Bravo’s Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss apologize amid scandal

‘Vanderpump Rules’ stars Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have issued lengthy statements apologizing to Sandoval’s longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix after an affair scandal ended their nine-year relationship and rocked the internet this week, likely having long-term repercussions on theirs Bravo reality series had.

Last week, rumors circulated about a months-long affair between Sandoval and Leviss, who stars alongside Madix in the long-running spin-off Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

According to People, Madix discovered Sandoval cheated on her with Leviss after she found a recording of a FaceTime call and “inappropriate” messages between them on Sandoval’s phone last Wednesday. As of Friday, Sandoval, 39, and Madix, 37, had ended their closely-watched relationship, the magazine reported.

A source close to the production told People that “cameras are rolling right now” so the breakup will be shown in Season 10, which is currently airing on Bravo.

The internet was set on fire by the explosive revelation, which likely prompted Sandoval to address the fallout from the love triangle over the weekend with a plea to his followers and former fans. The Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras frontman begged her to keep his restaurant, Schwartz & Sandy’s Lounge, family and friends out of “this situation” and asked for “some time to address everything else.”

That time was up Tuesday night when he apologized to “everyone I’ve hurt through this process.”

“First of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve been selfish and I’ve made reckless decisions that hurt someone I love. Nobody deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly,” he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really terrible about it. My greatest regret is dishonoring Ariana. I never wanted to disappoint so many people including our loving families and friends.

“My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever have captured,” he continued. “Some of our best times together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest fights. I wish things happened in a different order and our relationship didn’t get seriously tarnished and that it ended with the same respect for her that it started with. I owed Ariana better.”

Sandoval added that he was “extremely sad that it ended the way it did,” admitting that the decisions he made “hurt so many people.”

“I’ve acted in ways that clash with who and how I want to be. I will continue to reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have and always will,” he concluded.

Leviss, 28, followed suit on Wednesday, describing her actions as part of an “unhealthy behavior cycle” in her introspective statement.

“I want to apologize to Ariana, my friends and the fans for my actions and my decisions that have made such an investment in our relationships,” she said in a statement posted to her Instagram account. “There are no excuses, I am not a victim and I must take responsibility for my actions. I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”

Leviss added that since the alleged affair came to light, she’s reflected on her choices, spoken to a counselor and “learned things about myself, like my patterns of codependency and addiction to being loved and being loved to.” feel.

“I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are unhealthy, with no regard for my own well-being, sometimes negative impacts on others, and often I have prioritized the intimate connection over my friendships. I’m taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices,” she said.

Despite willingly participating in a reality TV series, Leviss said her privacy has been violated by being physically assaulted, losing friends, and receiving death threats and hate mail. She added, however, that she “expects no sympathy, understanding or forgiveness” and plans to learn from her mistakes as she prioritizes her mental health.

Leviss’ testimony comes a day after she filed for a restraining order against another co-star, Scheana Shay, a close friend of Madix’s, and signaled legal ramifications that could call into question such as a proposed “Vanderpump Rules” reunion episode would take place. According to TMZ, unconfirmed rumors suggested that Shay “allegedly got violent with Raquel [Leviss] about her and Tom’s cheating scandal.”

Madix has yet to publicly comment on the scandal or subsequent statements from her co-stars. Us Weekly reported that she deactivated her Instagram and Twitter accounts last Friday after reportedly deleting photos of Sandoval.

In the earlier statement, which Sandoval posted to his Instagram account, the “Superstars” singer said his business partner Tom Schwartz only recently found out about the alleged affair and “didn’t condone my actions.”

“Please direct your anger at me and not at her. You haven’t done anything wrong. I am so sorry that my partners Greg, Brett and Schwartz and our staff are suffering for my actions. I will step back and take a break out of respect for my employees and partners. I need some time to address everything else.”

Sandoval, Schwartz, Madix and Leviss have long been cast in the spin-off Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which debuted in 2013. Star Lisa Vanderpump. While several cast members have left the restaurant, the show still follows its antics, woes, and scandals.

Christian Martinez, a Times contributor, contributed to this report.