Since his cheating scandal, Tom Sandoval has compared himself to a surprising number of convicted criminals.
Sandoval originally reached stardom after being cast on Vanderpump Rules in 2013. After a decade on screen, Sandoval was thrust into the villain role when his affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss made headlines in March 2023. His attempts to remain in the public eye amid the drama resulted in him touring with his band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, appearing on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and starting his own podcast, titled “Everybody Loves Tom.”
Despite his best efforts, Sandoval remained largely disliked by fans, Vanderpump Rules costars and many celebrities.
“I had no respect for reality TV before,” Sandoval said in an interview with New York Times Magazine in February 2024. “And now I don’t have very much respect for actors. I’m like, ‘Y’all try doing this.’”
Sandoval also slammed his costars for financially benefiting from his scandal, adding, “It’s frustrating because, you know, everybody cashed in. Everybody won on this. The cast, the execs, the network — everybody made so much money. But I try to put it on myself, to make the best opportunity out of it that I can.”
During the infamous profile, Sandoval shocked people when speculated why his affair with Leviss became so big in the media. He ended up name-dropping several high-profile cases such as O.J. Simpson‘s murder trial, George Floyd being murdered by former police officer Derek Chauvin and Danny Masterson being sentenced to 30 years in prison for rape.
Sandoval issued an apology after the swift backlash, writing via Instagram Stories, “My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed.”
Viewers won’t be surprised to find out that Sandoval seemingly found himself relating to another criminal during season 11 of Vanderpump Rules. In a March 2024 episode of the hit Bravo series, Sandoval told Tom Schwartz he felt similar to murderer Scott Peterson.
Keep scrolling for Sandoval’s surprising comparisons to criminals:
O.J. Simpson
“I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?” Sandoval said during his New York Times Magazine profile in February 2024.
Simpson was famously acquitted in the ’90s on charges of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was later convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping for a 2007 incident, resulting in a nine-year jail stint. Floyd, meanwhile, inspired Black Lives Matter protests around the world after Chauvin murdered him during an arrest in 2020.
Danny Masterson
While discussing the fallout of Scandoval, Sandoval told the outlet, “I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson. And he’s a convicted rapist.”
Masterson, who rose to fame as an original cast member on That ‘70s Show, is currently serving out his 30-year sentence after being found guilty on two counts of rape.
Scott Peterson
In an episode of Vanderpump Rules, which aired in March 2024, Schwartz tried to convince Sandoval that the negative public attention would come to an end soon. Sandoval, however, wasn’t as convinced.
“Dude, no. It is not even remotely accurate. I am being treated like I am f—king Scott Peterson,” he said. “And that will f—king linger with me like f—king Scott Peterson.”
Schwartz responded by questioning Sandoval’s comment, adding, “You’re not Scott Peterson. Didn’t he murder his wife?” Sandoval answered: “Allegedly.”
Scott was arrested and charged with two counts of murder in 2003 after his wife, Laci Peterson, disappeared. Laci, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was later found dead and her husband became the prime suspect.
In November 2004, Scott was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Laci and the second-degree murder of the infant. He was originally sentenced to death before that was overturned in 2020. One year later, Scott was re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
