Tom Sandoval Apologizes to Ariana Madix: ‘I Wish Things Happened in a Different Order’
Vanderpump Rules star and sometimes actor Tom Sandoval took to Instagram to apologize to his all-of-a-sudden ex-girlfriend and co-author Ariana Madix. For anyone who doesn’t know, Madix reportedly discovered Sandoval was involved in a months-long affair with their cast-mate Raquel Leviss. That was allegedly thanks to a pornographic video she found on his phone.
After news and much speculation of the Bravo couple’s split broke, Sandoval issued a statement acknowledging painful mistakes and recklessness. Notably, Leviss also released a public apology to Madix and fans of the show. And she tried to explain why she opted to sabotage multiple friendships in favor of romantic attention from a pal’s longtime boyfriend.
Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix’s relationship in brief
As the longest-lasting couple on Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval and Madix’s relationship had a big fan following. They established a romance way back in 2013. It developed amid Sandoval’s messy breakup with fired co-star Kristen Doute and was confirmed at the show’s second-season reunion.
Rumors emerged over the years that Sandoval and Madix’s secret to success was an open relationship. However, she shot down such talk. According to her, they were supposed to be monogamous. So, when she allegedly found a pornographic video of Leviss on Sandoval’s phone, it marked the end of their relationship (per Up and Adam!).
Tom Sandoval apologizes to Ariana Madix and everyone else he hurt
On Instagram, Sandoval apologized to Madix and “everyone [he] hurt through this process.” As a side note, we might not have picked “process” to describe a public cheating scandal, but it’s his statement. He didn’t explicitly say he cheated with Leviss, but he shared that he wanted to apologize to Madix “most of all.”
“I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love,” he confessed, presumably talking about the alleged affair. He added, “No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”
Sandoval said he “can’t imagine how devastating this has been” for Madix and “everyone around” the couple, noting he feels “really horrible about that.”
“My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana,” he wrote. “I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”
Sandoval claimed his “love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever have captured” and said some of their “best times together were never filmed.”
“The same goes for some of our biggest struggles,” he shared. “I wish things happened in a different order and our relationship was not severely tarnished, and that it ended with the same respect … for her that it began with. I owed Ariana better.”
He concluded by saying he is “beyond sad” that his relationship ended with choices that “hurt so many people” and clashed with “who and how [he wants] to be.” He added, “I will continue to reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have, and I always will.”
While Sandoval did not confess to cheating with Leviss, she also apologized to Madix, which all but spelled it out.
Raquel Leviss apologizes to Ariana Madix, claims she is addicted to ‘being and feeling loved’
Leviss also issued an apology, but hers came through ET. She said, “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,” she noted, adding she “deeply [regrets] hurting Ariana.”
Leviss acknowledged that she’d prioritized romance over her friendships and added she’s working to figure out why that is. She said she’s “reflecting on [her] choices, speaking to a counselor, and … learning things about [herself], such as … patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved.”
She explained, “I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
Sources claim Sandoval and Leviss are trying to make their relationship work (per Up and Adam!).
