After months of anticipation, the long-awaited Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion has finally arrived — and it was even more dramatic than we expected.
Viewers have been looking forward to the post-finale cast reunion since early March, when news of the months-long affair between costars Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval first broke, ultimately ending Sandoval's nine-year relationship with girlfriend Ariana Madix.
The three-part special officially kicked off on May 24, and Andy Cohen wasted no time diving right into the “Scandoval” drama. Part 1 opened with Cohen sitting down with Sandoval, Leviss and Madix for separate one-on-one discussions, and the Bravo host didn’t mince words when talking about all the negative attention surrounding the TomTom bar owner.
“It kind of feels like you're the most hated man on television right now,” he told Sandoval.
The reunion marked the first time Sandoval and Leviss faced the larger Vanderpump group after the world learned of their cheating scandal. Due to the restraining order Leviss filed against her costar Scheana Shay, however, she was unable to be in the room for the first part of the reunion and instead watched the drama unfold in a trailer in a parking lot outside the studio. (Leviss accused Shay of punching her during an argument after the affair came to light, though she later filed to drop the protective order and it was dismissed. Shay denied the accusations.)
Madix, wearing a red-hot revenge dress, was joined by fellow cast members Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and James Kennedy to confront Sandoval over his infidelity. Meanwhile, Sandoval sat on the opposite side of Cohen along with Shay, Tom Schwartz and Lisa Vanderpump.
Ahead of the premiere, Cohen promised fans they wouldn’t be disappointed with the conclusion of season 10, telling outlet that viewers would see "retribution" for Sandoval and Leviss's affair.
"I think what people seem to want is for Tom and Raquel to be — they want to see the confrontation between Ariana and all the friends," he shared, "and they will get that."
Here are the biggest bombshells so far from the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion...
Tom Sandoval's interest in Raquel started at the beginning of 2022
While their physical affair didn’t start until the summer, Sandoval revealed that Leviss had piqued his interest much earlier.
After Cohen asked him when he first realized he had feelings for Leviss, Sandoval answered, “Honestly, throughout last year, like towards like beginning of the year, I really started to see and get to know who she really was."
He also revealed that the pair first hooked up shortly after Leviss joined several male cast members during a guys' night in August 2022.
"That very next See You Next Tuesday," Sandoval told Cohen of when the affair started. "They were filming. We weren't a part of it. But then a bunch of us went to The Abbey. [We had sex] that night."
Lala accused Tom Sandoval of being "a dangerous human being"
Minutes after Cohen introduced the group at the reunion, the drama was already underway after the host asked Sandoval and Madix about their current living situation.
Sandoval revealed that he was still living in his and Madix's shared Los Angeles home "on and off," prompting Cohen to compare it to Kent's tumultuous relationship with her ex-fiancé Randall Emmett.
"Lala, I know when you and Randall broke up you got out of the house pretty quickly. Do you think it's healthy for these two to be sharing the home now?" he asked, to which Kent responded, "No. Sandoval is Randall. Give it 10 years, he is Randall Emmett. It's absolutely terrifying."
She continued, "That is a f---ing narcissist. Everyone needs to be warned about this person. This is a dangerous human being."
After Vanderpump pushed back on her accusation, Kent doubled down: "He was sleeping next to her. This was his life partner. If you can do that to her, there's something wrong with this person."
Raquel wanted to know why Tom Sandoval didn't come clean to Ariana earlier
Though Sandoval was in the hot seat for most of the reunion, Cohen turned up the temperature even more by asking him the "million-dollar question."
"Sandoval, once you started your relationship with Raquel, why not come clean to Ariana right then?" Cohen pressed.
Sitting in her trailer, Leviss revealed she was also curious about Sandoval's response, saying, "I want him to answer this question."
Sandoval demurred, telling Cohen, "I was obviously scared to. I think also she was going through a lot during that time. And I didn't want to add anything."
Tom Schwartz first learned of the affair in August
Since the cheating scandal broke, fans have wondered how long Sandoval's best friend and business partner Schwartz knew about the affair.
After Cohen asked Schwartz point blank when he first learned of Sandoval and Leviss's hook-up, Schwartz said that he initially only knew that Sandoval had confided in Leviss about the problems in his relationship.
"You pretty much told her everything that you've been telling me. You guys had like a kind of an intimate moment," Schwartz recalled.
Madix chimed in, "When Charlotte's body wasn't even f---in' cold by the way," referring to her dog that died in August.
Schwartz added that he learned of Sandoval and Leviss's first time cheating in "late August after [Shay's] wedding," prompting Sandoval to react with confusion.
Kent then asked, "Oh no, did you not put your timelines together to match?" before the scene flashed to Cohen and Sandoval's sit-down, during which he alleged that he told his TomTom co-founder about the affair in "mid- to late January."
Ariana knew Tom Sandoval cheated on her with "Miami girl" but chose to forgive him
Back in 2015, Sandoval was accused of cheating on Madix at the start of their relationship during a trip to Miami. Sandoval vehemently denied the rumors at the time, and Madix defended her boyfriend.
During the season 10 finale, however, Sandoval revealed that the rumors were true, and he had been unfaithful to Madix with a woman — dubbed "Miami girl" by his Vanderpump costars — while on vacation.
At the reunion, Cohen asked Madix why she had been willing to forgive Sandoval after his first transgression.
"We were not really exclusive at that time," she responded. "And I saw the rest of my life with this person, and I wanted everyone to see the best in him because that's what I saw at the time."
Ariana won't "be as close" with Lisa Vanderpump if she continues to work with Tom Sandoval
After Cohen inquired how Madix and Vanderpump's relationship will be affected if the SUR founder continues her business partnership with Sandoval, Madix answered: "We just won't be as close."
Vanderpump pushed back on her response, asking, "Hold on a second. What do you expect me to do?" to which Madix replied, "I don't expect anything of anyone."
Madix added that she "will have a hard time confiding" in Vanderpump if she stays in business with Sandoval.
Cohen then asked Maddix, "Do you think she should pull out of her business?"
"No I think she knows what's best for her," Maddix said. "I mean, I'm not someone who's going to be giving Lisa business advice."
Later in the reunion, Kennedy accused Vanderpump of "sticking up for Tom too much" before storming off the set.
Vanderpump Rules airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET and can be streamed on Peacock.
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