Tom Sandoval was seen heading to Raquel Leviss‘ apartment on Saturday, March 4 — one day after news that he cheated on his girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix, with their Vanderpump Rules co-star shocked Bravo fans. In an image obtained by TMZ that can be seen here, the TomTom co-owner, 39, appeared to be trying to stay under the radar in an all-black outfit completed with a black baseball cap. Tom and 28-year-old Raquel’s “late night” rendezvous occurred after they had already been together earlier in the day to film, according to the outlet.
It’s thought that the breakup between Tom and Ariana, 37, occurred after the latter discovered inappropriate texts from Raquel on Tom’s phone, per a TMZ report from over the weekend. The discovery occurred Wednesday night after Ariana was seen supporting her former lover at a gig for his band, Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras. The discovery was reportedly a surprise to Ariana, who was seen kissing and cuddling up to Tom at his performance. However, sources close to the former couple told TMZ that the pair had been having issues for months.
Ariana nor Raquel has spoken publicly about the cheating scandal, but Ariana is leaning on Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, and former VPR star Kristen Dout for support, according to Page Six. “Ariana has recapped what happened with her friends and castmates, the majority of whom are disappointed Tom seems unable to take accountability for his actions or express substantial remorse,” an insider told the publication.
However, Tom admitted he knows he has let several people down — namely his co-owners and employees at his year-old bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s, which he owns with his Vanderpump Rules co-star Tom Schwartz. “Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger and disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation…,” he began in a March 5 statement he shared on Instagram. “Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing.”
He continued, “Also, Schwartz & Sandy’s might have my name on it, but also there are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. … Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong.” He signed off by announcing he would be “taking a hiatus out of respect” for his employees and partners and that he will further address the heartbreak he has caused at a later time.