Tom Sandoval Compared Scandoval To Two Major Historical Moments And Pump Rules Fans Are Fuming
Ever since news broke in March 2023 that he was cheating on his girlfriend of nine years with their "Vanderpump Rules" castmate Rachel "Raquel" Leviss, Tom Sandoval has been giving people the ick. He's also been continuously digging a PR grave for himself for just about a year now, and I take no pleasure in reporting that he just shoveled out another mound of dirt. (That's not true. I take some pleasure in reporting that.)
In an interview with the New York Times Magazine — where Sandoval had to be repeatedly "handled" by PR mavens and Bravo executives (but more on that shortly) — the reality TV villain spoke to Irina Aleksander, who made sure to note early in the piece, "I couldn't remember interviewing a public figure as eager to speak into a recording device." It was, per usual, to Sandoval's immediate detriment. When asked why he thought Scandoval was such a huge deal — it was, after all, referenced at the White House Correspondents' Dinner — Sandoval said, "I'm not a pop-culture historian really, but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it's a little bit the same?"
Yikes.
Aleksander clarified that Sandoval's PR person didn't react at first but later told the interviewer, "Sometimes he says too much and the following day forgets what he says." The writer also said she thought she understood what Sandoval meant, but that it ... didn't come out quite right. Naturally, fans had some notes.
Vanderpump Rules fans didn't hold back their feelings on Sandoval's comments
"Vanderpump Rules" fans immediately headed to X (formerly known as Twitter) to rightfully roast Tom Sandoval for his — to put it lightly — intensely inappropriate comparison to an alleged murderer (O.J. Simpson) and victim of police brutality (George Floyd). As @acechhh put it while including a quote from the piece, "tom sandoval is insane lmao." Podcast host Kate Casey stated the obvious: "What are we surprised #TomSandoval did something infuriating?" Meanwhile, @essayjenkins made the tiniest attempt to explain Sandoval's intent before giving up: "I wanna say clueless. Nope, he has a clue. I wanna say daft. But he's not that stupid. I wanna say classic narcissist. But even a narcissist has some sense of their awareness. Tom Sandoval is reaching where he shouldn't because he wanted cruel criticism to ultimately play a victim."
If you give social media mentions a quick peruse, you'll find a lot of similar comments. Obviously, Sandoval never should have invoked two genuine American tragedies when he was asked about the time he cheated on his girlfriend with their mutual friend for several months. In the New York Times Magazine piece, Irina Aleksander watched the fallout from these comments happen in real time. Though she was supposed to meet with Sandoval the following day, it was called off and she was offered a different cast member in his stead. She ultimately saw him again, but a Bravo employee was on hand (presumably to make sure he didn't say anything else egregiously absurd). In any case, the quote went live — and fans took note of Sandoval's continued villainy.
Ultimately, Tom Sandoval did apologize for this absolutely absurd comparison
Hours after the story made its way to social media, Tom Sandoval did what he does best: he offered up a half-hearted apology only after people pointed out that his actions were odious and awful. In a statement obtained by Deadline, he said: "My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed."
This entire situation is emblematic of Tom Sandoval's whole deal these days. The question he was apparently unable to answer — why Scandoval is such a big deal — is actually quite evident when you look at the way Sandoval has reacted to every part of the scandal's fallout. Even before his affair was revealed, Season 10 of "Vanderpump Rules" made it quite clear that Sandoval was trying to paint Ariana Madix as a cruel and subpar partner, complaining that she belittled him and also that she never bought toilet paper or batteries. During the explosive Season 10 reunion, Sandoval cried crocodile tears, largely refused to take accountability for his affair, and made a crude comment about his and Madix's sex life. Between Seasons 10 and 11, Sandoval has appeared on podcasts and whined about how nobody likes him and how Madix was actually really mean to him all the time.
I feel like it's important to note that, elsewhere in the NYT Magazine profile, Sandoval says this when Irina Aleksander notes how much hate he's received since Scandoval broke: "I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he's a convicted rapist." So, you know. Go ahead and take his apology with a grain of salt.
"Vanderpump Rules" is currently airing its 11th season.