Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix Checked Girls and Guys Out Before Affair

On the same page? Tom Sandoval praised his trusting relationship with Ariana Madix before his cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss went public.

During a new episode of Vanderpump Rules, which aired on Wednesday, April 5, Tom Schwartz admitted that he felt guilty about showing interest in other women amid his divorce from Katie Maloney.

“Why does it still feel illegal to check girls out?” the Minnesota native, 40, who announced his split from Katie, 36, in March 2022, asked Sandoval, 40. In response, the Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras band member revealed, “Me and Ariana check girls out all the time. And guys. Who cares?”

The episode, which was filmed in August 2022, later showed footage of Schwartz and Raquel, 28, sharing their first kiss ahead of Scheana Shay and Brock Davies‘ wedding.

As Schwartz and Raquel opened up about their brief romance on screen, the beauty pageant contestant made headlines when Us Weekly confirmed her affair with Sandoval. (The Missouri native and Ariana, 37, called it quits after nearly a decade of dating amid the drama.)

“They were having problems for a while,” a source told Us in March, noting that things “only came to a breaking point” when the Florida native found out that her then-boyfriend was unfaithful with Raquel.

Ahead of the scandal, Ariana defended her relationship with Sandoval when the trailer for season 10 of Vanderpump Rules featured a rumor that they were in an open relationship. “We dont have an open relationship. i’m really not that cool. thought that was obvious,” she tweeted in January.

One month later, the former SUR bartender discussed why she decided to speak out. “I feel like when you let things ruminate like that, it kind of just becomes more than it is,” she exclusively told Us in February. “Honestly, it would be really sexy if we were, but we’re not.”

Since news broke about his romance with Raquel, Sandoval addressed his personal life by defending his businesses when Vanderpump Rules fans shared negative comments about the establishments. He later issued a separate statement apologizing to Ariana.

“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” he wrote via Instagram. “I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”

Sandoval added: “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”

Raquel, for her part, took to social media to address her fractured friendship with Ariana. “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships,” she wrote via Instagram. “There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”

Sandoval and Raquel have since been spotted together publicly several times. The model was recently spotted photographed leaving Sandoval’s house while Ariana was out of town for work.

A rep for the TomTom co-owner clarified Raquel’s visit, telling Us on March 30, “Raquel stopped by briefly, not even for 20 minutes because Tom had a flight and she had an interview for Evolution.”