Heavy/Getty/NBCUniversal Lisa Vanderpump; Vanderpump Rules cast
“Vanderpump Rules” fans are convinced that the show as they know it is done.
Two months after the season 11 finale, “Plot Twist” aired, multiple cast members are still not on speaking terms. But fans think Tom Sandoval’s latest move—a lawsuit aimed at his ex, Ariana Madix — will put the nail in the coffin for the Bravo reality show.
In March 2023, Sandoval was embroiled in a cheating scandal with his then-co-star Rachel Leviss. At the time, he had been in a relationship with Madix for nearly a decade. Madix discovered the affair after finding explicit videos of Leviss on Sandoval’s cell phone.
In February 2024, Leviss sued both Sandoval and Madix for “revenge porn” after copies of the videos were allegedly made, per court documents obtained by Deadline.
In a court declaration, which can be viewed in full here, Madix admitted that upon discovery of Sandoval and Leviss’ shocking affair she made a copy of the videos. But she claimed she never sent the copies to anyone except for Leviss. Sandoval then deleted the copies from her phone, Madix alleged.
Tom Sandoval’s Latest Legal Action Has ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Fans Furious
Getty/BravoAriana Madix and Tom Sandoval.
According to Us Weekly, in court documents filed in July 2024, Sandoval accused Madix of accessing videos of Leviss on his phone without his “authorization.” The bar owner accused his ex of making copies of the videos without permission and distributing them.
Sandoval’s attorney, Matthew Geragos, told Us Weekly that Sandoval “strongly” denied the allegations of the lawsuit filed by Leviss against him and Madix. Geragos explained that a cross-complaint was filed “in order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved.” “This customary legal action was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party,” the attorney explained.
Madix’s lawyer, Jordan Susman, called the move “abhorrent.” “For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself,” Susman told Us.
Fans think Sandoval’s latest move could mark the end of “Vanderpump Rules.”
“Sooooo if the show was ever going to return, he just got it cancelled,” one fan wrote on Reddit.
“The show in its current iteration has to be dunzo right….” another wrote.
Another Reddit thread, titled “Is VPR Over?,” asked, “For real, do we think they’ll get another season now? surely no one will film with Sandoval, I doubt Ariana or Katie will be back, would the producers even take the risk of having tom back?”
“The Tom redemption arc really worked out, huh producers?” another commented. “The man you wanted everyone to be friends with again may have just single-handedly killed your show.”
“I wonder how producers and Lisa [Vanderpump] feel. All their hard work for a redemption season and he just squatted all over that,” another viewer wrote on Instagram.
“Yeah there’s no way they can go on now,” another chimed in.
As of this writing, Sandoval has deactivated his Instagram account amid the backlash over his lawsuit.
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Is Currently On Pause
BravoVANDERPUMP RULES Season 11. Pictured: (l-r) Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, Lisa Vanderpump, James Kennedy, Lala Kent, Tom Schwartz, Scheana Shay.
In April 2024 it was announced that “Vanderpump Rules” would go on “pause.” The move came following a heavy season 11 that focused on the post-Scandoval fallout. A source told Page Six that the hiatus was put in place to give the cast members a “break.” “Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,” the insider told the outlet.
The emotional 11th season ended with a poignant montage of flashbacks. The emotional slideshow highlighted just how much the friend group has changed since the series made its debut in 2013.
Executive producer Alex Baskin told The Hollywood Reporter that the tearjerker season 11 finale was not a series finale. “Just because it’s a reflective moment that clearly marks the end of one chapter does not necessarily mean that it is the end of the show,” he said in Mat.
Baskin did hint that some cast members may not want to return for another season. “I think we’re going to take a full look at what the group looks like in a period of time and figure out what we want to do next,” he said. “And that may mean that certain people have to make decisions as well.”
If Sandoval is invited back to “Vanderpump Rules,” he may not have anyone to film with. Amid news of his lawsuit against Madix, his former friend Scheana Shay posted an angry response on Instagram. Shay denounced Sandoval’s actions and made it clear he is not someone she wants to be friends with.