It was spectacular, the unraveling of Tom Sandoval’s career, like watching fireworks fall into each other and explode all at once. There he was, a seminal protagonist of “Vanderpump Rules,” shining brighter than any star in the sky. Then, darkness.
I refer, of course, to “Scandoval,” Bravo fans’ label for the revelation that cast members Sandoval and Raquel Leviss were carrying out an affair for months while Sandoval lived with his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix. Madix also happens to be a close friend of Leviss.
The news came out of nowhere on a quiet Friday in early March: TMZ reported Madix had broken up with Sandoval over cheating allegations, then other reports snowballed quickly, each more ridiculous than the next, confirming the story and filling in the blanks with obscene details.
By the end of the weekend, it seemed clear that Sandoval and Leviss had managed to cover up an intimate and serious relationship for months, despite living separate lives in front of reality television cameras, paparazzi lenses, and hundreds of thousands of social media followers. Raquel’s real name turned out to be Rachel. Scheana might have punched her. Jax reclaimed his spot as the number one guy in the group.
For context: “Vanderpump Rules” hit Bravo’s airwaves back in 2013, chronicling the lives of the staff at Sur, a West Hollywood restaurant owned by Lisa Vanderpump from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” It was a simpler time, when Four Loko still had caffeine and college students like
