‘Vanderpump Rules: Ariana Madix and Cynthia Bailey From ‘RHOA’ Share Powerful Quiet Strength [Exclusive]
Ariana Madix probably didn’t anticipate she’d be the focal point of this messy season of Vanderpump Rules. But amid the cheating scandal that rocked the Bravo universe, Madix is more famous and popular than ever.
She’s added thousands of Instagram followers and is being compared to Princess Diana. Her smoking hot, red revenge dress she rocked for the reunion went viral, plus Madix scored an acting gig on Lifetime. Former Hollywood publicist and acquaintance Amir Yass told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that while the scandal is devastating for Madix, it is certainly shining a light on her quiet power.
Yass likened Madix’s sudden popularity surge to another Bravoleb, Cynthia Bailey from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Bailey was a franchise pillar and when she left, fans definitely felt her absence. Yass said stars like Bailey and Madix share some of the same qualities as being important to the franchise but are not always given the credit they deserve.
‘Vanderpump Rules’ cheating episode will be explosive
Vanderpump Rules Season 10 was originally going to focus on how Raquel Leviss and newly divorced Tom Schwartz might navigate a relationship in the friend group. But in early March, the shocking news came out that Leviss was actually having a months-long affair with Madix’s boyfriend Tom Sandoval. Sandoval and Madix aren’t just dating. They’ve been together for nine years, share a $2 million home they purchased, and have businesses together.
Since the scandal news broke, coined as “Scandoval” Vanderpump Rules ratings are higher than ever. Yass predicts that the final episode, which producers scrambled to get, will be explosive when it comes to ratings.
“They’re going to have the highest viewership when the episode comes out where we see the confrontation. I mean, even if you don’t watch the show, it’s everywhere. You can’t avoid it,” he said.
Ariana Madix is similar to Cynthia Bailey
Yass released a podcast episode with Madix in 2020. He said the episode did OK, but an episode would blow up if he were to have her as a guest today. “I had Ariana on my podcast and it did OK. But if I had her on today oh, my God,” he said. “The downloads would be insane because people have really rallied around her. They see themselves in her. She was so open about her depression during her coming out, she’s been so vulnerable. And she shared her story.”
“She’s always been really genuine and funny,” Yass added. “And if you notice that in every season, in the trailer the one-liners are always Ariana’s. Even this season, she’s like, ‘We’re done! We’re done!'”
“She kind of reminds me of like a Cynthia Bailey, like they don’t get the credit,” he said. “They’re a part of it. And when they leave, when Cynthia Bailey left people were like, Oh, s***. Like, yeah, she was doing a lot.”
Ariana Madix, ‘Vanderpump Rules’ women, and other Bravolebs need a spin-off
“So I think Ariana is going to get her credit,” Yass continued. “If I was Andy [Cohen] I would give her a special. Like Girls’ Trip trip with, Ariana and Katie [Maloney] and Lala [Kent]. And then they go to, like, the Bahamas for a week or something.”
“I have another idea! I would do her, and the other girls from Vanderpump Rules,” he added. “And I would do like Naomie [Olindo from Southern Charm]. Because they’ve all kind of been cheated on. So it would be all the girls who have kind of been f***ed over by guys.”
