Ariana Madix Clarifies Tom Sandoval Open Relationship Rumor

Okay but can we talk about how Ariana Madix has been handling this whole disaster? Because honestly shes giving a masterclass in how to deal with being publicly humiliated by your partner of nearly a decade.

For those somehow not following the Vanderpump Rules drama that broke the internet – Tom Sandoval was caught having an affair with Raquel Leviss while still in a relationship with Ariana. The scandal dubbed Scandoval by the very online has dominated entertainment news for months.

Now one of the narratives that Sandoval and his defenders have tried to push is that he and Ariana had some kind of open relationship arrangement. That the affair wasnt really cheating because there was an understanding. Ariana is having none of it.

In recent interviews and social media appearances Madix has made crystal clear that no such arrangement existed. They were in a committed monogamous relationship. Full stop. Whatever Sandoval may have convinced himself of to justify his behavior does not match the reality she was living.

Theres something deeply frustrating about watching a cheater try to reframe the narrative after getting caught. We werent really together. We had an understanding. She knew about it. Its the kind of gaslighting that makes victims question their own memory of events. Ariana refusing to let that version of history stand is actually important.

The Vanderpump Rules reunion is expected to be explosive when it airs. Production reportedly had to schedule multiple days of filming because there was so much to unpack. Cast members have taken sides. Friendships have ended. The show that was basically about attractive people getting drunk and fighting now has actual stakes.

Celebrities dealing with personal drama publicly is nothing new but theres something about how Ariana has conducted herself that feels different. Shes been hurt but shes not playing victim. Shes angry but shes channeling it productively.

Professionally shes booking opportunities left and right. Dancing With the Stars. Broadway. Brand deals. The woman is taking her moment and running with it. Meanwhile Sandoval is doing sad acoustic covers and trying to explain himself on podcasts that nobody asked for.

Look I know reality TV relationship drama shouldnt matter. In the grand scheme of things whether two people from a Bravo show were or werent monogamous is irrelevant to almost everything. But millions of people watched their relationship for years. Invested emotionally in their story. Finding out it was a lie on his end hits differently than normal celebrity breakups.

The open relationship rumor matters because if it were true it would change the moral calculus. Ariana clarifying that its absolutely not true forces us to see the situation for what it is – a straightforward betrayal by someone who made a commitment and broke it.

I dont usually root for reality TV cast members like theyre sports teams. But Im rooting for Ariana. She deserves the W here.

Vanderpump Rules continues on Bravo.