YouTube/ABC Tom Sandoval; Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov.
Tom Sandoval has launched a new podcast nearly 7 months after his headline-making affair with Raquel Leviss resulted in the end of his 10-year relationship with Ariana Madix.
While he has stepped back from the bar business he shares with co-star Tom Schwartz, the “Vanderpump Rules” star has filmed scenes for the 11th season of the Bravo reality show and also scored a gig on the Fox show “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.” In addition, on September 27, 2023, Sandoval, 41, announced his latest project: a podcast called “Everybody Loves Tom.”
According to Page Six, “Everybody Loves Tom” features the controversial Bravolebrity engaging in “candid and entertaining conversations” including “juicy, behind-the-scenes [‘Vanderpump Rules’] stories” with a variety of “eclectic” celebrity guests.
But the podcast news – and the timing of its September 28 debut – has some VPR fans up in arms. Sandoval made the announcement hours after his ex, Ariana Madix, made her debut as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Tom Sandoval Announced His Podcast the Day After Ariana Madix Made Her Debut on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
On September 26, 2023, Madix made a dazzling debut in the DWTS ballroom and tied for second place on the judges’ leaderboard with her partner, Pasha Pashkov. While it should have been Madix’s time to shine in the spotlight, hours later, Sandoval posted a promo for his new podcast.
In the clip, podcast producer Jason Bader approaches Sandoval to tell him they need to come up with a name for the podcast. Sandoval is nonchalantly eating a sandwich as the producer reveals they have been working with a focus group to come up with words that describe him – the words Sandevil, Sandovile, scumbag, cheater, liar, narcissist, and “worm with a mustache” came up the most. Sandoval then announces the podcast will be named “Everybody Loves Tom.”
A second clip shows stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Any Schumer, Adele, and Jerry O’Connell all trashing Sandoval.
And a third teaser shows Sandoval taking off his shirt for his podcast debut. After an off-camera producer reminds him “this is a podcast,” so listeners won’t know he has his shirt off because they won’t be able to see him, Sandoval smiles and says, “Oh, they’ll know.”
Sandoval’s podcast promo received a big reaction. Bravo host Andy Cohen applauded the “savage” diss montage, while Billie Lee, who is one of the few “Vanderpump Rules” stars still in Sandoval’s circle, wrote, “wow look who’s the comedian now! So excited for this one. “
Others were less excited about the podcast news. Some commenters accused Sandoval of trying to take attention from Madix.
“Of course he couldn’t let Ariana have the spotlight from her ‘Dancing With The Stars’ debut 😒,” one Instagram user wrote. “The timing isn’t a coincidence. 🤮,” another agreed. “Oh he & his PR team def knew what he was doing w riding her coattails of success and timing this out perfectly 🤪,” another chimed in.
“And eating a sandwich at the same time…Was that a dig too for the sandwich shop?” another asked in reference to the sandwich shop, Something About Her, that Madix will soon open with co-star Katie Maloney.
Sandoval’s former friend Jax Taylor also called the timing of the podcast launch a bad move.
“I don’t think he should have launched it the day after Ariana’s ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” Taylor told Page Six. “I think that was bad PR, and the fact that he is trying to redeem himself and make himself a better person — whoever told him to announce this the day after … not a good move. I don’t understand why he couldn’t have announced it maybe a week later.”
Raquel Leviss Also Plans to Start a Podcast
Sandoval isn’t the only person involved in the Scandoval controversy who is starting a podcast. His former mistress Raquel Leviss previously teased she would host her own show.
The former “Vanderpump Rules” star shared the news during an August 2023 interview on Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B With Bethenny” podcast. Leviss, 29, told Frankel she plans to launch a podcast focused on what she believes is an “untapped” market: the psychology behind the mistress’s side of an affair.
“I feel like this is the area that’s untapped because nobody really wants to talk about being the other woman,” Leviss explained. “And for as many people that are hurt by this affair there’s equally that many people that’s been [the mistress].”
Leviss did not reveal the title of her podcast or details on when she plans to launch it.
READ NEXT: Lindsay Hubbard Celebrates Bachelorette Weekend Following Carl Radke Split