Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval Explains Why He Gave Scheana Money as Katie Suggests He Wanted “Leverage” and Ariana Says It Made Scheana Feel Like She “[Owed] Him”

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Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Explains Why He Gave Scheana Money, & Denies Trying to "[Buy] Loyalty" as Katie Suggests He Wanted "Leverage" and Ariana Says It Made Scheana Feel Like She "[Owed] Him"

Credit: Bravo, Instagram

Tom Sandoval explained why he gifted Scheana Shay thousands of dollars during the pandemic after Tuesday’s episode of Vanderpump Rules.

After Scheana, 38, was seen speaking of Sandoval’s gratitude as she struggled with whether or not she should let him back into her life after he cheated on Ariana Madix, 38, with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, Sandoval insisted he wasn’t trying to buy her loyalty as Katie Maloney, 37, suspected otherwise and Ariana reflected on how it made Scheana feel.

“I did that because I knew Scheana was struggling with money and she’s my friend. I don’t want it to be a big deal with her. I want her to literally forget it happened,” Sandoval stated on the March 5 episode of the Pump Rules: After Show. “I’ve done many things like that for many people. I don’t want people to think it’s me sort of buying their loyalty or anything like that.”

When Tom Schwartz, 40, then mentioned that Sandoval let Ariana’s brother, Jeremy Madix, 31, live with him and Ariana for free after he moved to Los Angeles, Sandoval continued to speak of his financial generosity.

“I tell everybody on your birthday, you should give a homeless person $100,” he explained. “I grew up lower middle class and once you make a certain amount of money, your happiness doesn’t really… I know that what’s not as big of a deal for me can make a huge impact on somebody. So why not? It’s no big deal. I can do that.”

According to Schwartz, he believes that even if Sandoval gave him $10,000 when he was down and out “just to make [himself] feel good” out of guilt, it wouldn’t make the offer “any less special for [him].”

Still, Katie and Ariana suspected Sandoval’s gift came at a price.

After acknowledging that Sandoval giving Scheana money during rough times was a “really nice thing to do,” Katie said she didn’t feel that the gesture was indicative of Sandoval’s character.

“At the end of the day, I don’t think it speaks to someone’s character and how they’re going to show up. You’re not a good person. I don’t see how that completely overshadows or outweighs the other drama and bullsh*t,” she reasoned. “It’s leveraging in a way that’s not cool. You shouldn’t be buying people’s loyalty or friendship. I think he does it because it makes him feel good. I think he likes to be that guy.”

“He definitely gets a boost from things like that … but what kind of feel good?” Ariana wondered, noting that it was sad because “it [felt] like because of that, [Scheana] has this feeling of owing him.”

Katie went on to say that Sandoval has a habit of dealing out financial gifts.

“It’s kind of like, enough. Paying for someone’s entire engagement party? It’s always something and it’s always so much and it’s really toxic behavior. You can’t have that in your life,” she noted.

Vanderpump Rules season 11 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.