Scandoval timeline: Breaking down the Tom Sandoval-Raquel Leviss-Ariana Madix drama
Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have called it quits after he was caught having an affair with the now-exes’ “Vanderpump Rules” castmate Raquel Leviss.
The news broke on March 1, 2023, as Madix was supporting Sandoval at a concert for his cover band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, at TomTom in West Hollywood.
Page Six was on the scene and chatted with the frontman before his show, during which he gushed over his then-girlfriend of nearly 10 years.
“We definitely have our ups and downs, for sure, but I think we’ve been really good about respecting each other,” he told us.
Sandoval added that he and Madix have had “each other’s backs in a reasonable way … within reason,” noting, “I think it’s just worked, ya know?”
We’re told the blond beauty was “blindsided” and “heartbroken” when she discovered the musician’s infidelity later in the night after a sexually explicit video of Leviss popped up on his phone.
The Bravo fandom, too, is still reeling over the Scandoval. Below, Page Six takes a closer look at how Sandoval, Madix and Leviss got here:
Summer 2013: Kristen Doute accuses boyfriend Tom Sandoval of cheating with Ariana Madix
Tom Sandoval and Kristen Doute started dating in 2006, but their romance wasn’t documented on television until “Vanderpump Rules” premiered in 2013.
Soon after the cameras started rolling, Doute became suspicious of her then-boyfriend’s relationship with fellow SUR employee Madix and accused him of cheating, which he initially denied.
January 2014: Sandoval and Doute split
Sandoval and Doute decided to end their eight-year relationship in January 2014 after dealing with breakup rumors for weeks.
A source at the time claimed Doute moved her belongings out of their shared West Hollywood apartment following many nights of “loud fights.”
February 2014: Sandoval admits to cheating on Doute with Madix
Sandoval finally admitted during the “VPR” Season 2 reunion that he did, in fact, kiss Madix while he was dating Doute.
February 2014: Madix and Sandoval go Instagram-official
Madix and Sandoval went Instagram-official four days before Valentine’s Day 2014.
The bar owner posted a sweet snap from the pair’s getaway to San Francisco earlier that month and wrote, “@ariana252525 and I took a trip up north and stopped by the Clift in SF #whatatrip.”
November 2014: Doute accuses Sandoval of cheating on Madix with “Miami Girl”
In the “VPR” Season 3 premiere, Doute told Madix she thought Sandoval hooked up with a woman — commonly referred to as “Miami Girl” — during a trip to Southern Florida.
“If I’m not worried about it, it’s not something to worry about,” Madix told her boyfriend’s ex following the accusations.
But Doute didn’t let her suspicions go, and fans saw her bring the mystery girl, later identified as AnneMarie Kunkel, to SUR in hopes that a confrontation would take place. Sandoval, however, didn’t take the bait.
“There are no texts between me and this Miami girl that prove anything more than a social hangout in a group setting went down,” he said. “The obvious reason is because absolutely nothing happened! Kristen is lying or at the very least reaching for something that doesn’t exist.”
November 2016: Raquel Leviss makes her first appearance on “Vanderpump Rules”
“VPR” cast member James Kennedy’s then-girlfriend, Raquel Leviss, made her first appearance on the show as a guest in Season 5.
The DJ started dating Leviss after splitting from Doute, whom he dated for a period after the latter woman’s breakup with Sandoval.
Leviss was promoted to a recurring cast member the following season and eventually became a regular cast member in Season 9.
February 2019: Madix and Sandoval buy a house together
Sandoval and Madix took their relationship to the next level when they purchased a home together in February 2019.
The stunning Valley Village, Calif., house cost the pair $2 million and features five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.
May 2021: Leviss and James Kennedy get engaged
Kennedy asked Leviss to marry him in an elaborate, Coachella-themed proposal in May 2021. The engagement, planned with plenty of help from Sandoval, was covered on “VPR.”
“James proposed at the iconic Empire Polo Fields of ‘RACHELLA’ Friday night… and I said YES!” Leviss gushed on Instagram after saying, “Yes.”
It was later revealed that Sandoval actually helped Kennedy front the cost of the extravagant evening.
“James and I split the $25K [bill] because nothing brings me more joy than to help a friend accomplish a dream that they have,” he said on the show.
November 2021: Madix freezes her eggs
Madix planned to freeze her eggs with “VPR” co-star Scheana Shay, but when the latter got pregnant, Madix decided to go through with the procedure alone.
“This does not mean that I’m jumping on the baby train,” she explained. “It’s about having agency over my own body and my own future.”
She also called the experience “a nice fun f–k you” to people who questioned her “values.”
December 2021: Leviss and Kennedy call off their engagement
Leviss and Kennedy’s engagement only lasted seven months before they decided to call off the wedding and break up.
The pair — who “decided [they] have two different goals” — announced the split in a joint Instagram statement that read, in part, “We love each other very much, but we aren’t in love anymore.”
They continued, “We want nothing but the best for each other so please keep any thoughts positive. Sending Love.”
Summer 2022: “VPR” Season 10 starts filming
“Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 started filming around July 2022.
The installment featured Sandoval, Madix, Leviss, Kennedy, Shay, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz as main cast members.
Summer 2022: Leviss and Sandoval secretly start hooking up
As previously reported, their affair pre-dated Leviss’ flirtations with Sandoval’s best friend and business partner, Schwartz.
An insider told Page Six that Leviss and Sandoval’s romance “began last summer” and claimed that she “has slept over at Tom and Ariana’s house when Ariana’s been out of town.”
Castmate Kennedy corroborated the information in an Instagram direct message sent to Deuxmoi in March 2023, claiming the affair started “7 months” prior, which would have been July 2022.
Kennedy even claimed the pair’s escapades at Sandoval and Madix’s shared Los Angeles home sometimes took place while “Ariana [was] sleeping.”
July 2022: Leviss goes on “a few dates” with SUR manager Peter Madrigal
“We have gone on a few dates,” Leviss told Us Weekly in July. “He asked me out after my breakup, obviously, and I was like, ‘Well why not? Right?’ I’m a yes-man now.”
That same month, she pulled the plug on her connection with Madrigal and told him she was no longer interested in pursuing him.
The conversation occurred at Sandoval’s Hollywood bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s — which he co-owns with Schwartz — and aired in a recent episode of “VPR.”
August 2022: Tom Schwartz hooks up with Leviss
The “Vanderpump Rules” cast’s web of relationships got a little more tangled when Leviss made out with Schwartz at Shay’s wedding to Brock Davies in August 2022.
“Apparently there was some heavy drinking involved,” a source claimed at the time.
Schwartz, whose divorce from Katie Maloney wasn’t finalized until October 2022, confirmed the hookup to Daily Mail that same month, but clarified that he and Leviss were not a couple.
He joked, “My mom hit me up and she’s like, ‘You don’t have to tell me, but I know you’re dating Raquel.’ And I’m like, ‘Mom, I’m not dating Raquel!'”
October 2022: Sandoval dresses up as Leviss for Halloween
The costume — which included a TomTom sweatshirt Leviss famously wore to BravoCon 2022 — was a nod to her ongoing beef with Maloney, who called her a “fangirl” after Leviss hooked up with Maloney’s ex-husband, Schwartz.
Sandoval’s getup is still highlighted on Leviss’ Instagram page despite the backlash she is receiving for the affair.
Lisa Vanderpump called out Sandoval’s Halloween costume at the Season 10 reunion post-Scandoval, saying it was “bizarre,” to which Sandoval argued he was simply poking fun at “a thing online.”
March 1, 2023: Scheana Shay learns about affair while on press tour with Leviss
Shay, who is BFFs with Madix, learned about the cheating scandal after taping “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” with Leviss in NYC on March 1, an insider told Page Six.
“At one point in the night, Scheana lost Raquel and then found her outside of the bar on the phone with Ariana, who Scheana could hear was bawling,” the source said.
The insider noted that Shay asked Leviss for an explanation about what was happening, which finally prompted her co-star to confess while Madix was “still on the phone.”
“A heated confrontation ensued following the revelation,” our source said. “They went back to the hotel separately and haven’t seen each other nor spoken since.”
March 1, 2023: Sandoval performs with his band at TomTom
Madix and Sandoval’s ex Doute cheered the singer on during a performance of his new original single, “Superstars,” dancing together and recording videos on their phones to remember the moment.
Before Sandoval took the stage at TomTom in LA, Madix gushed over how “dedicated” he is as a partner.
One audience member’s question, which a bandmate read aloud, was: “Do you think the show [‘Vanderpump Rules’] accurately portrays you?”
Sandoval began to answer but quickly handed the mic to Madix, who proceeded to praise him.
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“In some ways, yes; in some ways, no,” she explained. “I think the way that they show how dedicated and extra [he is] because I’m looking at the word ‘extra…’
“But when I say dedicated to everything that you do and the way that you commit to everything that you do — that part is accurate,” Madix added, speaking directly to Sandoval.
“But I think there are some things that are not accurate,” she pointed out. “Like, for example, you get ready really fast. I take forever. But I think that on the show, you would think it was the other way around.”
At attendee then shouted, “Give her a kiss!”
Madix agreed, repeating, “Yeah, give me a kiss!” to which Sandoval obliged.
Moments later, she uncovered his infidelity when she discovered a sexually explicit video of Leviss on his phone.
March 3, 2023: Scandoval news breaks
Madix found out Sandoval was having a “full-on affair,” according to insiders, after realizing the two had been “communicating inappropriately for months,” her first signal being the X-rated video of Leviss.
Madix swiftly dumped him.
March 3, 2023: Sandoval and Madix discuss the affair on camera
Insiders close to production said Madix felt “gaslit” by Sandoval, who made a series of excuses for not admitting his infidelity sooner, in an on-camera chat following the affair reveal.
“Ariana walked away from the conversation feeling like she was gaslit by Tom,” a source exclusively told us of the interaction that took place at the exes’ shared home in Los Angeles’ Valley Village enclave. (They are both still living there as they navigate the split.)
“He gave her several excuses as to why he never copped to cheating,” the insider continued.
“Tom said he didn’t tell her about the affair with Raquel because he was worried about how it would impact her mental health, even claiming that he was especially concerned after her grandma died last year.”
Another source shared, “The fact that they own a home together was also brought up, and how he thought that would make their breakup even more complicated.”
Madix was “perturbed” by how the scene went, the insider noted, adding that the majority of her co-stars are “disappointed” by how they feel Sandoval is handling the breakup.
March 4, 2023: Sandoval speaks out
Sandoval addressed the cheating scandal in a statement shared via Instagram.
“Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger & disappointment towards me, but please leave [Tom] Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation…” he wrote in part.
But Sandoval also urged fans not to “direct [their] anger” over his indiscretions at his Schwartz & Sandy’s business partners, seemingly responding to a flood of negative Yelp reviews and calls for a “boycott” of the establishment.
Sandoval — who described himself as “one of the most hated people in America” during a subsequent concert in Anaheim, Calif. — failed to apologize directly to Madix or mention her name in his statement, a choice that was met with fierce criticism from his “VPR” castmates.
“Where’s the mention of hurting Ariana?!” Maloney wrote on her Instagram Story. “No apologies to her??”
Kent was equally incensed, adding on her own Story, “where’s Ariana’s apology in this? It’s called narcissism… & it’s terrifying.”
That same night, Sandoval was photographed entering Leviss’ apartment.
March 8, 2023: Leviss breaks her silence
Leviss broke her silence on the affair four days after Sandoval posted his statement.
“There is no excuse. I am not a victim, and I must own my actions, and I deeply regret hurting Ariana,” her statement read.
She also admitted to having “patterns of codependency” and an “addiction to being and feeling loved.”
The following day, she posted another statement that addressed her “sincere” feelings for Sandoval.
“I care for Tom and I don’t want to label anything or predict what lies ahead,” she wrote. “Right now I need to heal.”
March 8, 2023: Leviss’ legal bombshell
The former pageant queen shocked everyone when she filed for — and was granted — a temporary restraining order against Shay, whom she claimed “punched” her in the face following a “heated confrontation” moments after the latter found out about the affair.
Legal docs filed by Leviss contain photos of what appears to be a black eye and cut on her eyebrow, which she claimed she sustained after Shay hit her.
Leviss also alleged in the docs that Shay “pushed her against a brick wall,” causing “injury” to the back of her head.
Shay’s lawyer denied Leviss’ accusations, calling her a “liar and a cheat” who fabricated the entire story.
March 16, 2023: Madix speaks out
Madix stayed off social media and jetted off to a friend’s wedding in Mexico in the days that immediately followed Scandoval. She eventually returned to the internet and broke her silence with a statement posted on Instagram nearly two weeks after Scandoval initially broke.
“to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement,” she wrote, adding that many of her friends are also “reeling from this betrayal.”
March 23, 2023: Reunion taping
Leviss and Sandoval were photographed together for the first time since the affair news broke outside the “Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 reunion taping on March 23, 2023.
The entire cast — including Madix, who wore a telling tracksuit that read “1-800-BOYS-LIE” — had gathered in LA earlier that day for the shoot, which Lala Kent described as “exhausting.”
“I feel like I want to crawl into a hole and sob and scream,” Kent said on social media after filming wrapped.
She did not go into detail about what occurred, but it was later reported that host Andy Cohen had to physically restrain two cast members that almost got physical.
Ex-“Pump Rules” star Jax Taylor confirmed that a “brawl” nearly took place during the taping, but did not reveal which co-stars were involved.
March 24, 2023: Leviss drops restraining order
Leviss dropped her request for a permanent restraining order against Shay, she announced in a statement on March 24, 2023.
“I can confirm that my attorney took my case off the court calendar Wednesday and is filing the appropriate paperwork requested by the court today to dismiss the TRO (temporary restraining order) from moving forward after the 29th,” she said.
Leviss added that she wanted to drop the legal case because she didn’t want to “cause Scheana further agony and stress.”
April 14, 2023: Leviss checks into a treatment center
Leviss checked herself into a mental health facility in the wake of the Scandoval backlash.
“Raquel and her family decided months before the relationship was discovered that she needed mental health treatment and ultimately decided she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” the “Vanderpump Rules” star’s rep told Page Six in a statement on April 14, 2023.
Her rep added that Leviss was allegedly “scheduled to go in pre-reunion,” but decided to delay check-in so she could “finish her filming commitment.”
April 16, 2023: Madix’s new man
Madix was spotted making out with fitness coach Daniel Wai on the first weekend of Coachella 2023. The pair were seen canoodling again when they headed back to LA and have been inseparable ever since.
A month later, they headed to NYC together and were spotted on a romantic date night.
Madix revealed on the “Today” show in May that she and Wai met at a friend’s wedding 10 days after Scandoval.
“I’m enjoying myself and I would say I’m very happy right now,” she gushed.
May 2023: Leviss and Sandoval split
Two months after the news of their shocking affair hit the internet, Page Six revealed Leviss and Sandoval had called it quits.
“Raquel dipped out. Sandoval is not the one for her,” an insider told us.
However, Madix had her doubts.
“I don’t buy that at all,” the actress told host Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live.” “She was sending letters to my house like four days ago.”
May 17, 2023: Scandoval finale episode airs
Fans not-so patiently waited for the Scandoval episode of “Vanderpump Rules” to air after the bombshell affair news broke.
Finally, on May 17, 2023, viewers saw the cast dealing with the aftermath of Leviss and Sandoval’s actions during the show’s Season 10 finale.
May 24, 2023: Madix goes on “Call Her Daddy” and reunion begins
Madix sat down with “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper for her first major post-Scandoval interview.
During the May 24, 2023, episode, the betrayed reality star claimed Sandoval and Leviss once “went to the guest room and f—ked” while she was sleeping in the next room in the now-former couple’s shared home.
The first installment of the three-part “Pump Rules” reunion aired later that day.
In it, Madix shared the first text she received from Leviss following the affair bombshell: “Ariana, I don’t know what to say right now besides I really f–ked up and I am so so so sorry.” Madix responded, “Shut the f–k up you f–king RAT.”
May 31, 2023: Reunion continues
An irate Sandoval exploded on a “Pump Rules” producer during part two of the reunion on May 31, 2023, for not allowing him to talk to Leviss off-camera.
“We legally have to have a break,” he said, later shouting, “I need a break from filming!”
Leviss and Shay had to be physically separated during the taping because their restraining order was still in place at the time, so they took turns being on set with the cast and watching the drama play out from a trailer in the parking lot.
Sandoval, Madix and Leviss each sat down for one-on-one interviews with Cohen as well, with the former pageant queen blaming the affair on the Something About Her co-owner during hers.
June 7, 2023: Reunion bombshell drops
The third and final part of the reunion aired on June 7, 2023, and ended with Leviss talking to an off-camera producer about the lies she and Sandoval told at the March 23 taping.
Among the many bombshells, Leviss copped to having sex with Sandoval “multiple times” while in Mexico for Shay’s wedding in August 2022. She also admitted to hooking up with him at his and Madix’s home, which he vehemently denied at the reunion.
“Tom wanted to lie about [it] because it’s a really bad look to hookup with someone’s boyfriend in their own house when they’ve gone out of a town, especially for a funeral, of all things,” she said while sobbing.
Additionally, Leviss revealed she asked Sandoval whether he would be open to being in a “throuple” with Madix.
The most disturbing moment for many viewers, however, came earlier in the episode when Sandoval mocked Madix for wearing a T-shirt during sex and sarcastically saying, “It was really hot.” She promptly responded by selling “F—k Me in This T-Shirt” merch.
