Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval chatted with Howie Mandel, weighing in on his recent scandal, but the interview made him seem like a villain. The former SUR bartender-turned-restaurant owner has been at the center of most recent Vanderpump Rules drama, after his months-long affair with Raquel Leviss was revealed. Tom assumed that his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix found out about the affair while checking his phone. She may have looked at the device while he performed with his band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras. Ariana unexpectedly found video evidence shared between Tom and Raquel, of the two of them cheating over FaceTime. After that, more facts were revealed.

Raquel was already embroiled in drama after she kissed Tom Schwartz (who recently split from castmate Katie Maloney) at Scheana Shay's wedding festivities in Mexico. Though everyone thought the season's fireworks were between Schwartz and Raquel, the true villain was Sandoval. Before it was revealed, he'd been carrying on an affair with Raquel for over six months. After dating Ariana for nearly a decade, Tom's true character came to light, leaving many things up in the air. Tom sat down with Howie on his podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, to discuss the drama and clear things up. However, his candid remarks made everything worse.

6 Tom Sandoval Blames Ariana Madix For Their Relationship Troubles

The interview was set up for Tom, giving him a platform to open up about the Ariana and Raquel drama, as he hadn't spoken about it before then. Though it's become clear that the Bravo star probably wasn't supposed to discuss anything that could happen in upcoming episodes of Vanderpump Rules season 10, Tom didn't hold back. He talked about his relationship with Ariana, and what it had evolved into in recent years. Tom stated that the two had, "lost connection" at some point, and were merely living like roommates. Due to Ariana's personal issues, they weren't really romantic partners.

During the interview, Tom spent a lot of time explaining that he had his own issues. However, rather than defining them, he chose to blame Ariana's mental health for the demise of their relationship. He added that the communication in the relationship, "was not great," as both parties had been living with anxiety and depression for some time. However, they handled it in very different ways. Tom says that while his solution for his depression was to be social with friends, Ariana would, "be in bed all day" and isolate, which he couldn't understand. Overall, he spent much of the interview blaming Ariana, rather than taking accountability.

5 Tom Sandoval Praises Raquel Leviss' "Wit"

Raquel, who has been on Vanderpump Rules since season 5, has been called out for her lack of intelligence in the past, along with her sometimes bland personality. While it's clear that Tom and Raquel have a connection, it hasn't been seen onscreen yet. Also, the way that Tom spoke about Raquel in the interview made it seem like he was speaking about someone else entirely. He said that Raquel has, "been a source of strength" for him through his tough times with Ariana. Tom added that they grew closer over the last year and a half, as she was going through her breakup with James Kennedy. Meanwhile, Tom was feeling like his own relationship was over.

Tom later went on to list some things that he liked about Raquel, sharing that, while geting close to her, he thought she was, "kind, smart, witty, fun, and beautiful." He spoke about how amusing he thought she was, but this has been widely debated in the past by fellow Vanderpump Rules cast mates. The consensus seems to be that Raquel is unable to understand references or jokes, and operate on anything but a "surface" level. Apparently, Tom has changed his opinion since getting to know Raquel better.

4 Tom Sandoval Says Ariana Madix Wouldn't "Let" Him Break Up With Her

Throughout the interview, Tom sidestepped a question about Howie and his daughter, co-host Jackelyn Shultz. Tom Schwartz mentioned on Watch What Happens Live that Tom Sandoval said he, "tried" to break up with Ariana on a few different occasions, but Ariana wouldn't hear him out. Tom attempted to dodge this question, talking around it several times. However, he finally gave in, saying that he had tried to talk to her about their relationship, how it had changed, and potentially breaking up. While Tom didn't go into a lot of detail, he did explain that his and Ariana's relationship had become more about their, "brand" than genuine love for one another.

Tom declared that whenever he tried to broach the subject of a breakup with Ariana, she would avoid the conversation, and they would wind up arguing about another facet of their relationship. He says that he was, "in a relationship with no connection," and that their lack of intimacy was to blame for his ongoing, "resentment." However, due to Ariana's mental health issues, Tom was reluctant to rock the boat. He spoke about, "trying" to break up, and finding himself more and more hesitant, due to wanting to preserve their public image.

3 Tom Sandoval Talks About "Magnetic" First Kiss With Raquel Leviss

Tom took his time during the interview. However, he side-stepped one of the questions he'd been asked about his own communication with Ariana, so he could describe his and Raquel's first kiss instead. The fact that he refuses to talk about his relationship with his long-term girlfriend, and instead chooses to speak about the woman he'd been cheating with, really tells a story. Tom said that he and Raquel had, "stayed up all night talking" in his backyard after he'd been locked out of his house. He added that it felt, "magnetic," as they, "just got closer and closer." They ultimately wound up kissing. He didn't give many more details, but what he shared was more than enough.

2 Tom Sandoval Says Ariana Madix "Knew" What Was Coming

Throughout the interview, Tom insinuates that because of the state of their relationship (and the litany of issues they were dealing with), Ariana was aware that a breakup was on the horizon. He says that he tried splitting up with her, basically trying to communicate the fact that they'd already separated emotionally, but just hasn't acknowledged it yet. This has yet to be corroborated by any other source, and seems unlikely, in light of Ariana's (and the Vanderpump Rules cast's) reactions to the news.

1 Tom Sandoval's Mustache Screams "Villain Era"

While a bit less serious, Tom has been growing a mustache for over a year, which simply screams, "villain era." The mustache, which is addressed on the podcast, may not be his best look. Howie offered to shave Tom's mustache, and tried to persuade the VR star that shaving was the right decision. All of this seemed rather bizarre. The Vanderpump Rules did allow Howie to trim the mustache, before shaving it off himself. With or without the facial hair, it's safe to say that Tom has been slapped with the villain label.

Source: Howie Mandel Does Stuff