Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix couldn’t be happier to be paired up with Pasha Pashkov for season 32 of Dancing With the Stars.
“I already won because I have the best partner,” Madix, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 13, shortly after the full season 32 cast was revealed on Good Morning America.
Madix added that she is “really stoked” about the matchup “because I have only heard the best things about Pasha.” Pashkov, 37, who welcomed daughter Nikita with wife and fellow DWTS pro Daniella Karagach in May, echoed his partner’s sentiments.
“I was very excited and I think mostly because I know Ariana’s story and I think she’s here with a clear intention,” he told Us. “She is on a mission right now in her life, and I just want to be part of the journey and [be] a good support system to bring it to life.”
Madix agreed with Pashkov, noting that she feels “like I’m in a new phase” of life. “I’m ready to just take on whatever I can and do my best,” she said.
The Bravo star made headlines in March when she and Tom Sandoval called it quits after nine years of dating due to his affair with their costar Raquel Leviss. The Pump Rules cast hashed out the drama during the highly anticipated three-part season 10 reunion, which aired in May and June. Madix and Sandoval, 41, have both since returned to film season 11 of the reality series while Leviss, 29, stepped away from the show in the wake of the scandal.
Last month, Leviss spoke out about the affair for the first time since entering a mental health treatment facility in April. During the bombshell interview on Bethenny Frankel’s “ReWives” podcast, Leviss downplayed her former friendship with Madix, saying it was a “narrative” that was “written” for her.
“It is more salacious that way. Ariana and I were not best friends,” she claimed. “We were acquaintances who became friends through the show. She’s always been somebody who’s been very sweet to me. She would stand up for me and encourage me to pursue whatever I was, I don’t know … pursuing. And that was all great — but we never had, like, a deep conversation that I would have with a best friend.”
Later that month, Madix reacted to Leviss’ comments during an appearance on Scheana Shay’s “Scheananigans” podcast.
“That was very hurtful … [and] a very obvious lie,” she alleged. “I was very much under the impression that we were, like, really good friends. And I didn’t come to that impression lightly. … It wasn’t fake to me.”
As for for where Madix stands with Sandoval, the exes are still living under the same roof in their shared L.A. home. However, their relationship is less than chummy. During her appearance on “Scheananigans” last month, Madix revealed that she sleeps “with my door locked. Just in case.”
Despite the precaution, Madix said she sleeps “a lot easier at night not giving a f—k” about what time Sandoval comes home. “Toward the end of [our relationship], while he was having the affair, him staying out late all the time was always something that made my anxiety super, super bad,” she explained.
Sandoval, for his part, said on Wednesday that he’ll be rooting for Madix to do well on Dancing With the Stars.
“I will be voting for her. I think she’s going to do really well,” he said during an interview with Extra. “She’s got a lot of actual ability when it comes to dancing. She’s been wanting to be on the show for a long time. I’m super stoked for her. I hope she does really well. I think she will.”
Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars premieres Tuesday, September 26, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
