Time for a chill tablet? Andy Cohen understands why followers are outraged about Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss’ dishonest scandal — however thinks the backlash has gotten “out of control.”
“Tom Sandoval made a mistake that he’ll probably regret for the rest of his life. He is still a person,” Cohen, 54, mentioned throughout the Tuesday, May 30, episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “It’s out of control. I hope it’s kind of dying down for his sake. He’s a real person.”
The Bravo exec added that whereas the Vanderpump Rules star, 40, did one thing “really stupid and hurtful and asinine” by dishonest on Ariana Madix with Leviss, 28, the extent of vitriol he’s acquired has been excessive. “He didn’t kill anyone. He did not commit a crime,” Cohen mentioned, noting that the hatred seemingly stems from the Pump Rules solid being “so incestuous” already — and that Sandoval’s affair with the previous magnificence queen just isn’t his first on the present.
Us Weekly confirmed in March 2023 that Sandoval and Madix, 37, known as it quits after almost a decade of relationship as a consequence of his infidelity with Leviss. While season 10 of the fact sequence had completed filming by the point information broke, cameras picked again as much as comply with the aftermath — resulting in an explosive and emotional finale and subsequent three-part reunion particular hosted by Cohen, which kicked off on Wednesday, May 24.
Since information of their affair broke, Leviss and Sandoval — who’ve each issued apologies to Madix through social media — have been underneath fixed fireplace. The California native, for her half, checked right into a psychological well being facility earlier this month.
A rep for the previous pageant queen later confirmed to Us that Leviss and her household have additionally “been on the receiving end of violent and graphic death threats both online and over the phone.” Some of these threats have been despatched through social media, with one sender allegedly writing that they wished to depart Leviss “un-alive and dump the body.”
The FBI, in the meantime, declined to substantiate whether or not the mannequin or her household had been in touch with the company. “FBI neither confirms nor denies investigations,” a spokesperson for the group informed TMZ on the time. “Obviously, we review all allegations reported to us and encourage anyone who believes their life is in imminent danger to call 911.”
Sandoval, in the meantime, opened up about coping with the general public fallout throughout an episode of the “Howie Mandell Does Stuff” podcast final month.
“I have never felt the fight-or-flight [like I did] with this situation,” Sandoval informed host Mandel, 67, recalling the speedy time interval after information of the affair was made public. “I was literally on the run like I was wanted for a triple homicide. I didn’t shower for days. I was in the same clothes for days. Didn’t have my medication. … It did at times turn me into a total a–hole.”
The Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner additionally famous that his costars weighing in on the scenario has solely made issues worse for him — and that he looks like they’ve used his points for private acquire.
“There are really good friends of mine that have used this scenario … as content for their podcast. Fellow cast members,” he defined. “You don’t know want to know because you care about Ariana. You want to know so you have more content for your podcast. It’s f–king disgusting to me. It’s so gross. … So, when I have people like Scheana [Shay] and Lisa [Vanderpump] and even our producers asking questions [about the timeline], I don’t owe that s–t to them for content or to add salaciousness to our show.”
Parts 2 and three of the Vanderpump Rules reunion air on Bravo Wednesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET.
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