At its greatest — or worst — actuality TV is stuffed with scandalous affairs, brutal betrayals and light-weight girl-on-girl violence.
However not often do the exploits of its stars generate curiosity past fervent followers and Andy Cohen’s checking account.
That modified, nevertheless, this week, when the world was surprisingly gripped by Scandoval, a dishonest scandal that’s torn aside the forged of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Guidelines,” a decade-old actuality present with getting older stars and dwindling viewership — till now.
Those that deemed themselves above any curiosity within the Two Toms, what actually occurred at Scheana’s marriage ceremony and who cheated in Vegas have discovered themselves unable to flee the information of Tom Sandoval’s infidelity with longtime companion Ariane Madix’s greatest pal, Raquel Leviss.
Huh? If you happen to’re scratching your head — and considering of your school diploma — but in addition surprisingly intrigued, learn on.
What’s ‘Vanderpump Guidelines,’ anyway?
The Bravo actuality present launched in 2013 as a by-product from the “Actual Housewives of Beverly Hills.” It follows the exploits of engaging individuals in Los Angeles who work at SUR, a West Hollywood restaurant and lounge co-owned by former “Housewife” star Lisa Vanderpump.
To get an thought of what sort of clientele SUR attracts, know that Vanderpump has defined that its identify is each Spanish for “south” and an acronym for Horny Distinctive Restaurant.
SUR’s servers and bartenders have been initially a tough partying bunch with desires of modeling, appearing and music careers.
Vanderpump acted as each mom hen and referee to her staffers, counseling them as they dated and mated — virtually solely with one another.
Because the seasons wore on, the celebrities started to all have comparable facial options as they spent their Bravo earnings on the beauty surgeon.
The forged additionally began to cool down, some received married, purchased homes and moved to the valley. Others had pesky previous allegedly racist incidents floor and have been kicked off the present.
In brief, the franchise was sagging and flagging, however Scandoval has plumped it again up like a wonderfully focused Juvederm injection from a Rodeo Drive dermatologist.
The episode that aired Thursday — the primary since “Scandoval” broke — noticed greater than a 30% bump in comparison with the week earlier than, viewership the present hadn’t loved in two years.
Who’re the primary gamers in Scandoval?
Tom Sandoval, 39: A former bartender and male mannequin from Missouri, he’s been identified to flatiron his hair and put on matching bike helmets together with his bestie Tom Schwartz, 40. The bosom buddies co-own two well-liked LA-area bars, TomTom and Schwartz and Sandy’s.
Ariana Madix, 37: Sandoval’s girlfriend of 9 years. A bisexual, comparatively down-to-earth blonde, she introduced a relative contact of gravitas to the vapid forged. The couple appeared in it for the lengthy haul — as a lot as anybody on a actuality present is. In 2019, they bought a $2.075 million five-bedroom fashionable farmhouse in Los Angeles’ Valley Village neighborhood.
Raquel Leviss, 28: She’s a former magnificence queen who entered the SUR scrum in 2016 because the girlfriend and later fiance of one other forged member — foul-mouthed, sobriety-challenged British DJ James Kennedy, 31. The pair broke up, however she grew to become a present staple and likewise cast a detailed friendship with Madix.
What the heck occurred?
On March 1, Sandoval was performing together with his cowl band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, at TomTom in West Hollywood. (Shockingly, one other Sandoval ex, former forged member Kristen Doute, has known as him a narcissist.)
His cellphone fell from his pocket as he carried out and somebody gave it to Madix for safekeeping.
Earlier than the gig, Sandoval gushed about Madix to Web page Six, saying, “We positively have our ups and downs, for certain, however I believe we’ve been actually good about respecting one another.” However, looking back, the cellphone was a Chekhovian gun that, after all, needed to hearth.
Whereas usually trusting, Madix checked out it and noticed a sexually explicit video featuring Leviss. Upon additional scroll, she realized that the pair had been having an affair for a while — reportedly for months.
A supply informed Web page Six that Madix was “blindsided” and “heartbroken,” however “good man” Sandoval has a historical past of dishonest.
He and Madix first began hooking up whereas he was in a relationship with former forged member Doute, 40. Doute later accused him of dishonest on Madix with a lady dubbed “Miami woman.”
In the meantime, on the East Coast, Leviss and castmate and pal Sheana Shay, 37, who can also be Madix’s bestie, have been in New York to look on Bravo’s “Watch What Occurs Reside.”
The pair went out for drinks and Shay misplaced Leviss, however she discovered her exterior the institution speaking on the cellphone with a hysterical Madix.
Leviss alleges that led to a confrontation and Shay punched her within the face and “pushed her in opposition to a brick wall” inflicting harm to the again of her head.
Leviss filed for a restraining order in opposition to Shay and included pictures of her bruised, minimize eye in court docket paperwork. Shay has denied the assault.
“At present, mutual associates & co-workers are telling me she doesn’t remorse the bodily assault on me,” Leviss stated within the doc, “and would do it once more if she discovered that additional emotional misery was brought about to our mutual pal.”
Sandoval and Madix have break up and two days in the past, he was photographed making a late-night go to to Leviss’ residence.
How unhealthy is the fallout?
Indignant followers have been flooding the social media and Yelp pages of Sandoval’s bars.
Sandoval took to Instagram with a fairly uncompelling apology asking offended “Pump” viewers to remember that his enterprise companions didn’t know, nor did they condone his actions.
“Please direct ur anger at me and never them,” he wrote including “sorry for all the things.”
Days later he lastly addressed Madix in one other apology saying, “Most of all, I need to apologize to Ariana. I made errors, I used to be egocentric, and made reckless choices that damage someone I really like. Nobody deserves to really feel that ache so traumatically and publicly.”
Leviss launched a press release saying, “There is no such thing as a excuse. I’m not a sufferer, and I need to personal my actions, and I deeply remorse hurting Ariana.”
Madix has not publicly spoken concerning the affair. She and Sandoval have damaged up.
And why do individuals care?
Followers have been invested in Madix and Sandoval’s love story as a result of the pair have represented arguably essentially the most secure relationship in “Vanderpump” historical past.
Moreover, the story and its revelations have unfolded in actual time like a live-action cleaning soap opera, the place followers get to weigh in.
As a substitute of asking for privateness, the forged and different concerned events have completed the alternative.
They’ve leaned into the brouhaha — taking sides and commonly offering updates and opinions on podcasts and social media.
Leviss angered castmate Lala Kent, 32, after her lawyer despatched her a authorized letter requesting she and her castmates delete the sexually specific video of Leviss that they might have obtained.
“Raquel, inform your little Mickey Mouse lawyer that if he has stuff to ship over, he can ship issues to my lawyer, identical with the remainder of my associates and forged alright?” Kent, 32 said in a since-deleted instagram video.
It’s basically change into the Tremendous Bowl of actuality TV, current on a number of platforms.
You don’t should be a fan of the sport or know the principles to take pleasure in. Simply crack open a bottle of pinot grigio — a favourite of the gals who’ve rallied round Madix — and pull up a seat.
What’s subsequent?
It’s unclear if Sandoval and Leviss will embark on a correct relationship, however followers might be licking their chops over the Season 10 reunion, which is able to reportedly air in Might.
Whereas filming had just lately ended for season 10, producers picked up their cameras and began recording scenes round this storyline. They even introduced again the exiled Doute — one of many castmates booted for alleged racist habits — to be included on this newest chapter.
However Vanderpump, the present’s matriarch, cautioned followers to cease with the threats and anger, and to do not forget that whereas Scandoval could also be entertaining, it’s actual life with actual people.
“It’s a present,” she informed Bravo boss Cohen. “However they’re all hurting. And I’m not saying we should always allow them to off the hook. Condem their actions however don’t condem the individuals.
“All this aggression, it could possibly have severe ramifications.”
