On the latest episode of his podcast Everybody Loves Tom, the Vanderpump Rules star, 41, admitted he’s “a little nervous about being on the same stage” as ex Ariana Madix at the annual fan convention, which is being held in Las Vegas this weekend.
The reality star told his friend and costar Tom Schwartz that he is anticipating fans showing their support to the 38-year-old Dancing with the Stars contestant, saying, “If she comes out, it’s like, ‘Yay,’ [or] whatever. Then I come out and people are going to want to show their loyalty to Team Ariana or whatever, and I’m a little nervous about it.”
The pair are expected to appear alongside Schwartz, and fellow VPR costars Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney, James Kennedy and Lala Kent during their panel on Friday.
Sandoval’s comments come after he opened up about the fallout of his choice to cheat on his then-girlfriend of nine years, Madix, with their friend Leviss on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
He described the months-long affair — which sent shockwaves through the reality TV world after being exposed in March — as “a pretty juicy f---ing scandal” before elaborating on what he called a “long story.”
“I had an affair, and it just blew up,” he said. “People were messaging me paragraphs of just like, vicious, like, so visceral, like, hatred.”
The Bravo star shared more in a confessional interview about how the secret relationship — which was later dubbed “Scandoval” by fans — has impacted him and his reputation.
“Before this whole scandal, I would meet people who had probably seen me on Vanderpump Rules, and they’d be like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s so cool.’ And then now, people think I’m a complete narcissist, creeper vibes,” he explained.
As for Madix, she opened up about the emotional toll of the affair on last week’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
"My boyfriend of nine years and one of my best gal friends betrayed me in ways that went so far beyond just cheating together that is so hard for me to even explain," she shared of Sandoval and Leviss, who she said started their affair "while I was at my grandma's funeral."
After the fallout of the affair, Ariana said she struggled with her mental health. "Watching my entire life implode in public, my anxiety and depression were at an all-time high, I wasn't eating or sleeping."
However, she eventually found the silver lining in the traumatic heartbreak. "When something is really hard, I can get through it," she declared of what she's learned.
