Is Sandoval sorry he cheated on Ariana or sorry because he got caught? The Scandoval unravels on the season finale of Vanderpump Rules, and the aftermath is equal parts heartbreaking and nauseating. It all came out on March 1, 2023, and the rest is, as they say, history. Cameras picked back up, and we viewers can witness the narcissistic behavior of Sandoval as he tries to wiggle his way out of being the most hated man on Bravo.
Raquel was in New York doing Watch What Happens Live with Scheana, and the first inkling that something was fishy was when Andy asked the girls which Tom was hotter. Scheana and Raquel both said, “SANDOVAL,” which raised some eyebrows.
On the West Coast, while attending a Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras concert, Ariana picked up Sandoval’s fallen phone, and, call it women’s intuition, decided to take a look. She found screen recordings of Raquel and Sandoval, and her “stomach dropped into her a*s.” Knowing that Sandoval said he would normally delete stuff like that makes you wonder how much he deleted before getting caught…!
Ariana called Raquel to get the timeline, but in the meantime, Raquel spilled to Scheana that she was having an affair with Sandoval for the last seven months. NBD. Sandoval justifies this by saying he simply didn’t think he and Ariana were happy in the relationship, so he did the most logical and adult thing to do: cheat.
The cameras pick back up, and the rain is coming down in L.A. How symbolic. Sandoval is still in the house he owns with Ariana and shuffles around her as she burns holes through him with her eyes. When Sandoval casually asks Ariana if she wants anything as he looks through the cabinets, she replies, “For you to die.”
Sandoval plops down to face the woman he cheated on for seven months, and his excuses for his actions are absurd. Ariana knows she cannot trust a word that comes out of Sandoval’s mouth, and she reminds him that he was at Schwartz’s for the FaceTime that got him caught. Sandoval has YET to apologize to Ariana and claims, “it happened,” and it “didn’t happen for a while,” as if that makes it okay.
Ariana reminds Sandoval that she loved him when he had nothing, and she is annoyed that now Raquel fawns over him because he’s got a little bit of money. Ariana questions why Sandoval would settle for Raquel. Is she a good person? A girl that would willingly sleep with her friend’s boyfriend? Or does Sandoval just like Raquel cuz she gasses him up and strokes his ego?
Ariana makes it clear that Sandoval’s friendship with Raquel is a joke, and Sandoval retorts that Raquel “treats me with f*cking respect, something you haven’t given to me in a long time.” Sandoval tries to show his side of this affair by saying it was about giving each other confidence, and he reminds Ariana that he lost all his mojo. Once he turned 40, he wondered if this is what the rest of his life was going to be about, but Ariana refuses to let him find an easy way out. Sandoval attempts to make Ariana the guilty party by saying, “You put the pressure on me to stay in the relationship,” and he claims Ariana wouldn’t let him end their relationship, so Ariana left him no choice but to cheat…?
Ariana tells Sandoval not to be a coward, but he stands by the point that his relationship with Raquel is “much deeper” and they were each other’s support systems. Ariana calls it disgusting, and Sandoval can’t even say he won’t kiss Raquel when he sees her the next day. Ariana regrets every moment she has spent on a man “worth nothing” — feel THAT in your soul, Sandoval. Sandoval thought he’d be with Ariana forever, and Ariana was 100% committed to him… up until two days ago. She goes as far as saying, “I would have followed you anywhere.” [tears]
Clad in black (as if to mourn his relationship), Sandoval enters Schwartz‘s apartment and fake cries into Schwartz’s arms. Schwartz reminds Sandoval that things are not good right now… including their business. They struggled to get Schwartz and Sandy’s doors open and now they’ve gone from 4.8 stars to one. #teamariana.
Schwartz reminds Sandoval that he was not complicit with the details of the affair, and Sandoval takes this moment to try and remind the world that he has a “very deep connection” with Raquel. He keeps repeating that he felt something that he hadn’t felt for a very long time, considering he’s had issues with Ariana for the last five years. Sandoval seems more concerned about the fact that the only time he can get off is while he watches porn in the bathroom than what he has done to hurt Ariana. Sandoval claims he wanted to tell Ariana, but Schwartz is more aggravated because now HE is canceled just for being his business partner.
Ariana’s situation has helped put any petty drama aside, including the Katie/Scheana beef. Both girls huddle around their dear friend Ariana as she tearfully tries to process the affair. Scheana cannot believe that this is happening, and Ariana breaks down the night she found out. Katie is appalled to hear that Sandoval was at Schwartz’s during the infamous FaceTime call, and Ariana shares that the first time Sandoval and Raquel hooked up was right after Charlotte, her beloved dog, died. Raquel’s a monster. There. I said it.
Ariana further explains that after Sandoval f*cked Raquel in the car out front of their house, he had to ring the doorbell to be let in by Ariana. GROSS. A shaken Scheana can hardly believe this, and she explains that she shoved Raquel *hard* after learning about the affair post-WWHL. Raquel is now claiming that Scheana punched her. However, Scheana provides us with a demonstration and shows that, with her talons, it’s scientifically impossible for her to form a fist.
Katie drops a new tidbit as the girls ponder how long this affair has truly been going on. Remember at BravoCon when Raquel rocked a TomTom hoodie? Katie was calling Raquel Schwartz’s puppy dog, but Schwartz slipped and said Raquel was def not there for him… leading us all to deduce that Raquel was there for Sandoval, and Schwartz did, in fact, know more than he is currently letting on.
Later, James calls himself a nervous wreck and slams Sandoval, the backstabber. Katie and Lala pop over to James and Ally‘s apartment to discuss the recent situation. Lala reminds the group that Sandoval did this with Kristen, and this cannot be the first time he has been doing this. A few years ago, Lala heard that Sandoval and Billie Lee had been together — let’s reopen THAT case, shall we?
James calls Raquel on speakerphone to find out how she feels about what she has done. Raquel says that she is not with Sandoval, and James does a great job of being hilarious and giving Raquel what she deserves with a line like, “The smartest thing you’ve ever done was creep around with Sandoval for seven months.”
All the galaxy lights are lit, and love is apparently in the air at Raquel’s apartment when Sandoval comes over. He helps himself too comfortably to her fridge and says “cheers” to the current situation. Sandoval states his feelings for Raquel; they are clearly trying to keep their hands off each other for camera purposes. Yuck. They even exchange “I love yous!”
Raquel calls this situation “not ideal” as they fight off the urge not to kiss in front of the camera. Raquel says she “loved Sandoval as a friend,” couldn’t resist him any longer, and she never had sex like that before. She smiles all the way through the segment and her confessional, and Sandoval leans over to point out Raquel’s “punched” eye while caressing her neck (gag). Raquel says she feels isolated and wonders if she should put her life on the line for someone who cheated on his long-term girlfriend. Sandoval “felt hope” when he first kissed Raquel… it’s too bad Raquel went dark for weeks after filming that segment…
A distraught Ariana heads over to LVP‘s castle and walks directly into her open arms. LVP first asks if Ariana feels any stronger and wonders when this “web of deceit” has started. Ariana suggests that Raquel move out of the state and change her name back to Rachel since no one in this town would ever take her seriously again. LVP consoles Ariana and reminds her that she will get through it.
Schwartz comes to do his puppy drop-off for their shared custody, and Katie demands to talk to him about what is happening. I love how Schwartz asked for a Coke and then poured himself a Coors Light. Katie jumps right in and asks Schwartz how long he has known, and she isn’t buying his cover. Schwartz swears he only found out about this a month ago and then slips that he knew “limited information.” Katie says he should “shock everyone and tell the truth for once” (burn!), and so Schwartz begins to sing.
He tells Katie that Sandoval has tried to break up with Ariana and claims he has not done anything wrong. His priority is the bar right now, and Katie calls Schwartz a b*tch boy. It’s time for him to stop sticking up for Sandoval and do the right thing.
We get a surprise guest: Kristen Doute is back. The flashbacks are incredible, especially when Kristen reminds us of what a terrible boyfriend Sandoval has always been. Kristen shows us that she is not just a Witch of WeHo, but she also manifests things and suggests that Ariana burn some stuff. As they put good out into the universe, Kristen chants, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, life is beautiful, so slay we must,” a mantra we should ALL live by.
I cannot believe that Sandoval would even show his FACE at Villa Rossa, but alas, there he is. LVP refuses to hug him hello (yes!), and she is perplexed by his actions. Sandoval claims he did not want to hurt Ariana and swears he had every intention to tell Ariana about the affair before the reunion. Sandoval says he is “conflicted about being honest with the details,” and then he begins his crocodile tears again. He seemingly feigns a panic attack, and it’s no wonder he never made it as a big-time actor with that performance. After calming down, he tells LVP that Ariana deserves true love and to be treated better. Yea, no sh*t.
Charli meets up with Scheana, Katie, Ariana, and Scheana’s little sister. Scheana is still shook that she has been hit with a temporary restraining order from Raquel for the “punch” in NYC. Scheana is aghast that she gave Raquel a place to live, yet she came after her with legal paperwork to make her life hell.
Katie shares that Schwartz might be coming by because he owes more than an apology text to Ariana. The girls leave them to talk, and Ariana starts off by making it clear that she does not need Schwartz to be Sandoval’s cheerleader. Schwartz states that he is mad at Sandoval for being used, and Ariana reminds Schwartz that Sandoval did not give a sh*t about Schwartz and Sandy’s or ANYTHING for that matter once he started this affair with Raquel.
Ariana then tells Schwartz that she will not have mutual friends with Sandoval, and so, her friendship with Schwartz is over. Ariana cries that she wishes she didn’t miss Schwartz, but she realizes she misses the memory of him.
Scheana reminds us that she has been friends with Sandoval for 14 years. He was actually her first friend on the cast, but now, he has ruined everything. He comes over to Scheana’s and she immediately becomes emotional. He apologizes for saying mean things to Scheana, but he keeps using the “when I turned 40 line” as if his mid-life crisis is the excuse of all time.
Scheana feels like she doesn’t even know Sandoval and finds out he cheated on Ariana one other time with a rando… and then corrects himself that he will not be going into it with Scheana. Hmmm… Sandoval explains that buying a house with her felt like a band-aid for their relationship and that he tried to break up with Ariana, but she threatened to kill herself.
At that moment, Scheana reaches her breaking point. She lashes out at Sandoval and tells him if that was the case, he should have called Ariana’s friends and families to rally around her when he DID break up with her. Scheana smells BS. Scheana is disgusted with Sandoval and reminds him that he does not deserve any friends, leaving him to let himself out of her place by himself. Sandoval seems to have a really skewed reality of what it means to “look out for someone,” cuz for him, that apparently means sleeping with Ariana’s best friend…
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