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Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval appeared on Howie Mandel's podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, to break his silence on his affair with Raquel Leviss and subsequent breakup with longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix. The reality star made some revelations that shook the internet. He shared his side of the story and spoke about on the couple's issues, as well as his relationship with Raquel.
The podcast, which was taped on April 6, saw Tom Sandoval noting that both his and Ariana's mental health issues were one of the biggest driving factors in their breakup. He said:
"Our communication was not great. I feel like that's a fault on both of us. Especially this past year or so, we've both been dealing with a lot of anxiety and depression. We handle it very differently."
The Vanderpump Rules star claimed that while he would deal with his mental health by going out with his friends and drinking, Ariana preferred:
"Staying in bed all day, just isolating herself."
Fans were furious at Sandoval for publicly calling out Ariana's mental health issues and justifying it as one of the reasons for their breakup and his affair with Raquel.
Fans slam Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval for allegedly weaponizing Ariana Madix's mental health
Fans took to social media to address their issues with Tom Sandoval revealing Ariana's mental state on a public platform. They also slammed him for making it a reason to justify his behavior and the affair.
Sandoval reveals more details on his reasons for break-up with Ariana Madix
Tom Sandoval explained that one of the main reasons behind the couple's break-up was their lack of intimacy. Tom Sandoval noted that their s*x life was no longer satisfying. He said:
"My confidence was zapped. Your s*xual experience with me would be maybe a 19-year-old [on] his second time. I had no mojo, no game anymore. That was what I felt reduced to. We just didn't have the intimacy."
Sandoval revealed that he and Ariana started couples therapy after he realized the need for it. He decided to seek help after he confessed to kissing Raquel in early August 2022 during an infamous boys' night, which was documented on Vanderpump Rules season 10.
He also revealed his plans to break up with Ariana during therapy. The Schwartz and Sandy's owner said:
"I had made it pretty clear in therapy that I wanted to take the steps to break up. Ariana kind of really started fighting for [the relationship], and I felt so, so bad about it because she was being so unbelievably sweet and amazing."
Sandoval also claimed that he broke up with Ariana on Valentine's Day. He further revealed that the latter was extremely upset and allegedly punched him. Apparently, he brought up the topic a couple of days later, but Ariana exclaimed that he'd have to force her out of the relationship.
"I was like, 'Ariana, I don't think I could be faithful in a relationship with you right now.' I hadn't told her about Raquel yet. She's like, 'If you break up with me, you will effectively be ending my life.'"
The Vanderpump Rules star also noted that both him and Ariana led separate lives at one point. Sandoval explained that he kept in touch with Raquel through Facetime and went to see her "as often as he could."
