In the reunion special of 'Vanderpump Rules' season 11, the cast members are gathering to address the aftermath of Scandoval that affected the dynamic in the group among others.
- May 15, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Vanderpump Rules" kicked off its season 11 reunion special on Tuesday, May 14. The first part of the 3-part reunion saw the cast, including exes Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval, gathering to address the aftermath of Scandoval that affected the dynamic in the group among others.
Host Andy Cohen immediately put Sandoval in the hot seat while bringing up his headlines-making affair with former cast member Rachel Leviss (Raquel Leviss). He also talked about Rachel's grooming accusations against him.
"She used the word 'groomed' which is beyond f**king slander considering she is not underage," Sandoval said, "That implies pedophilia." Sandoval also labeled Rachel a "coward" for not returning to the show.
Tom Schwartz also blasted Rachel, who exited "VPR" after season 10. "I've witnessed it. She was just as conniving if not more so. She was ruthless in her pursuit of pleasure. She was not a victim in this," Schwartz, who was aware of the affair before anyone else, said.
At one point, the topic about Rachel's revenge porn lawsuit against Sandoval and Madix was brought up. "Ariana did not send that video to anyone. She wasn't distributing it. It is so ridiculous that she is putting through this s**t again," Scheana Shay defended Madix, who added, "I have never done anything to her." Sandoval also supported Madix, saying, "It is one thing for her to come after me but to come after Ariana, I am questioning if she has a f**king soul."
In the reunion episode, Madix suggested that it might took a long time for her to be fully healed from Scandoval. "It's going to be a very long time before I'm going to be able to be fully processed through all those things," she explained.
The "Dancing with the Stars" alum continued, "And I don't want to put my life on hold for you know, some day that I may or may not consider myself quote unquote, fully healed, which I don't know when that will come."
Tom also talked about his mental health after he revealed in the season that he had suicidal thoughts. "I have my ups and downs. Anything I say or do is very, very heavily scrutinized. You know?" the cover band frontman said. "And I'm not perfect and I'm not the smartest dude. But yeah, it can be very, very difficult at times."
When Cohen pointed out that Madix seemed "stealth" about her ex's mental struggles following the scandal, she responded, "Well, I was not someone who was coming after him so what he was going through was not something that I was creating."
"But at the same time, do you remember very quickly after our last reunion, him weaponizing - as I've talked about on this show - suicidal ideation is something that I've dealt with, anxiety and depression are things I deal with on a daily basis, I just didn't want to be a part of those conversations," she added.
Defending himself, Sandoval argued, "I'm curious as to how I weaponized your suicidal thoughts…I brought it up, because I felt that it was used against me in a very textbook manipulation tactic. And I hate to say that but when you're in a relationship that is not going well, and then you're talking about how you want out."
