked up with Kennedy in their shared space. “Kristen basically starts screwing the one guy who would, like, completely turn my life upside down. I was a gentleman, I left her the apartment to herself and what does she do? She bangs this guy that I am getting ready to move in with,” he told viewers at the time. “On my bed. With my condoms. I walked in right after they got done banging and gave him my pants and my underwear. ‘Cause that’s the kind of friend that I am. It’s been a pure nightmare.” (Doute and Kennedy called it quits in fall 2015.)

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May 2020

Doute detailed her ups and downs with Sandoval in her memoir, He’s Making You Crazy. In addition to claiming that her former flame hooked up with Madix while they were together, she alleged that Sandoval once declined having sex with her because he was more interested in playing a game.

“One night as he sat on our couch playing online poker for the eighth day in a row I put my foot down. Enough was enough. I got on my knees and just went for it. He was about to get the best blowjob of his life. And he pushed me away like a leper,” she wrote. “I was wearing f—king lingerie! I was twenty-six, hot, skinny, and drop-dead gorgeous. He would rather get two-pair, aces high than a BJ from his model girlfriend.”

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November 2020

Sandoval fired back at Doute’s book claims during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “I don’t even know where to begin with that book. I think she was just trying to sell copies,” he said. “I read that part of it. It was just a lot of inconsistencies. First and foremost being our computer was in our living room and we always had a roommate. I don’t think I remember Kristen ever owning lingerie either.”

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March 2023

After news broke that Sandoval cheated on Madix with Leviss, Doute revealed via social media that she was “Team Ariana” amid the affair scandal. “I stan Ariana. This is in real-time. I love you so much,” Doute said in an Instagram Story video as she gave Madix a quick peck on the lips. The T-Shirt designer also shared a video in support of Madix, adding: “Karma is indeed coming. So Raquel should just move home.”