A striking coincidence? Fans are convinced the lightning bolt jacket Tom Sandoval wore during a recent concert was a nod to Raquel Leviss.
Sandoval, 40, showed off the design while performing with his band, The Most Extras, on Thursday, May 4, in Long Island. The style choice was immediately noticed by members of the audience and online speculators — considering both Sandoval and Leviss, 28, rocked matching lighting necklaces before their shocking affair came to light.
In March 2023, after it was revealed that the Vanderpump Rules stars were involved with an affair while Sandoval was dating Ariana Madix, fans called out the pendants.
Leviss was spotted wearing the piece in October 2022 during BravoCon at the Javits Center in New York City.
That same month, Sandoval wore the matching chain at the House of Barrie opening in Los Angeles. He donned the silver necklace again at the Vanderpump Rules season 10 premiere in February 2022, also in Los Angeles.
After news of the scandal broke, Us Weekly confirmed that Madix, 37, and Sandoval had called it quits following nine years together. Both the Missouri native and Leviss took to Instagram to issue apology statements to Madix and Pump Rules fans. Sandoval, for his part, said: “I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”
Leviss, meanwhile, wrote: “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.” Her representative confirmed to Us that she is currently focusing on her mental health and checked herself into a treatment center in Arizona.
As for where she stands with Sandoval, the two remain on good terms. In an April 2023 podcast episode of “Howie Mandel Does Stuff,” he revealed that the duo is taking a break but are still “really good friends.”
Madix broke her silence in March 2023 and wrote via Instagram: “To say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone. so many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels.” She added: “What doesn’t kill me better run.” Since then, Madix has enjoyed Coachella, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and more with a source telling Us in April that she is having “the time of her life” being single.
Fans may see Sandoval soon, at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday, May 7, where Madix is also expected to attend with costars Katie Maloney and Scheana Shay. Lala Kent was also set to arrive with the reality stars but backed out in solidarity with writers amid the Writers Guild of America union strike. Host Drew Barrymore also backed out of the gig on Thursday, May 4. In an interview with Variety, she revealed: “I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike.”
While he has yet to confirm his attendance, the hit Bravo show is up for two awards: Best Docu-Reality Series and Best Reality On-Screen Team.
Fans can live stream the annual awards on Sunday, May 7, on MTV’s website at 8 p.m. EST.
