Tom Sandoval Reacts to Cheating Scandal: "Sorry for Everything"
The reality TV world was rocked to the core last week when news broke that Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix split following a messy cheating scandal.
Late last week, TMZ reported that Sandoval was having an affair with VPR co-star Raquel Leviss.
In the aftermath, there were various reports about what happened, and across social media, the common consensus has been that everyone is on Ariana's side.
Sandoval broke his silence over the weekend with a social media statement.
"Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger & disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz, my friends and family out of this situation," the Instagram statement shared Saturday, March 4, reads.
He said his friend, co-star, and business partner Tom Schwartz only recently learned of the affair.
"Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing."
Sandoval and Schwartz have two businesses together: TomTom and Schwartz & Sandys.
As a result of the widely-publicized cheating scandal, the latter establishment has been the subject of vitriol from fans over the weekend.
"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," he continued.
"Just like TomTom, I'm a small part of a much bigger thing.
"Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong."
"I'm so sorry that my partners, Greg, Brett, and Schwartz and our employees have to suffer for my actions," he said.
"I will be taking a step back & taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees & partners."
"I need some time to address everything else. Sorry for everything."
The bombshell announcement last week surprised fans, mainly because Ariana was seen supporting her boyfriend at his band's performance on Wednesday.
There's a lot that fans looking in from the outside don't know about this situation, but according to reports, the affair was only found uncovered by Ariana on Wednesday after seeing a message Raquel sent to her boyfriend.
From then on, Vanderpump Rules has become one of the most talked about pop culture topics again.
Who would have thought the show would be able to regain relevancy?
The producers know fans will be interested in watching this play out, so word on the street is that the cameras are filming the cast's reactions and fallout.
All you have to do is look at social media to find out how the Vanderpump Rules cast feels about this scenario.
Scheana Shay, who was reportedly with Raquel following their Watch What Happens appearance around the time when the affair was found out, has unfollowed her one-time friend.
James Kennedy, Raquel's ex, shared the TMZ article that brought the story to the masses, alongside the following:
"Hope you all feel as sick as I do. This explains everything."
With Vanderpump Rules Season 10 still in its infancy, we have a long way to go before the drama hits the screen, but this scandal promises to be juicy.
What are your thoughts on the revelations?
Hit the comments.
Remember, you can watch Vanderpump Rules online, right here via TV Fanatic.
There may be some clues about what's about to come in the first four episodes. You never know!