Ariana Madix is back in the Clubhouse to tell Andy Cohen — and Us — about what to expect on the new season of Vanderpump Rules.
Ariana, 38, made an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Sunday, December 10, and fielded a series of questions about her castmates. Andy, 55, began by asking who cries the most season, and Madix chose Lala Kent. She went on to say James Kennedy talked the most behind people’s backs and identified Brock Davies as the person who “cozied up” the most to Tom Sandoval.
While Ariana previously hinted she wouldn’t tolerate her costars maintaining friendships with Sandoval, 41, she said on Sunday that she’s relaxed her policy somewhat. “My feeling is that I will never tell anyone else what to do or who to be with, but I will make sure that I’m behaving the way that makes me comfortable,” she explained. “So, if I feel uncomfortable with how someone is moving in regards to that I will just remove myself.”
Ariana then returned to Andy’s line of superlative questioning, choosing Scheana Shay as “the biggest pot-stirrer” and Katie Maloney as “the most loyal friend.” Ariana also noted that she and Katie, 36, “consistently” drank the most during season 11 — but mostly because their other costars were staying sober.
Ariana’s boyfriend, Daniel Wai, was in the audience during her WWHL appearance, but she noted that he won’t actually appear on season 11 of Pump Rules very much. “You might see him maybe, like, once or twice, but he lives here [in New York City], and it’s not really his world,” she explained. “But he was a good sport.”
Later in the episode, Andy asked Ariana what she thought of Raquel Leviss starting a podcast. “Do your thing, girl,” Ariana replied, adding that she would not appear on the show if asked.
Ariana also shared an update on where she and Sandoval stand regarding their home, which they still own. While filming Dancing With the Stars, Ariana stayed in an Airbnb with her dog and cat, but she still goes home occasionally to get her things. She wants to sell the house, but Sandoval doesn’t. “I’m working on the situation with the ownership of the house,” she noted. “I would love for that to be resolved quickly, so if Joe Weiner could get really back to my lawyer, that’d be great.”
Ariana’s candid WWHL appearance comes more than six months after the reality star sat down with Andy in her first post-Scandoval interview. Ariana made headlines in March when news broke that she and Sandoval called it quits on their nearly 10-year relationship due to his affair with their now-former costar Raquel, 29.
At the time, Ariana took a brief social media break before returning to thank her fans and friends for supporting her. She reunited with her Vanderpump Rules cast members — including Raquel and Sandoval — later that month when they filmed the explosive season 10 reunion.
After filming wrapped on the Bravo special, Sandoval leaned into the public attention by going on tour with his band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, making an appearance on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and starting a podcast titled “Everybody Loves Tom.”
Raquel, meanwhile, entered a mental health facility for a 90-day treatment program. After leaving the facility, Raquel confirmed that she had no plans to return to film season 11 of Vanderpump Rules as she remained focused on her well-being.
She has since made her first red carpet debut since the scandal and will be releasing a podcast called “Rachel Goes Rogue,” which references the decision to use her birth name again.
Ariana, meanwhile, offered a glimpse into how she was navigating the major life changes by returning to film season 11. The upcoming season will highlight both the messy and positive aspects of her new chapter, such as Ariana’s friendships and her romance with personal trainer Wai.
Ariana, who was crowned Us Weekly‘s inaugural Reality Star of the Year, has also left her mark by taking part in season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, joining Broadway’s Chicago as Roxie Hart in an upcoming six-week run, releasing her new Single AF Cocktails book and preparing to open her sandwich shop, Something About Her, with Katie.
The TV personality recently opened up about the biggest lessons she learned from the scandal.
“This situation made me realize that I can do hard things. The worst-case scenario literally did happen, and I was OK. Like, look — you can handle what’s thrown at you,” Ariana exclusively told Us in her October cover story. “I’ve grown up [since joining the show]. I’m somebody who never really wanted to grow up. [But] over time, I’ve been able to love myself more and give myself a lot more grace when it comes to things we go through during filming. And that has allowed me to give others more grace.”
