Ariana Cuts Off Schwartz, Katie Drops BravoCon Easter Egg, Kristen Returns and More ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Finale Revelations

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Ariana Cuts Off Schwartz, Katie Drops BravoCon Easter Egg, Kristen Returns and More 'Vanderpump Rules' Finale Revelations

Making Bravo history. The season 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules featured footage of the days after news broke about Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' cheating scandal. During the episode, which aired on Wednesday, May 17, Ariana Madix confronted Tom, 40, about his secret relationship with Raquel, 28. "I wad ride or die for you and I had her back as well. The fact that she has continued to smile in my face while also smiling on FaceTime with you is one of the most God-awful disgusting things I have ever heard of," the Florida native, 37, said. "Why [aren't] you sorry that you did it?" In a confessional, the Schwartz & Sandy's co-owner claimed the former couple had issues they kept private. "Ariana and I just grew apart. We have had issues like this for five years. And we just didn't want that out there in the world," he told the cameras. Us Weekly confirmed in March that the TomTom cofounder and Ariana called it quits after nearly a decade of dating due to his infidelity. As a result, cameras picked back up to capture more footage for a new season finale. In the episode, viewers also got a glimpse at Raquel and Tom's dynamic. The pair, who originally hooked up in August 2022, reflected on their future together. They didn't, however, share a kiss "because there's cameras" filming them. While they didn't tape together post-Sandoval, Raquel attempted to make amends with Ariana off screen with a public statement. "I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana," she wrote via Instagram in March. That same month, the model offered an update on her relationship with Tom ahead of the reunion taping. “It started off as a friendship and turned into something more,” Raquel told TMZ. “We’re just trying to get through these next through steps and make amends and hear everybody out. I know a lot of people are angry. So just getting through these next few steps and not putting a label on anything. We’re just kind of taking a break for now.” [jwplayer wBvyFOon-zhNYySv2] The bar owner, however, later clarified that he and Raquel took a step back from their romance. “We’re really good friends,” he said on an April episode of the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast. “Were not putting any label on it.” Tom, who first hooked up with Raquel in August 2022, also detailed the early stages of their affair. "I was seeing Raquel as often as I could. I know that sounds horrible," he said, referring to the time the pair spent filming season 10. "And FaceTiming her all the time. And Ariana didn't even notice because that's just how separate our lives were. I had to actually tell her, 'How have you not noticed how distant I've been lately?'" Amid the public backlash, Us confirmed that Raquel entered a mental health facility. "Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling," a statement from her rep read in April, which clarified that the former beauty pageant queen was in rehab, but not seeking help for substance abuse issues. "Raquel had planned to admit herself before the VPR reunion was taped on March 23. She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health." According to Tom, Raquel has been "doing great" after choosing to seek treatment. “Raquel is in a mental facility,” he told TMZ in April. “Whether she decides to tell you where that is after the fact — that’s where Raquel is. No visitors, no friends, no family, no phone, no nothing.” Scroll on for more revelations from the Vanderpump Rules season 10 finale:

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Sandoval and Ariana Address Their Ups and Downs

During the episode, Sandoval alleged that the pair had issues for many years before their split. "Our relationship just wasn't the same. We would be separated and you would go your way and I would go mine. We had no sex life," he told Ariana. "Once I turned 40 I was like, 'This can't be the rest of my life.'"

According to the Missouri native, his ex-girlfriend "put pressure" on him to stay together. He went on to say that he formed a "support system" with Raquel before Ariana interrupted him.

"Don't you dare talk to me about a deep connection. I can't believe you," she said. "I regret every moment I stood up for you, defended you, supported you. You are worth nothing and I want you feel that deep in your soul. I want you to hear those words coming from the mouth of the woman who stood by you and loved you and was ready to build the rest of my life around you. Hear my words and know that is how I feel about you. I regret ever loving you."

Ariana made it clear that she didn't plan to speak to Sandoval again, adding, "I would have followed you anywhere. I would have changed any part of whatever you were happy with — I was 100 percent committed to you as of two days ago."

Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo

Schwartz Opens Up About the Scandoval Backlash

Amid the controversy, Tom Schwartz questioned why his business partner took so long to come clean.

"You f—ked yo man. You had a game plan — you just didn't put it in motion. I love you [but] I just want you to know it is not good," the Minnesota native, 40, who later revealed he knew about the affair since August 2022, said. "We went from 4.8 stars on Yelp to 1 star at Schwartz & Sandy's. We have 20 employees who count on us."

Schwartz continued: "I exhausted my soul for Schwartz & Sandy's. I put everything I had into it. And now to think this place could fall apart because of Tom's affair is soul-crushing."

The former model shut his best friend down when Sandoval claimed Ariana "didn't want to know" about his infidelity. "You don't put that responsibility on her," Schwartz said.

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Sandoval Breaks Down the Affair Timeline

"After guys' night [in August 2022], nothing happened then. But the next day, Raquel and I went to The Abbey and we were taking some shots and we just kissed. I felt something in that moment that I hadn't felt in a very long time," Sandoval gushed to Schwartz. "After that night, nothing happened until Live Is Beautiful [in September 2022]. Ariana never asked. All she would have to do was follow me and see that [I was lying about where I was going]."

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Scheana's Initial Response

The "Good as Gold" singer, 37, was filmed days after Raquel filed an order of protection against her. (In paperwork obtained by Us at the time, the former beauty queen claimed a physical altercation over the cheating scandal occurred after her and Scheana's joint appearance on Andy Cohen's talk show.)

"The other night I had so much rage in me. I was so angry and I shoved her so f—king hard away from me. I ran back to my hotel and I have no idea if my nails scratched her when I pushed her — she turned her head toward the fence or the wall," she told Ariana on screen. "But now she called Schwartz and said, 'Scheana punched me.'"

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Katie Connects the BravoCon Dots

"At BravoCon [in October 2022], Raquel wore a TomTom hoodie with basically nothing on underneath. At the time I thought it was about her and Schwartz," the Utah native, 36, who announced her split from Schwartz in March 2022, shared. "It turns out she is a fan-girl just of the other Tom and Schwartz knew about it the whole time."

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Lala Accuses Sandoval of Past Infidelity

"I think Tom has been hooking up with a lot of people. A few years I heard the rumors that Tom and Billie Lee go off and do whatever they do," the Give Them Lala author, 32, claimed in a confessional. "We need to open that case back up — it went cold and I don't think it is cold no more."

In old footage from a past reunion, Tom and Billie denied the affair rumors.

Credit: Courtesy of Raquel Leviss/Instagram

Sandoval and Raquel Declare Their Love for Each Other

During their first onscreen moment as a couple, Raquel reflected on the aftermath of her affair with Sandoval.

"I know we always said we wouldn't f—king do this if it wasn't worth it. This is not ideal how it imploded," she admitted, before elaborating in a confessional. "I was just so curious what it would feel like to be physical with someone that you love because I knew that I loved him as a friend. And I never had sex like that before. I should have removed myself from the situation but I didn't have the willpower to not see him."

The pair, who shared an "I love you" while filming, refused to kiss for the camera. Raquel, however, revealed her concerns about her future with Sandoval.

"Am I really going to put my life on the line for someone who would cheat on someone that they loved so much?" she asked Sandoval. "Because that makes me think you could be capable of doing that to me and I don't want to get caught up in this whirlwind romance where I am blind to this things."

The former SUR bartender, for his part, noted he wasn't sure about where he and Raquel will end up, saying, "I can't predict the future. Maybe things will work out between Raquel and me and maybe they won't but when I kissed Raquel I felt hope. I felt like, 'You aren't washed up and your best days aren't behind you.'"

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Raquel's Disappearance

A text card appeared after Raquel and Sandoval's scene, which read, "After filming this scene, Raquel turned off her phone and was not seen or heard from for weeks."

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Kristen Makes an Appearance

The Michigan native, 40, who was fired from Vanderpump Rules in June 2020, made a cameo in the episode where she helped Ariana manifest positive thoughts for her future.

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Ariana Parts Ways With Schwartz

Later in the finale, Ariana addressed her issues with Schwartz after he defended Sandoval to her.

"I don't think you are a [co-conspirator] but I will not have mutual friends with him. So I am not your friend anymore," she explained before breaking out into tears. "I was his ride or die and defended him — to you even. Trying to get him to go five days without drinking so he could get his sperm tested so we could have embryos because if he really wanted that down the road I wanted him to have that. I wish I didn't miss him but I feel like what I miss isn't real."

Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo

Sandoval Comes Clean

The TV personality claimed in a scene with Scheana that he had plans to pull the plug on his relationship since his 40th birthday. He also finally confessed to season 3 rumors that he hooked up with Annemarie Maldonado, who was known as Miami Girl on the show.

"Ariana has always known the truth about Miami Girl," he told the California native. "There was one other time. Yeah [it was a random person]. Well no. It isn't fair, I am not going into it."