Is This the Real ‘Reason’ Tom Sandoval Hooked Up With Raquel Leviss?

Tom Sandoval.

Heavy/NBC Universal Did Tom Sandoval have a motive?

Former “Vanderpump Rules” star Jax Taylor is speaking out about his former best friend’s affair.

Taylor traveled to New York City with his wife Brittany Cartwright and has been on a media tour of sorts. During an interview with People magazine, Taylor talked about Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss’ relationship and explained why Sandoval went for Leviss.

“I’ve known Tom Sandoval for 20 years. I know who he is. There’s a reason why it’s Raquel. it’s because she can be controlled,” Taylor said in the interview, which was posted on People’s TikTok.

“And Ariana is a very strong, independent woman and it’s her way, which, I like that. That’s how Brittany is,” Taylor explained. “But you can’t control her. And he, I think, he likes to control. He likes to, you know, be able to tell her what to do. And I think Raquel is very easily influenced. I think she’s very co-dependent. And I think he kinda preys on that. That’s why I think it’s her,” he continued. He went on to call Leviss a “fan girl.”

Taylor and Cartwright officially parted ways with Bravo in 2020.

Here’s what you need to know:


Jax Taylor Says He Has an Issue With Tom Sandoval Not Apologizing

In his very first post after the news of the scandal broke, Sandoval took to Instagram to ask people not to take their hatred of him out on his business.

“Just like TomTom, I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong. Im so sorry that my partners, Greg, Brett, and Schwartz and our employees have to suffer for my actions. I will be taking a step back & taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees & partners,” he wrote on March 4, 2o23.

It wasn’t until March 8, 2023, that Sandoval posted another statement on social media that included an apology to Madix — though Taylor doesn’t believe it was sincere.

“I really don’t have a leg to stand on in this topic. I’ve done my fair share of bad things. Where I have a problem is the lack of empathy. The not apologizing. Having your crisis PR team write you a message, which, you gotta step down from your little pedestal for a minute and stop making this about Tom Sandoval and making better decisions and stepping down from Vander… Like, you’re not writing that. It’s weird,” Taylor said in his interview with People.

Several people praised Taylor for his take.

“Never in my pop culture life did I think Jax Taylor would be breaking it down for us with such maturity,” one TikTok user commented on the video.

“Wow never thought I say this but… well said Jax,” someone else said.


Jax Taylor First Reacted to the Scandal on Twitter

After TMZ reported that Sandoval and Madix split and that there was chatter of an affair between Sandoval and Leviss, Taylor took to Twitter to react.

“I told y’all,”  he tweeted in response to someone who posted about Miami girl. For those unfamiliar with the show, Sandoval was accused of sleeping with a girl named Annemarie Kunkel while on a trip to Miami. The person who made the claims was none other than his ex-girlfriend, Kristen Doute.

“I’ve called a lot of things on that show that people never believed… everything I say always ends being true… #pumprules,” Taylor wrote in another tweet.

He echoed these feelings in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

“I mean, I don’t wanna say I predicted it, but I predicted it. I mean, I’m just not surprised, I’m just not surprised, I’ll just leave it at that,” he said.

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