A full timeline of Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss and Ariana Madix’s cheating drama

Reality TV

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have called it quits after he was caught having an affair with the now-exes’ “Vanderpump Rules” castmate Raquel Leviss. 

The news broke on March 1, 2023, as Madix was supporting Sandoval at a concert for his cover band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, at TomTom in West Hollywood. 

Page Six was on the scene and chatted with the singer before his show, during which he gushed over his then-girlfriend of nearly 10 years. 

Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval
Page Six is breaking down the events that lead up to Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval’s split over his affair with Raquel Leviss.
arianamadix/Instagram
Ariana Madix and Raquel Leviss
Madix has not publicly spoken about the affair, but sources tell us she was “blindsided” and is “heartbroken.”
Instagram/@raquelleviss

“We definitely have our ups and downs, for sure, but I think we’ve been really good about respecting each other,” he told us.

Sandoval added that he and Madix have had “each other’s backs in a reasonable way … within reason,” noting, “I think it’s just worked, ya know?”

We’re told the blond beauty was “blindsided” and “heartbroken” when she discovered the musician’s infidelity later in the night after a sexually explicit video sent by Leviss popped up on his phone. 

The Bravo fandom, too, is still reeling over the “Scandoval.” Here, Page Six takes a closer look at how Sandoval, Madix and Leviss got here:

Summer 2013: Kristen Doute accuses boyfriend Tom Sandoval of cheating with Ariana Madix

tom sandoval, kristen doute and katie maloney vanderpump rules season 1
Tom Sandoval (left) and Kristen Doute (center) were OGs on “Vanderpump Rules” Season 1.
©Bravo TV/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tom Sandoval and Kristen Doute started dating in 2006, but their romance wasn’t documented on television until “Vanderpump Rules” premiered in 2013.

Soon after the cameras started rolling, Doute became suspicious of her then-boyfriend’s relationship with fellow SUR employee Madix and accused him of cheating, which he initially denied.

January 2014: Sandoval and Doute split

kristen doute and tom sandoval
Sandoval and Doute went their separate ways in early 2014.
Getty Images for James Mae

Sandoval and Doute decided to end their eight-year relationship in January 2014 after dealing with breakup rumors for weeks.

A source at the time claimed Doute moved her belongings out of their shared West Hollywood apartment following many nights of “loud fights.”

February 2014: Sandoval admits to cheating on Doute with Madix

tom sandoval, kristen doute and ariana madix
Sandoval finally fessed up to kissing Madix while he was dating Doute on the “VPR” Season 2 reunion.
©Bravo TV/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sandoval finally admitted during the “VPR” Season 2 reunion that he did, in fact, kiss Madix while he was dating Doute.

February 2014: Madix and Sandoval go Instagram-official

tom sandoval and ariana madix
Sandoval confirmed his relationship with Madix in February 2014.
tomsandoval1/Instagram

Madix and Sandoval went Instagram-official four days before Valentine’s Day 2014.

The bar owner posted a sweet snap from the pair’s getaway to San Francisco earlier that month and wrote, “@ariana252525 and I took a trip up north and stopped by the Clift in SF #whatatrip.”

November 2014: Doute accuses Sandoval of cheating on Madix with “Miami Girl”

vanderpump rules miami girl
Doute claimed Sandoval cheated on Madix with AnneMarie “Miami Girl” Kunkel.

In the “VPR” Season 3 premiere, Doute told Madix she thought Sandoval hooked up with a woman — commonly referred to as “Miami Girl” — during a trip to Southern Florida.

“If I’m not worried about it, it’s not something to worry about,” Madix told her boyfriend’s ex following the accusations.

But Doute didn’t let her suspicions go, and fans saw her bring the mystery girl, later identified as AnneMarie Kunkel, to SUR in hopes that a confrontation would take place. Sandoval, however, didn’t take the bait.

“There are no texts between me and this Miami girl that prove anything more than a social hangout in a group setting went down,” he said. “The obvious reason is because absolutely nothing happened! Kristen is lying or at the very least reaching for something that doesn’t exist.”

November 2016: Raquel Leviss makes her first appearance on “Vanderpump Rules”

Raquel Leviss first appearance on Vanderpump Rules
Raquel Leviss was a guest on “Vanderpump Rules” Season 5.
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

“VPR” cast member James Kennedy’s then-girlfriend, Raquel Leviss, made her first appearance on the show as a guest in Season 5.

The DJ started dating Leviss after splitting from Doute, whom he dated for a period after the latter woman’s breakup with Sandoval.

Leviss was promoted to a recurring cast member the following season and eventually became a regular cast member in Season 9.

February 2019: Madix and Sandoval buy a house together

tom sandoval and ariana madix buy a house
Madix and Sandoval documented their home-buying experience on social media
dmfrealty/Instagram

Sandoval and Madix took their relationship to the next level when they purchased a home together in February 2019.

The stunning Valley Village, Calif., house cost the pair $2 million and features five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.

May 2021: Leviss and James Kennedy get engaged

james kennedy proposing to raquel leviss
Kennedy popped the question to Leviss in May 2021.
Bravo

Kennedy asked Leviss to marry him in an elaborate, Coachella-themed proposal in May 2021. The engagement, planned with plenty of help from Sandoval, was covered on “VPR.”

“James proposed at the iconic Empire Polo Fields of ‘RACHELLA’ Friday night… and I said YES!” Leviss gushed on Instagram after saying, “Yes.”

It was later revealed that Sandoval actually helped Kennedy front the cost of the extravagant evening.

“James and I split the $25K [bill] because nothing brings me more joy than to help a friend accomplish a dream that they have,” he said on the show.

November 2021: Madix freezes her eggs

ariana madix
Madix said she wasn’t “jumping on the baby train” despite freezing her eggs.
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Madix planned to freeze her eggs with “VPR” co-star Scheana Shay, but when the latter got pregnant, Madix decided to go through with the procedure alone.

“This does not mean that I’m jumping on the baby train,” she explained. “It’s about having agency over my own body and my own future.”

She also called the experience “a nice fun f–k you” to people who questioned her “values.”

December 2021: Leviss and Kennedy call off their engagement 

james kennedy and raquel leviss
Leviss and Kennedy split at the end of 2021.
James Kennedy/Instagram

Leviss and Kennedy’s engagement only lasted seven months before they decided to call off the wedding and break up.

The pair — who “decided [they] have two different goals” — announced the split in a joint Instagram statement that read, in part, “We love each other very much, but we aren’t in love anymore.”

They continued, “We want nothing but the best for each other so please keep any thoughts positive. Sending Love.”

Summer 2022: “VPR” Season 10 starts filming

vanderpump rules cast
“Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 started filming around July 2022.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 started filming around July 2022.

The latest installment, currently airing on Bravo, features Sandoval, Madix, Leviss, Kennedy, Shay, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz as main cast members.

Summer 2022: Raquel and Tom secretly start hooking up

tom sandoval and raquel leviss
Leviss and Sandoval started hooking up around the same time cameras began rolling.
raquelleviss/Instagram

As previously reported, their affair pre-dated Leviss’ flirtations with Sandoval’s best friend and business partner, Schwartz.

An insider told Page Six that Leviss and Sandoval’s romance “began last summer” and claimed that she “has slept over at Tom and Ariana’s house when Ariana’s been out of town.”

Castmate Kennedy corroborated the information in an Instagram direct message sent to Deuxmoi, claiming the affair started “7 months” ago, which would have been July 2022.

Kennedy even claimed the pair’s escapades at Sandoval and Madix’s shared Los Angeles home sometimes took place while “Ariana [was] sleeping.”

July 2022: Leviss goes on “a few dates” with SUR manager Peter Madrigal 

peter madrigal
Leviss briefly dated Peter Madrigal, a SUR employee.
Getty Images for Jimmy Choo

“We have gone on a few dates,” Leviss told Us Weekly in July. “He asked me out after my breakup, obviously, and I was like, ‘Well why not? Right?’ I’m a yes-man now.”

That same month, she pulled the plug on her connection with Madrigal and told him she was no longer interested in pursuing him.

The conversation occurred at Sandoval’s Hollywood bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s — which he co-owns with Schwartz — and aired in a recent episode of “VPR.”

August 2022: Tom Schwartz hooks up with Leviss

tom schwartz and raquel leviss
Leviss canoodled with another co-star — Tom Schwartz — at Scheana Shay’s wedding.
raquelleviss/Instagram

The “Vanderpump Rules” cast’s web of relationships got a little more tangled when Leviss made out with Schwartz at Shay’s wedding to Brock Davies in August 2022.

“Apparently there was some heavy drinking involved,” a source claimed at the time.

Schwartz, whose divorce from Katie Maloney wasn’t finalized until October 2022, confirmed the hookup to Daily Mail that same month, but clarified that he and Leviss were not a couple.

He joked, “My mom hit me up and she’s like, ‘You don’t have to tell me, but I know you’re dating Raquel.’ And I’m like, ‘Mom, I’m not dating Raquel!’”

October 2022: Sandoval dresses up as Raquel for Halloween 

tom sandoval raquel leviss halloween costume
Sandoval turned heads with his 2022 Halloween costume.
raquelleviss/Instagram

The costume — which included a TomTom sweatshirt Leviss famously wore to BravoCon 2022 — was a nod to her ongoing beef with Maloney, who called her a “fangirl” after Leviss hooked up with Maloney’s ex-husband, Schwartz.

Sandoval’s getup is still highlighted on Leviss’ Instagram page despite the backlash she is receiving for the affair.

March 1, 2023: Scheana learns about affair while on press tour with Raquel

Scheana SHay and Raquel Leviss
Pals Leviss and Shay did various press stops in New York City, including an appearance on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast, on March 1, 2023 — mere hours before Madix discovered the affair in Los Angeles.
Page Six

Shay, who is BFFs with Madix, learned about the cheating scandal after taping “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” with Leviss in NYC on March 1, an insider told Page Six.

“At one point in the night, Scheana lost Raquel and then found her outside of the bar on the phone with Ariana, who Scheana could hear was bawling,” the source said.

The insider noted that Shay asked Leviss for an explanation about what was happening, which finally prompted her co-star to confess while Madix was “still on the phone.”

“A heated confrontation ensued following the revelation,” our source said. “They went back to the hotel separately and haven’t seen each other nor spoken since.”

March 1, 2023: Sandoval performs with his band at TomTom 

tom sandoval performing with his cover band
Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras played a private show at TomTom that same night.
Getty Images

Madix and Sandoval’s ex Doute cheered the singer on during a performance of his new original single, “Superstars,” dancing together and recording videos on their phones to remember the moment.

Before Sandoval took the stage at TomTom in LA, Madix gushed over how “dedicated” he is as a partner.

One audience member’s question, which a bandmate read aloud, was: “Do you think the show [‘Vanderpump Rules’] accurately portrays you?”

Sandoval began to answer but quickly handed the mic to Madix, who proceeded to praise him.

“In some ways, yes; in some ways, no,” she explained. “I think the way that they show how dedicated and extra [he is] because I’m looking at the word ‘extra…’

“But when I say dedicated to everything that you do and the way that you commit to everything that you do — that part is accurate,” Madix added, speaking directly to Sandoval.

“But I think there are some things that are not accurate,” she pointed out. “Like, for example, you get ready really fast. I take forever. But I think that on the show, you would think it was the other way around.”

At attendee then shouted, “Give her a kiss!”

Madix agreed, repeating, “Yeah, give me a kiss!” to which Sandoval obliged.

Moments later, she uncovered his infidelity when she allegedly discovered a sexually explicit video of Leviss on his phone.

March 3, 2023: Scandoval news breaks

tom sandoval and raquel leviss
News of Sandoval and Leviss’ affair, and his subsequent breakup with Madix, shook fans.
Getty Images

Madix found out Sandoval was having a “full-on affair,” according to insiders, after realizing the two had been “communicating inappropriately for months,” her first signal being the X-rated video of Leviss.

Madix swiftly dumped him.

March 3, 2023: Sandoval and Madix discuss the affair on camera

Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval sitting together.
Sandoval “gaslit” Madix during a conversation about his affair, a second insider revealed.
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Insiders close to production said Madix felt “gaslit” by Sandoval, who made a series of excuses for not admitting his infidelity sooner, in an on-camera chat following the affair reveal.

“Ariana walked away from the conversation feeling like she was gaslit by Tom,” a source exclusively told us of the interaction that took place at the exes’ shared home in Los Angeles’ Valley Village enclave. (They are both still living there as they navigate the split.)

“He gave her several excuses as to why he never copped to cheating,” the insider continued.

“Tom said he didn’t tell her about the affair with Raquel because he was worried about how it would impact her mental health, even claiming that he was especially concerned after her grandma died last year.”

Another source shared, “The fact that they own a home together was also brought up, and how he thought that would make their breakup even more complicated.” 

Madix was “perturbed” by how the scene went, the insider noted, adding that the majority of her co-stars are “disappointed” by how they feel Sandoval is handling the breakup.

March 4, 2023: Sandoval speaks out

tom sandoval
Sandoval released a statement one day after the affair was revealed.
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

Sandoval addressed the cheating scandal in a statement shared via Instagram Saturday night. 

“Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger & disappointment towards me, but please leave [Tom] Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation…” he wrote in part. 

But Sandoval also urged fans not to “direct [their] anger” over his indiscretions at his Schwartz & Sandy’s business partners, seemingly responding to a flood of negative Yelp reviews and calls for a “boycott” of the establishment.  

Sandoval — who described himself as “one of the most hated people in America” during a subsequent concert in Anaheim, Calif. — failed to apologize directly to Madix or mention her name in his statement, a choice that was met with fierce criticism from his “VPR” castmates. 

“Where’s the mention of hurting Ariana?!” Maloney wrote on her Instagram Story. “No apologies to her??”

Kent was equally incensed, adding on her own Story, “where’s Ariana’s apology in this? It’s called narcissism… & it’s terrifying.” 

That same night, Sandoval was photographed entering Leviss’ apartment.

Articles You May Like

Pitchfork’s 2024 Year in Music Club Night: Venue Change
Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan Visits VPR's Infamous Sur Back Alley
All the Products Mentioned in Our December Editors' Picks Show
One Of The Cons Of Starring In Big Franchises Like Avatar, GOTG And Star Trek, According To Zoe Saldaña
Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain Dies at 73