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Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, and Raquel Leviss: A Vanderpump Rules Timeline
Behold: The ultimate guide to the drama that played out in Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.
It is difficult to have missed the headline-grabbing drama on Vanderpump Rules Season 10. But whether you have been a dedicated viewer from Season 1 or are just following the series now, there is so much to catch up on! When exactly did Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval break up? When did Raquel Leviss' one-time engagement to James Kennedy end? Who was friends with whom before this all went down? And when does the much-anticipated reunion air?
As the VPR drama continues to unfold both onscreen and IRL, here's everything you need to know to catch up on the allegations, events—including a look at the timeline and episode details)—and all the backstory on Tom, Ariana, and Raquel.
Tom, Ariana, and Raquel's backstories
For anyone unfamiliar with the happenings in WeHo, Tom and Ariana met on the show and dated for almost a decade before their public breakup in March 2023.
The pair started dating on the show, after confirming their relationship during the Vanderpump Rules Season 2 reunion in 2014, and had been together for more than nine years. In their time together, the SUR bartenders bought a house together, shared dogs together, and co-wrote a cocktail recipe book.
Raquel was introduced to VPR through her now-ex-fiancé James Kennedy; they broke up after five years in December 2021. She was a longtime friend of Tom's and one of Ariana's best friends—as well as friends with many of the Vanderpump Rules cast.
Vanderpump Rules Season 10 began filming in July 2022
Vanderpump Rules typically films in the summer, and Season 10 began production in July 2022; cast member Lala Kent posted an Instagram Story on July 13 to mark the occasion.
Raquel kissed Oliver Saunders during the August 2022 girls trip
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episodes 5, 6, and 11 (aired March 2023)
Oliver Saunders, the son of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Garcelle Beauvais, hooked up with Raquel in early August while she was on the girls' trip to Las Vegas (he works at Vanderpump à Paris there).
Because Lala Kent also had her sights on the handsome server, the encounter caused a riff, with Raquel on one side and Katie Maloney, Kristina Kelly, and Lala on the other.
''I'm starting to see a pattern in Raquel," Katie in a Season 10 Episode 6 interview. "It seems she is only interested in men that her friends are either married to or interested in, and that is a big red flag for me."
Later in the season, Raquel went on a date with Oliver.
“You gotta give her a break,” Oliver said when asked about the Sandoval affair during an April 3 appearance on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast. “We all make mistakes and we just gotta roll on, you know? So that’s my two cents.”
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Tom and Raquel began their affair in August 2022 after a boy's night out
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023), Watch What Happens Live (April 5, 2023), Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion Parts 1 and 2 (aired May 24 and 31, 2023)
Raquel said in Part 2 of the Season 10 reunion that her relationship with Tom initially became romantic after the girls’ trip to Vegas and Lake Havasu in August that she went on with Ariana, Lala, Katie and Kristina. Ariana left early when she found out her dog Charlotte was terminal, and Raquel crashed a party the boys were having at the Mondrian.
During the first episode of the Season 10 reunion, Sandoval did admit the affair began while the show was filming, but says it happened after the two spent a night together at The Abbey.
Tom Sandoval's best friend and business partner, Tom Schwartz, first said during an April 5 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that his friend began an affair with Raquel in August.
According to the Schwartz, Sandoval told him that he'd recently had "a one night stand" with Raquel in August. In January, Sandoval apparently told Schwartz he was "in love."
Schwartz also claimed he'd been told that Sandoval had broken up with Ariana — or tried to — before she discovered the affair.
"I'm not trying to evoke any sympathy for Tom. He knows what he did is disgusting [and] he literally could not have handled that affair in any worse possible way," he continued. "[But] he knows he's a monster for what he did. If you see him, give him a hug. Maybe he doesn't deserve it, but give him a hug. He's down bad."
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Raquel brought Ariana flowers the morning after she first hooked up with Sandoval
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 19 (aired June 14, 2023)
The morning after Raquel showed up at Guy’s Night at the Mondrian (and she and Tom’s relationship turned romantic, as she shared in Part 2 of the Vanderpump Rules reunion), she and Charli Burnett stopped by Tom and Ariana’s house with flowers in honor of Ariana’s recently-deceased dog Charlotte, as seen in on Vanderpump Rules Secrets Revealed.
“I haven’t seen you in so long!” Raquel joked, giving Tom a hug. (A time-stamped clip dated their last public interaction to 10 hours before the flower delivery.)
“It’s been so long!” Tom sarcastically replied.
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Tom, Tom, and Raquel's love triangle at Scheana and Brock’s August 2022 wedding
In August, most of the cast decamped to Cancun for the August 23, 2022 wedding of Scheana Shay and Brock Davies.
Raquel kissed Tom Schwartz on camera
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 9 (aired April 5, 2023)
Throughout Season 10, much chatter was dedicated to a will-they, won't-they make out session between Schwartz and Raquel, which Schwartz's ex-wife, Katie, found highly objectionable. The pair did end up locking lips while in Cancun for the wedding; the encounter was teased in the season's trailer.
"My attraction for Schwartz definitely outweighs my desire to be friends with Katie," Raquel said during a Season 10 Episode 9 interview.
During the third episode of the Season 10 reunion, after liLisa Vanderpump repeatedly expressed surprise that Raquel and Tom Schwartz had kissed after her earlier, alleged “one night stand” with Sandoval, Raquel claimed she’d felt attraction to Schwartz and had just been curious about kissing him
Raquel and Tom Sandoval slept together again while in Mexico for the wedding
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Reunion Part 3 (aired June 7, 2023)
Several times during the Season 10 reunion, Sandoval and Raquel both claimed they’d put the brakes on things after their August 2022 hookup, calling their first time a “one night stand.”
But in a post-reunion interview filmed six days after the reunion (featured in Part 3), Raquel admitted the two had slept together again at Scheana and Brock’s wedding in August after which their relationship became a regular thing.
“Did you guys have sex multiple times in Mexico?” the producer asked. “Yeah,” Raquel replied.
“So it was like, a regular, ongoing thing between you two, it sounds like, as of Mexico?”
“Yeah, I mean, yeah,” she answered again. “Uh, I don’t remember, like, how often it would happen, but it definitely picked up speed more after we wrapped filming.”
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Tom and Ariana went on a date after his trysts with Raquel in Mexico
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 19 (aired June 14, 2023)
The Season 10 Secrets Revealed episode showed Tom and Ariana on a roller skating date after Brock and Scheana’s wedding (during which Raquel said she'd repeatedly slept with Tom). During their excursion, Tom told Ariana she looked “hot” multiple times.
In an interview with producers, Ariana discussed how thankful she was to spend quality time with Tom since he’d been so busy lately.
During the date, she also talked to Tom about her close friendship with Raquel even though her other girlfriends were suspicious of the model.
“I said to Katie, ‘You know, you’re going to have to work really hard to get me to not just absolutely love Raquel. I love her so much,” she said to Tom. “We’ve spent so much time together on trips, and we really have this really beautiful little friendship family. Them saying stuff like, ‘Well, I wouldn’t trust Raquel around my man, like, we’ve all stayed in houses together. It sucks that you guys don’t have that friendship family that we’ve had the last few years.’”
Tom agreed. “It’s like this transparent love that we have,” he said. “There’s not even a thought about it.”
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Tom and Raquel were spotted together at The Abbey
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 11 (aired April 19, 2023)
James Kennedy's girfriend Ally Lewber revealed that she spotted Tom and Raquel dancing together at WeHo hotspot The Abbey after one of James’ "See You Next Tuesday" gigs after the Shay-Davies wedding.
Though the DJ didn't think much of the encounter, Ally had some insight to share. “I personally wouldn’t be comfortable with it, I guess, to have my boyfriend out at 1 a.m. with girls, but everyone’s different," she said in an interview.
Tom didn't leave a Labor Day party to be with Ariana after her grandmother died
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 13 (aired May 3, 2023), Watch What Happens Live (aired March 22, 2023)
Jax Taylor — who, with wife Brittany Cartwright, has provided commentary for Season 10 episodes on Peacock — said on WWHL in March that he was at a Labor Day party in Orange County with Tom and Raquel when Ariana called Tom to tell him her grandmother had died.
"He didn't go home. He didn't leave," Jax said. "He used the fact that he couldn't get an Uber and meanwhile people were coming in and out of the house all day long because it was a Labor Day party."
During Season 10, Episode 13, Tom not leaving the party was brought up among the group, with Ariana asking Tom to explain what happened. "I should've [left]," he said. "I just figured that you... I don't know."
"We've been together now for eight and half years, and somehow, somewhere, it feels like maybe he just doesn't think I'm as important anymore," Ariana said in an interview.
Lala presented her suspicions about Tom and Raquel to Katie, Kristina, and Lisa
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 19 (aired June 14, 2023)
Over a snack at SUR, featured on Secrets Revealed, Lisa, Katie, Kristina and Lala shared some gossip about Raquel and Tom’s relationship.
“Can I tell you what’s weird? The day that Ariana’s grandmother dies, Tom Sandoval was with Raquel all day long,” Lala said to the group, recounting the Labor Day pool party. “Any time you get that close with someone, and then you’re drinking, sometimes things happen.”
Raquel slept over at Tom's house while Ariana was at her grandmother's funeral
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 13 (aired May 3, 2023), Season 10 Reunion Part 3 (aired June 7, 2023)
In the above clip from Season 10, Episode 13, Ken Todd is seen telling wife and SUR owner Lisa Vanderpump and Katie that Raquel spent the night at Tom and Ariana's house while Ariana was away for her grandmother's funeral—without her long-term boyfriend in attendance.
"I can’t believe that Tom Sandoval had Raquel over when Ariana is away," Ken said. "And she stayed all night."
Lisa, however, already knew because Raquel was late to work the day after and eventually admitted she was at Sandoval's, though she claimed she slept on the couch. When confronted by Lisa over FaceTime, Sandoval first tried to deny Raquel had slept over but eventually admitted it, though he also denied anything happened.
During Part 3 of the reunion, Andy asked if Raquel and Tom had actually hooked up during that sleepover, which Tom again denied. However, Raquel admitted in her post-reunion interview later that episode that there was more to the story.
"It’s the one story that we've agreed on getting straight,” she told an off-camera producer. “And I know that the reason why Tom wanted to lie about it is because it's a really bad look to hook up with someone's boyfriend in their own house when they've gone out of town, especially for a funeral of all things.”
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Scheana and Raquel discussed the sleepover
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 19 (aired June 14, 2023)
While making jewelry together, Scheana and Raquel talked about the night Raquel stayed at Tom and Ariana’s house while Ariana was out of town for her grandmother’s funeral. Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval had previously lied to Brock about the evening’s festivities, stating Raquel hadn’t slept over.
Confirming that she did, in fact, sleep at Sandoval’s that night, Raquel shared her initial story of the night in an interview with producers aired during Secrets Revealed.
“I didn’t put a move on Schwartz. Nothing of the sort happened,” she said. “Nothing happened between Sandoval and I either. We had a fun night as friends and I overslept.”
“I think they shouldn’t have lied because then it just looks like something’s going on that isn’t,” Scheana told Raquel. “I think what’s weird is everyone trying to make it like you, our friend, are going to secretly do something with one of our guys while we’re not there.”
“It’s not like that, we’re just friends,” Raquel responded. “To paint the picture that I’m some home-wrecking whore is just far fetched.”
Watch the episodes on Peacock.
Raquel counseled Ariana on her sex life with Tom
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 14 (aired May 10, 2023)
In Episode 14, Raquel and Ariana had a very open conversation about Ariana and Tom’s sex life — or what Tom had earlier indicated that he considered the lack thereof.
Raquel offered some advice to her supposed best friend: “I feel like, in a relationship, you should want to have sex.”
Ariana explained to Raquel what she'd said to Tom: She didn't feel like there was intimacy outside the bedroom because they weren't spending enough time together.
“When you come home after working all night and you think you are just going to whip your d-ck out and I will be like, ‘Yeah lets f-ck.’ That is never going to happen,” she said.
Raquel bought a lightning bolt necklace in honor of her relationship with Tom
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 14 (aired May 10, 2023), Season 10 Reunion Part 3 (aired June 7, 2023)
At the end of the Episode 14 clip, above, Raquel was seen buying a $780 necklace with a lightning bolt on it, which just happenned to be the symbol Tom Sandoval uses at TomTom and for his band.
During the third episode of the Season 10 reunion, she admitted in response to a question with Andy that she did so because of her romance with Sandoval.
“It was significant to who he became in my life, and I know that’s not what anyone wants to hear,” she said.
Lisa expressed shock at her actions.
“I don’t understand this. It was on camera. It was so provocative,” she said. “It’s almost like you were acting out some sort of weird charade.”
“I know,” Raquel replied. “I was cringing so hard watching that back.”
Raquel wore a TomTom Sweatshirt to BravoCon in October 2022
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023)
Raquel wore a TomTom sweatshirt on day three of BravoCon 2022 in New York City. Soon after, Katie commented on an Instagram re-post about the outfit, saying “‘She a fan girl. Started as a fan of the show and now a fan of the Toms.”
In a separate comment, Raquel responded, “I admit… I am a fan of the toms." Later, she added more: “I’m definitely a fan of the restaurant… best vibe, food and drinks in WeHo in my opinion. But I’m also a fan of Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval!! Here to support their business endeavors.”
The model then shared a post of her own to discuss the outfit.
"Just came here to say that the number one reason I wore this TomTom sweatshirt on Day 3 of BravoCon was for the comfy vibes,” she wrote. “I also wore it to support BOTH of the Toms.”
She also added a hashtag: "#NumberOneTomStan"
In Season 10, Episode 15, Katie recalled a comment Tom Schwartz made to her about the TomTom sweatshirt Raquel wore to BravoCon. When Katie suggested Raquel was wearing the sweatshirt for Schwartz, Tom Schwartz allegedly told her: "She's not there for me, trust me."
Tom Sandoval dressed as Raquel for Halloween 2022
Sandoval copied Raquel's controversial BravoCon look when he dressed as her in a TomTom sweatshirt and wig for Halloween. At the time, Raquel re-shared his homage on her Instagram Story.
During Part 3 of the Season 10 reunion, Ariana said she'd actually helped Sandoval put the costume together.
Raquel visited Tom Sandoval’s hometown of St. Louis in late December
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Reunion Part 3 (aired June 7, 2023)
After the scandal broke and the reunion wrapped, TMZ broke the news that Raquel had allegedly visited St. Louis with Sandoval shortly after Christmas by publishing a photo of the two of them on December 29, 2022.
After the first reunion episode, Ariana addressed the visit in an Instagram reply, according to the New York Post.
“He also spent Christmas with me and my family in LA (photo shown in the finale) before splitting his time and going home to see his after,” she wrote. “First holidays without my grandma please remember.”
In her post-reunion interview that aired as part of the third episode, Raquel initially said she couldn’t recall ever visiting St. Louis. But photo evidence from producers — the now-deleted pic from her Instagram stories showing her and Tom posing in front of the Apotheosis of St. Louis statue on December 29, 2022 — proved otherwise.
“It frickin’ happened. Yeah,” Raquel eventually revealed.
Vanderpump Rules Season 10 premiered February 8, 2023
Season 10 premiered approximately seven months after filming initially began.
Ariana learned that Tom and Raquel were having an affair on March 1, 2023
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023)
In Season 10 Episode 15, Ariana and Tom recounted how and when Ariana learned of the affair. Ariana was watching Tom’s band perform at TomTom when his phone fell out of his pocket. “Call it women’s intuition, call it lightbulb, call it whatever,” Ariana said in an interview, noting the urge she had to look at Tom’s phone in the moment. In doing so, she found a screen recording of a FaceTime between Tom and Raquel, prompting a conversation with Tom and a phone call with Raquel. “I called Raquel saying, ‘If you have ever given a sh-t a bout me, tell me.’”
“I learned on a Wednesday night that there are evil, evil people in this world,” she continued. “And sometimes they are the people closest to you and you have no idea.”
Ariana also recounted the story to friends, including Katie and Scheana, as seen in the clip above.
Scheana learned about Tom and Raquel's affair on March 1, 2023
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023), Watch What Happens Live (aired April 19, 2023)
As the cast notes in Season 10, Episode 15, Scheana was with Raquel at Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in New York when Ariana found out about the affair and called Raquel. In the finale episode, Scheana told Ariana, Katie, and friends, that she had "so much rage" in her upon learning of the affair. "I was so angry, I shoved her so f-cking hard away from me" before noting that Raquel was telling Tom Schwartz that Scheana punched her.
During Scheana's April 19 WWHL appearance, the "Good as Gold" singer settled some rumors about what really went down between her and her former friend. “I did not punch her in the face. As you see, I can't really form a proper fist,” Scheana said, showing off her manicure. “Look, there’s a shove and there’s a punch, and I did not punch her.” Scheana also confirmed she threw Raquel's phone.
Reports of Tom and Ariana's breakup went public on March 3, 2023
TMZ first reported Tom and Ariana's breakup on March 3, 2023.
Season 10 resumed filming, and cameras captured the fallout from Tom and Raquel's affair in early March 2023
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023)
As the drama continued to swirl, the VPR cameras came back to catch the action.
"You may have heard rumors that the cameras were up over the weekend — yes, the cameras were up,” Andy Cohen said during his Radio Andy SiriusXM show in early March. “The cameras have been up on everyone, getting reactions and filming, so you will see this play out in a sense this season of Vanderpump Rules, before the reunion.”
In the official trailer for the Season 10 finale, Sandoval is shown in conversation with many people about his recently-discovered affair, including Scheana.
“I was going to break up with Ariana regardless,” he told her.
“But you didn’t. You f—d her best friend instead,” Scheana responded.
In another scene, Sandoval was crying in the arms of Schwartz.
“I felt something I hadn’t felt in a very long time,” Sandoval explained to his best friend, who simply responded “Jesus Christ, man."
Sandoval is also seen talking to Ariana about his friendship with Raquel in the context of their affair.
“I don’t give a f-ck about f-cing Raquel!” she screamed at him, adding that she regretted ever having loved him.
Raquel, on the other hand, appeared light-hearted during her conversation with Sandoval, giggling in an intimate moment while telling him how their affair “turned out so horribly wrong.”
Tom confirmed his affair with Raquel on March 4, 2023
Featured in: Vanderpump Rules Season 10, Episode 15 (aired May 17, 2023)
Tom initially issued two statements via Instagram. The first, posted March 4, included an apology to those feeling “anger” or “disappointment” toward him, as well as Tom Schwartz and their other business partners. The second (shared March 7) was an apology to Ariana.
“I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us,” he wrote in part. “I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”
Tom's bar, Schwartz and Sandy's, shared a statement on March 4, 2023
As speculation and anger began to spread, Sandoval's newest venture, bar Schwartz and Sandy's, shared a statement to its public Instagram page on March 4, reminding boycotters that there are more people involved in the business than just its famous owners.
“In light of the recent news, we appreciate the many words of support but we also understand the outpouring of outrage that has been directed towards our businesses,” read the statement in part. “However, those of us who are not famous have dedicated our time, hearts, and money to make this restaurant a reality. We too are disappointed by the current situation as Ariana has always been a good friend and a great supporter of the restaurant. We appreciate that you may feel a certain way but please understand that the livelihoods of others also depend on this business. There are four more people involved in this venture other than just Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.”
Raquel apologized, addressed her feelings for Tom on March 8, 2023
Raquel issued a statement to ET on March 8 addressing the affair.
“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 and I deeply regret hurting Ariana," it began. “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.”
In another statement on her Instagram account that day, Raquel spoke directly about her feelings for the Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras frontman.
“Besides the indefensible circumstances surrounding our relationship, my feelings for Tom have always been sincere and born out of a loving friendship. Knowing how many people we hurt, I need to understand my choices and learn to make better ones. I need to take care of my health, work on my self-growth and take time to be ok with being alone,” she wrote. “I care for Tom and I don’t want to label anything or predict what lies ahead. Right now I need to heal.”
Lisa talked about the drama on WWHL on March 8, 2023
Featured in: Watch What Happens Live (March 8, 2023)
Lisa was the first cast member to appear on WWHL following news of the alleged affair and offered an update on Ariana.
“I have seen Ariana and I have [filmed] with her. It’s an integral part of the story now. I would say the word I would use [to describe her] is devastated,” the restauranteur said on March 8.
As far as her reaction to an alleged affair, Lisa said she had "literally no words" and was “gobsmacked” and “flabbergasted.”
She also shared her wishes for the then-upcoming reunion.
“I hope that when the reunion comes, we actually all sit down and we can have a better understanding of how this happened, why this happened, and when this happened," she said.
Katie appeared on WWHL on March 15, 2023
Featured in: Watch What Happens Live (March 15, 2023)
During Katie's WWHL appearance a week later, she said she believes her ex-husband Tom Schwartz was "duped" by Tom Sandoval and Raquel during the alleged affair.
"I don't know exactly [when he found out]," she added, noting that she had asked him about it.
If he did know, however, and hadn't been honest with her?
"I'd light him on fire," Katie said.
When Andy asked her if she believes Sandoval and Raquel are in love, she noted that they "better" be.
"At this point they better fall in love. Because who's going to date them?"
Ariana issued a statement on March 16, 2023
Following an extended period of silence, Ariana shared some insights in a March 16 Instagram post.
“I want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support I have received from friends, family, and people I’ve never even met in the last two weeks," she wrote. "When I have felt like I couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours.”
“To say I have been devastated and broken is an understatement,” she continued. “However, I know that I am not in this alone. So many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. I am so f--king lucky to have the best support system in the world and I hope I can repay every single person for the love you have shown me.”
She ended the post with a kicker for the ages.
“What doesn’t kill me better run.”
The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Reunion filmed on March 23, 2023
Don't worry: they talked about it all. In an Instagram Story posted the morning of the reunion — March 23 — Lala said she was “on 10," promising she'd be "on 100" later in the day.
The same day, Bravo released the reunion seating chart(s). In the first of two charts, reunion host Andy Cohen was situated in the middle of the action, joined to his left by Ariana, Katie, James, and Lala and, to his right, by Lisa, Tom Sandoval, Raquel, and Tom Schwartz.
The second showed Schwartz next to Sandoval, with Scheana on the end.
As for the reunion looks, BravoTV.com released a peek of the glam to come. Naturally, Ariana's dress was subject to much chatter; the blonde stunned in a custom crimson number.
Tom Schwartz appeared on WWHL on April 5, 2023
Featured in: Watch What Happens Live (April 5, 2023)
In a memorable Clubhouse appearance shortly after the reunion filmed, Tom Schwartz spoke about the fallout of Tom Sandoval's relationship with Raquel and his opinion of Tom Sandoval's actions ("he got lost in the sauce"). Tom Schwartz spoke about the tough position he felt he was put in and said that his best friend and business partner "took advantage of [his] kindness."
In addition to sharing his belief of when the affair started, Tom Schwartz said that Tom Sandoval first came to him in January 2023 saying he was "in love" with Raquel, after previously telling him about their "one night stand" in August.
The appearance covered many topics, later leading Tom Schwartz to comment on his self-proclaimed "unhinged interviews."
Tom Sandoval gave update on Raquel in a podcast interview on April 11, 2023
On the April 11 episode of the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Tom shared more of his side of the story.
First and foremost, he gave an update on his relationship with Raquel, revealing that, for now, the pair are simply “really good friends.”
“We’re not putting any label on it,” he added. “We’re also just kind of taking a break.”
Lala Kent appeared on WWHL on April 12, 2023
Featured in: Watch What Happens Live (April 12, 2023)
Lala appeared on WWHL April 12. The Give Them Lala Beauty owner admitted she became suspicious of Tom and Raquel in August 2022, after her mother told her Raquel "moves like a snake."
Lala also claimed she thought Raquel's kiss with Tom Schwartz was a "decoy" — he just didn't realize it.
Scheana appeared on WWHL on April 19, 2023
Featured in: Watch What Happens Live (April 19, 2023)
During her April 19 WWHL appearance, Scheana was asked if she thinks Tom and Raquel are "in love."
"No, I think they're in this weird affair infatuation," she said. "It's going to fade. It's not going to last. And from what I've heard, it's already very toxic."
The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 finale aired May 17, 2023
The events of early March 2023 unfold in a super-sized episode that documents Tom and Ariana's on-camera conversation and the group's fallout after the affair goes public.
Ariana appeared on WWHL on May 17, 2023
In her first interview since the breakup news went public, Ariana sat down with Andy directly following the premiere of the Season 10 finale episode. Their conversation covered many topics frequently on the minds of longtime viewers, including revealing the truth about "Miami Girl."
The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Reunion began on May 24, 2023
The highly anticipated reunion will be three parts, and featured two seating charts.
Andy Cohen gave fans some insight into the event during his April 3 Radio Andy broadcast on Sirius XM, calling it "a real reckoning."
“If you are looking to hear their story, you will. If you are looking for them to be confronted to their face about what they’ve done, in what I would say [was] an aggressive manner — a confrontational manner — you will get it.”
Part 1 of the Season 10 reunion
Fans watched the former couple — and most of the rest of the cast — come together in the first part of the dramatic three-part Season 10 reunion. Due to a (subsequently dropped) restraining order against Scheana, Raquel did not appear alongside the rest of the cast in the first episode, and instead watched the proceedings from a trailer 100 yards away.
“I just want to say that I appreciate everybody being there for Ariana. No matter what was going on in our relationship, she didn’t deserve it. No one deserves to have that happen,” said Tom while addressing the group at large for the first time.“I’m sorry for doing the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do. And I did it in the worst way possible.”
Tom and Ariana sat down with Andy for solo interviews
Andy kicked off Part 1 of the reunion with individual interviews with Tom, Ariana, and Raquel — filmed the day before the reunion — to get their sides of the story. During Ariana’s interview, she told the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host that she believes Tom and Raquel plotted their reunion answers ahead of time.
“He coached me on this [when I joined the show] the same way he is coaching [Raquel],” she said. “They’ve got to get their lies right. Their stories.”
Tom, meanwhile, told Andy that he and Raquel slept together after a See You Next Tuesday event five days after Season 10 Episode 6’s guys night at The Mondrian.
Ariana noted she never suspected a thing.
Ariana and Raquel’s post-scandal texts were revealed
During her solo interview with Andy, Ariana revealed a text exchange between her and Raquel after she found out about the affair and confronted Raquel by phone while the latter was in New York City (following a WWHL taping).
“It took her 48 whole hours to text me ‘I don’t even know what to say, I’m just so sorry,’” Ariana said. “And I said, ‘F-ck off, you f-ck-ng rat,’ and I blocked her.”
Ariana’s immediately prior text, “You’re dead to me,” was labeled as sent around 9:37 p.m. on a Wednesday — the night Ariana discovered the affair was a Wednesday — with the next one purportedly from Raquel arriving some days later at 8:56 p.m. Two days later would’ve been after the scandal broke on TMZ and the cast had resumed filming.
Tom Schwartz admitted he know about Sandoval and Raquel for months
Schwartz said during Part 1 of the reunion that Sandoval initially filled him in on his hookup with Raquel in late August 2022. (Sandoval had previously said he’d done so in January).
It did not endear him to his cast mates.
Scheana claimed that Sandoval told Raquel he and Ariana had an open relationship
During the Vanderpump Rules: Pumped Up Edition extended episode on Peacock, Scheana alleged that Sandoval told Raquel he and Ariana weren’t exclusive.
“Raquel was told in the hot tub at Coachella last April, by Sandoval, that [he and Ariana] were in an open relationship, and he was coming onto her,” Scheana said.
Tom denied the claim. (Raquel also denied the claim in Part 3 of the reunion.)
Part 2 of the Season 10 reunion (May 31, 2023)
The second part of the reunion brought more drama — and the first time that fans were able to see Raquel and Tom interact since their scene in the Season 10 finale.
Here are some of the biggest revelations.
Raquel’s solo interview with Andy aired
“[Tom] made me feel heard and seen,” Raquel told Andy of her affair during her solo interview, which took place the day before the reunion. “Those are feelings that I haven’t really felt, maybe ever.”
Nevertheless, Raquel said she feels “ashamed” of what she and Tom did, describing her role in the affair as “very deceitful.”
She also admitted that, when Ariana called her to ask about the affair, she went against the alleged plan with Tom “truncate” how long the affair had been happening when they did come clean.
“She begged me to tell her when it all happened,” Raquel shared. “At this point, we were going to tell her, we just wanted to get ‘our stories straight,’ basically, because he felt like it would hurt her if she knew how long this has been going on.”
Instead, Raquel admitted to Ariana that she’d been in a relationship with Tom for six months, and said Ariana thanked her, accurately believing that Tom would have otherwise continued to lie to her about the extent of his infidelity.
Raquel said she’d come to believe Tom’s stories about his relationship with Ariana
Raquel seemingly admitted that Tom had been dishonest about the status of his relationship with Ariana during their affair, and had told her that Ariana knew about the affair but didn’t care. At the time, Raquel believed both Tom’s representations that his relationship with Ariana was something less than a true romantic partnership, and that Ariana must’ve known about Tom’s infidelity but didn’t care because she never confronted either person about it.
"She never pressed about it. She never confronted me about it. From what I know, from what Tom told me, she didn't question him about it," Raquel told Andy in her one-on-one interview. "Now I know that she did want to know and it was very deceitful. I am very ashamed of it."
Raquel also mentioned her realizations to Tom after he came to her trailer following the first part of the reunion taping.
"I don’t love the way it’s coming across about your guys’ intimacy. Clearly I only know what you’re telling me, but, like, just watching what you guys taped right now it looks like you guys had a solid relationship," Raquel said. "I feel like she felt like you wanted to keep the relationship going because you never broke up with her."
Scheana claimed she tried to warn Ariana about the affair
Scheana said during the reunion that she’d told Ariana at one point that she suspected something was going on between Raquel and Tom. However, Ariana replied to her that she did not think there was “any truth to it whatsoever and that neither of them would ever do that to her.”
Tom accused Ariana of making him feel dumb during their relationship
In the uncensored and extended Pumped Up Edition of Part 2, Tom blamed Ariana for making him feel stupid while they were together.
“Throughout the relationship, you were always telling me I’m dumb,” Tom said.
Ariana denied his accusation.
“I’ve never told you you were dumb,” she said. “I never said you were dumb until today. ‘Cause you’re acting dumb today.”
Raquel admitted she regretted filing a restraining order against Scheana
Raquel also told Andy that she regretted filing a restraining order against Scheana and she gave Andy paperwork to give to Scheana indicating she planned to withdraw it. (Andy ultimately did deliver the paperwork to Scheana during the reunion, who cried when she realized the ordeal was over.)
Raquel noted that she was ready to apologize to the rest of the cast for her behavior.
“I know it’s important for me to be here because I have to take accountability for my actions. I’m here to do that,” she said during her individual sit-down with Andy.
Part 3 of the Season 10 reunion (June 7, 2023)
In the final part of the reunion, Raquel left her trailer to sit down with the rest of the cast (minus Scheana) and answer Andy’s questions.
Here’s what we learned.
Raquel and Tom Sandoval claimed to still be in love
Andy asked Raquel why she couldn’t stop the affair, questioning if it was because she was in love with Tom. “Yeah,” she replied. When asked if she was still in love, she gave a small nod.
When Tom was asked the same question, it took him a second to answer.
“I’m sorry,” he said, apparently addressing Ariana. “Yes.”
Tom Sandoval offended everyone with sarcastic comment about sex with Ariana
While being grilled by Andy, Tom was asked if he’d slept with anyone besides Raquel since they began their affair, and repeatedly deflected specific allegations.
“You know who he did sleep with after him and Raquel started sleeping together? Me,” Ariana noted, prompting Tom to take a dig at their sex life.
“She kept her T-shirt on. It was really hot,” Sandoval responded sarcastically.
Immediately, Andy as well as Ariana’s fellow cast members reacted with head shakes and horrified looks.
“You’re such a f-ck-ng dick,” Lala said. “What the f-ck dude?” James added, while Tom Schwartz simply buried his head in his hands and said, “Don’t say that.” In her trailer 100 yards away watching the events unfold, Scheana held up her drink and said, “Oh, I want to throw this at the TV but I won’t."
After the finale aired, Ariana retaliated by sharing a new Something About Her T-shirt available for purchase in her Instagram stories — one which bears the phrase “F-ck me in this T-shirt.”
Ariana broke down over the affair’s aftermath
"My friends and my family, you guys, and strangers — people I've never met — it's honestly what kept me going," the Something About Her owner said through tears while describing her experience finding out about the affair. "I had a week-and-a-half where I, like, didn't eat. I lost, like, eight pounds. I couldn't do anything. I had someone stay with me every night because I felt like I needed to be babysat, honestly."
Tom and Raquel laughed about the situation
When Raquel left the stage, Tom followed her for a quick debrief. After becoming emotional over seeing everything they’d done laid out in front of them, Raquel made a joke about James’ comment that his new girlfriend, Ally, was an “upgrade” from her, noting that at this point, she was.
The two broke down in laughter, offering a stark emotional contrast from the majority of the reunion.
What is the big secret on the Vanderpump Rules reunion?
In a post-reunion interview with a VPR producer, Raquel opened up — and broke down — over the lies she and Tom had told throughout the affair and specifically at the reunion.
The solo interview, her last of the season, was filmed six days after the reunion wrapped.
"I think it's important to me, to tell the truth," she said in her solo interview. "I think that I've been lying and being so deceitful this entire time that I don't want to lie anymore. And, it's all out there anyway, like the worst is out, yet I'm still finding myself having to lie about specific timeline things."
Raquel went on to clarify that the second time she and Tom were physical was in Mexico at Scheana and Brock’s wedding in August 2022 and that their sexual relationship had continued with regularity thereafter. Previously, they’d said that their August 2022, post-guys night at the Mondrian hookup was a one-time thing until after filming had wrapped for the season.
"He feels like it would be less hurtful to say that this wasn't going on for so long," she shared.
Raquel also said she’d wanted to start a “throuple” with Tom and Ariana
Though Sandoval and Raquel both denied during the reunion that he’d previously told Raquel he and Ariana had an open relationship, Raquel told producers in her post-reunion interview that she’d proposed being in a polyamorous relationship with the couple.
"I was like, 'Maybe, what would Ariana think about, like, having me as an addition?' And he was like, 'No, no, no, she would not be into that,’” Raquel said.
She claimed she suggested the non-traditional set-up seemingly out of the blue, "because I love Ariana as a person. And then also I'm in love with Tom Sandoval. So, yeah, it didn't seem like that far-fetched of an idea, but it was not something in question.”
“God, he's gonna kill me,” she added. “I just hate lying so much.”
Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Secrets Revealed premiered on June 14, 2023
The final episode of Season 10, Vanderpump Rules Secrets Revealed showed some extra footage from the season, some of which took on new meaning after the affair between Tom and Raquel came to light.
“Hypothetically, if you were being cheated on and someone took you on a date to a roller skating rink, to put effort into a relationship he'd already stepped out on, how pissed would you be?" a producer asked Lisa in an interview, before showing a clip of Tom and Ariana on a roller skating date.
"I'd probably have his balls crystallized and wear them as earrings. That's what I would do,” Lisa replied.
The episode also showcased multiple conversations with the cast as rumors of Tom and Raquel’s affair began to swirl.
“I think that’s the most diabolical part of this. The covering, the deceit, for how long?” Katie said while debriefing with Lala and Ally after the affair was exposed.
This post was originally published on May 5, 2023. It was updated on June 15, 2023.
