Who are Tom Sandoval's restaurant partners? Vanderpump Rules star takes "step back" from the business amid Raquel Leviss cheating scandal

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval broke his silence on the hate being directed towards his friends and family after his affair with fellow co-star Raquel Leviss came to light on Friday, March 3, 2023. His then-girlfriend of over nine years, Ariana Madix, called it quits with Tom after finding out about the affair.

Sandoval took to his Instagram on Saturday, March 4, 2023, and requested people not to misdirect their anger towards friends, family, his co-star Tom Schwartz and partner for LA bar Shwartz & Sandy's, as well as their other partners Greg and Brett. He also wrote:

"I will be taking a step back & taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees & partners. I need some time to address everything else. Sorry for everything."

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix were attending the former's band Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras' performance in Los Angeles when she found an inappropriate selfie video from Raquel on his phone. The former couple left the venue soon after the issue. As per PEOPLE's report, the affair had allegedly been going on for six months.

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Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval asks fans to leave his friends and family "out of it"

Soon after Tom Sandoval's affair with fellow co-star Raquel Leviss went public and his former girlfriend Ariana Madix called it quits, other parties took to social media to express their frustration and anger towards the issue. Many also planned to boycott Shwartz and Sandy's, an LA bar run by both the Toms.

In his Instagram post, Tom Sandoval asked people not to misdirect their anger towards his partners and Tom Schartz, as well as his friends and family. He said:

“Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger & disappointment towards me, but please leave [Tom] Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation…"

Sandoval claimed that his fellow Vanderpump Rules co-star and business partner Tom Schwartz only found out about the same recently and "didn't condone it."

He requested people not to let the business get affected as there are several other partners and employees who are dependent on it for their bread and butter. He said:

“There are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom [their first bar], I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong.”

The Vanderpump Rules star further confessed to taking a break from the business and apologized to Schwartz, his other partners, and their employees for the hurt he'd caused.

The Schwartz and Sandy's team let out an official statement and confessed to being "disapponted by the current situation," but also expressed that they have "dedicated our time, hearts and money to make this restaurant a reality." They requested people not to post negative comments as it affects the staff.

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Vanderpump Rules cast members address their concerns towards the issue

Following Sandoval and Ariana's split, many of Vanderpump Rules' former and current cast members, including Lala Kent, James Kennedy, and Kriste Doute, among several others, expressed their anger towards the affair and showered support for Ariana.

Lala explained that she had "consent" from Ariana to address her frustrations towards Sandoval, and that she was "coming for them [Sandoval and Raquel]. She also mentioned of a “blow torch, gasoline, grenade launcher,” ready to protect Ariana.

Before sharing these in her clips, Lala also shared an article headline on her Instagram story where Tom Sandoval had claimed she was "not real." In response, she wrote:

"Everyone said I was a 'bully'. It's called YOU TRIGGER ME AND I SEE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE! I've known these two are disgusting from the jump."

Addressing Sandoval, the Vanderpump Rules star said:

“Oh Sandoval… Your problem with me is I’m a little too real for your comfort. I’ve seen you for who you [are] for a long time, and you don’t like that. But, I think now is the time for you to shut the f**k up. I’ m eating good the next time I see you.”

While it seems that Lala and Raquel were cordial with each other on season 10 of the show that is currently on air, friction again cropped up when the latter made out with Tom Schwartz. However, Lala claimed to be ready for more after Raquel's affair with Tom Sandoval was made public.

Addressing Raquel, Lala said:

"I suggest you get some energy for me. You're gonna need it."

After Sandoval posted on his Instagram page on Saturday, Lala shared the same on her story and slammed him for not apologizing to Ariana, calling his behavior "narcissistic."

Raquel's ex-fiance, James Kennedy, shared the news clip by TMZ, who first broke the story, on his Instagram page and said:

Hope you all feel as sick as I do. This explains everything."

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Bravo soon confirmed that viewers will see it all play out on season 10 of Vanderpump Rules. As reported by PEOPLE, the "cameras were rolling" to capture Madix and Sandoval's split and the fallout of the affair. Raquel, for her part, is yet to comment on the matter. Ariana has deactivated her Instagram account.

Vanderpump Rules airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Bravo.