“Had my back on the show” - Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay explains why she struggled to cut ties with Tom Sandoval post Scandoval

Vanderpump Rules cast members have been making waves ever since their first appearance, and wherever they go, controversy seemingly follows, both on and off-screen. This show has become infamous for the co-workers dating and cheating on each other.

The latest piece of news to surround this squad is Tom Sandoval's unfaithfulness to his long-term girlfriend, Ariana Madix. While many of the ladies from the show provided Ariana with unconditional support by cutting her off from Sandoval, Scheana, her best friend, claimed to still be struggling with it.

#Scandoval was plastered on all news publications as soon as the Vanderpump Rules affair was confirmed. This naturally left Ariana distraught, but she had her girls backing her up.

Scheana, however, received a lot of backlash from the audience for not cutting ties with Tom Sandoval and took to her latest "Scheananigans with Scheana Shay" episode to share her perspective, emphasizing why this has been tough for her.

"He was the only person who had my back on this show," says Scheana about Sandoval.

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Vanderpump Rules: Scheana Shay's stuck in the middle of #Scandoval

Vanderpump Rules' latest, #Scandoval, took over the internet, with several cast members coming forward to express their views. Explosive drama and infidelity have been the show's themes since its launch. The latest addition to Vanderpump Rules' Hall of Cheaters was Tom Sandoval.

Sandoval was in a long-term relationship with Ariana Madix that spanned almost an entire decade. Prior to this, he was romantically involved with Kirsten Doute, who had cheated on him with James Kennedy, who then cheated on her with Raquel Leviss, a major protagonist in #Scandoval.

Ariana and Sandoval's relationship was indestructible until March 2023, when he betrayed her by two-timing her with Raquel Leviss. This unfortunate revelation led to all Ariana's girls rallying behind her, clearly calling out Tom's behavior. They also took a trip on International Women's Day and posted their solidarity for her on social media.

Ariana and Scheana were tight even before her romance with Sandoval began, but while Scheana had taken to Instagram to support her, she had not cut ties with Sandoval.

She expressed her disappointment at not noticing the budding relationship between Raquel and Sandoval in a conversation with E! News. She felt caught between two of her closest allies and was "being too hard on herself," in the words of Vanderpump Rules' Lala. While they had their own issues with each other, they set them aside and focused on the most important thing– showing up for Ariana.

In the latest installment of her podcast, she addressed this struggle and the one of letting go with guest star Kelly Osbourne.

She admits Tom did something totally wrong to Ariana, but she also considers Sandoval as her main cheerleader for many years. Although Vanderpump Rules Tom Sandoval had been unfaithful to Ariana, Scheana couldn't look past her own friendship with him, claiming he was never a "bad friend" to her.

"[Tom] fought for me whenever something was unfair, and he was the person there in my corner," Scheana said.

Scheana spoke about how what Tom did didn't just affect Ariana and her but seriously shifted the entire group's dynamics too. In an earlier Amazon Live session, she discussed the Vanderpump Rules trip to Lake Tahoe as a part of the filming of season 11.

Ariana and Katie Maloney didn't attend this trip. Tom and Scheana were paired up together in a "spiritual meditation" session, which she claims was also her most "emotionally draining day" since she first joined SUR.

"My eyelashes hurt from how much I cried that day, my contacts were dry, I was congested, I felt weak in every way possible," Scheana said.

She worried that this could lead the audience to think that she isn't loyal to her Vanderpump Rules bestie, Ariana, but she set the record straight in her podcast.

While expressing the magnitude of her conversation with Sandoval, she said it was not easy because she had to consider both friendships, but she held Sandoval accountable for his actions. She made it abundantly clear that "all is not forgiven."

Scheana closed off by reassuring her friends and clarifying for the viewers that even though Sandoval had been her confidante, his behavior was inexcusable, and she stood steadfast by Ariana's side.

"... Team Ariana, she's my girl," Scheana said.

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Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules is a few months away, but rest assured that the scandals surrounding the SUR employees will continue until then and for a long time after. All 10 seasons of the show are available to stream on the Bravo app.