The Valley Cast Reveals Shocking New Info About Tom and Ariana’s Split: “It Just Wasn’t Adding Up”
Scheana Shay admitted she had "been hearing things" about the couple, while the new stars of The Valley gave their firsthand accounts of the ill-fated romance between Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix.
The cheating scandal involving Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix is still causing waves both inside and outside the Bravosphere, and more details are still making their way to the surface.
The cast of the new series The Valley — premiering Tuesday, March 19, 2024 on Bravo — joined the Vanderpump Rules folks for the latter’s After Show. The cast of the new show, starring former Vanderpump Rules alums Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute, also had inside scoops on the explosive Tom and Ariana drama.
Scheana Shay began by intimating the exes were over long before news broke of their split.
Were Tom and Ariana over before the breakup news was announced?
“I think they both admitted they weren’t happy together for a long time; they just didn’t really show it,” said Scheana. “They didn’t vocalize it. They didn’t tell a lot of people, but for months leading up to that, I had been hearing things.”
The “Good as Gold” singer said she’d taken Ariana out to lunch and “straight up asked” her if she suspected Tom Sandoval was cheating on her. But, according to Scheana, Ariana made it sound like everything was hunky-dory.
“She made me feel like, ‘No, everything is good,’” Sheana continued, adding that Ariana said she and Sandoval had a conversation about swirling rumors and had even been intimate shortly before the breakup. “I was like, ‘OK, good. We all go through rough patches.’”
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In another part of the After Show, Scheana said she thought Sandoval and Ariana tried to “paint a pretty public picture and then deal with it privately,” something Scheana admitted she was "guilty" of doing in her first marriage.
The Valley cast on Tom and Ariana's Relationship Issues
The couples featured in The Valley, including Jason and Janet Caperna, Jesse and Michelle Lally, and Danny and Nia Booko — all of whom are connected to the Vanderpump Rules cast — also chimed in about what they knew about the Tom and Ariana fiasco.
“They would get in little fights, like, maybe they weren’t in the best place, but they weren’t in a place where it seemed like they were done,” said Jason. “I mean, a 10-year relationship, it’s kind of normal to have highs and lows.”
Jason wasn’t the only one who failed to see what lay ahead for the doomed romance. His wife also “thought they were happy,” even three weeks before the scandal made headlines as the Capernas spent time with Ariana, Sandoval, and others.
Zack Wickham, however, said, Sandoval’s always being out of the home, coupled with Ariana’s always staying in, created “a weird dynamic.”
“They never wanted to talk about the relationship on VPR, and that was always a point of contention, and so when everything went down, was it terrible? Absolutely,” said Zack. “But was I surprised? I mean … I’m best friends with Kristen. We knew Miami girl was real.”
Zack was referring to cheating rumors in Vanderpump Rules Season 3, which Ariana has since addressed on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, admitting she “defended” Sandoval at the time.
“The pattern was there,” Zack continued. "... It just wasn't adding up."
Jasmine Goode also admitted to hearing whispers about Sandoval cheating but “didn’t think anything of it” because there’s always “someone throwing some sh-t out there” when you’re part of a reality television series.
However, during a few outings — including Coachella — she did notice Sandoval being “flirty or touchy” with another woman.
Kristen — who also found herself in a cheating scandal with Sandoval in the earliest seasons of Vanderpump Rules — said in the After Show that things she once liked about Sandoval were “not fun and cute anymore when you’re in your 40s,” implying she’d seen little growth from Sandoval over the years.
“It’s one thing, for example, to want an assistant to help you out because you’re busy, but it’s quite another to have an assistant because you can’t open your own mail, wipe your own ass, or clean your own kitchen,” said Kristen. “For f-ck’s sake, that’s not who Ariana is; she wanted to do everything that she’s doing right now.”
Kristen and Scheana agreed that Tom was “dragging her down,” which could have contributed to why the former flames didn’t open up to those around them. Scheana also wondered if Sandoval and Ariana kept their struggle private, hoping it would blow over and therefore never capture their attention.
“Tom should have definitely stopped the relationship before doing what he did,” said Brittany in a separate clip.
“Yeah, I think the time to end the relationship is when you want to put your dick in the friend,” said Lala Kent. “That’s the time to call it.”
The saga between Sandoval and Ariana certainly has a ripple effect, which continues in Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules, airing Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.
The Valley premieres Tuesday, March 19 on Bravo and will be available to stream the next day on the streaming platform.
