It was surprising when Vanderpump Rules celeb Tom Sandoval, who has been on the show since its debut in 2013, admitted that he cheated on his long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss. While Tom and Ariana have had problems in the past, and it has even been speculated that Tom cheated on his ex Kristen Doute with Ariana prior to their relationship, the news is certainly shocking. Tom and Kristen, who dated for six years before breaking up in 2012, haven't seen eye-to-eye since their split. However, Kristen has managed, rather ironically, to become friends with Tom's now-ex-girlfriend, Ariana.
As more information has surfaced about Tom and Raquel's alleged affair, longtime Vanderpump Rules cast members are reacting. For some, the situation came out of left field, due to Raquel's recent rendezvous with Tom Schwartz, which heavily impacted his relationship with his former wife, Katie Maloney. With current and former VPR cast members chiming in with their own takes on the drama, Tom and Ariana's relationship has definitely been a hot topic for the last several days.
Longtime Vanderpump Rules Star Katie Maloney's Reaction
Katie, who recently appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Lala Kent, has said some rather harsh things about Raquel's involvement with her ex. Also, she quickly took to social media after the news of Tom Sandoval's cheating broke. Katie posted to her Instagram Story, sharing memes, along with her own commentary, and supporting Ariana. She did so although the two haven't always been friendly. Early on in Ariana's Vanderpump Rules career, Katie was close with ex-cast member Stassi Schroeder, who had drama with Ariana and her closest friend, Scheana Shay. Because Katie and Ariana were dating two close friends, they decided to squash any beef between them, and remain friendly.
Over the years, Katie and Ariana became closer, and even decided to go into business together. They were inspired after watching their partners become business partners. Their joint venture, a sandwich shop called Something About Her, is expected to be in the spotlight during Vanderpump Rules season 10.
Katie posted in support of Ariana, and shared that there's more to come from the duo. While Katie has had difficulty with Raquel in the past, especially after Raquel openly trashed Katie following her divorce from Tom Schwartz, Ariana has been friends with Raquel since she joined the Vanderpump Rules season 5 cast. Katie and Ariana's bond will undoubtedly grow even stronger now that they have been slighted by the same person.
Ex-Vanderpump Rules Castmate Kristen Doute's Posts
Kristen, who was on Vanderpump Rules from seasons 1 through 8, has been friends with Katie for over a decade, and though she is no longer a cast member, she still spends time with many of the people she met while working at SUR. Though Kristen was not Ariana's biggest fan to begin with, the two have become closer over the years.
Kristen, who was originally introduced on Vanderpump Rules as Tom Sandoval's girlfriend, broke up with him and started dating James Kennedy, while Tom began dating Ariana. The two duos were amicable, though Ariana and Kristen had their differences early on. There was some conflict, especially when Kristen was hell-bent on convincing Ariana that Tom had cheated on her in the past.
When the allegations about actor Tom Sandoval came out, many of Ariana's friends were quick to rally around her. This included Katie, Scheana, and Kristen. On social media, Katie and Scheana were quiet about where they were, but Kristen decided to take to Instagram, and posted a video of herself with Ariana. In the video, Kristen explained that she was on Ariana's team. She fully supported the Vanderpump Rules star, and even sealed things with a quick kiss. It's ironic that Kristen is supporting Tom's ex-girlfriend, but it's clear that Kristen cares about Ariana.
Vanderpump Rules Star Lala Kent Reacted
Lala, who joined the cast during Vanderpump Rules season 4, has had a tumultuous few years of her own, while dealing with the fallout from her relationship with Randall Emmett. While Lala has not always been embraced by all the Vanderpump Rules celebs, she has grown a lot closer to most of the main cast members. Though Lala may seem over the top at times, she is typically very genuine, and makes it very clear that she values honesty and authenticity in members of her inner circle. She's lied on the show, but more often than not, she's come clean, and owned up to any dishonesty.
This season, Lala has not been shy about criticizing Raquel on social media, or in the press, and the two had some drama of their own in the past. After it came out that Raquel had been pursuing Tom Schwartz, Lala did not approve of Raquel's behavior, and stood by Katie. When the news about James Kennedy's ex Raquel's affair with Tom Sandoval's broke, Lala took to Instagram, posting many things on her stories. For example, she added a few screenshotted news articles that called Tom and Raquel out for lying, along with some fan re-posts. She made sure that her followers would give both parties a hard time.
Lala finally re-posted a statement from Tom Sandoval, where he apologized to his business partners, and asked fans not to take out their anger on his business. In her re-post, Lala questioned why Tom released that statement, which didn't include an apology for Ariana. She called him a narcissist, and then encouraged her followers to purchase one of Ariana's cocktail kits, in order to support the bartender and Bravo star.
With the Vanderpump Rules cast still reacting to the news, things are sure to continue to be interesting for the foreseeable future. While the footage won't be shown for quite some time, the cameras were rolling during Tom and Ariana's breakup, and probably captured the cast members who rallied around Ariana. With the majority of the Vanderpump Rules cast siding with Ariana over Tom, it will be fascinating to see how the dynamics play out.
Sources: Katie Maloney/Instagram, Kristen Doute/Instagram, Lala Kent/Instagram