Ariana Madix Opens Up About Experiencing “Emotional Exhaustion”
The Vanderpump Rules cast member says she "just want[s] a break" from her recent heartache.
Ariana Madix is opening up about how she's doing in the wake of several heartbreaking life changes.
On the April 26 episode of Vanderpump Rules, Ariana Facetimed her then-boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, and his friend/business partner, Tom Schwartz, to talk about the "emotional exhaustion" she was feeling after her grandmother, Bonnie, passed away. (The Something About Her co-creator lost her grandmother in September 2022.)
"My grandma Bonnie, she was like my best friend," Ariana explained in an interview on the episode about how difficult the loss had been for her. "I feel like every time I saw her, I would always, like, in the back of my mind, think, maybe it was going to be the last time."
Shortly before her grandmother died, Ariana's dog of 16 years, Charlotte, also passed away. The back-to-back losses also reminded her of when her father died.
"It's hard because it's part of life, and it's something that I've obviously been through with my dad and been through with Charlotte," she continued, though she acknowledged that she wanted a pause from the grief she was experiencing.
"I wish that it would just stop happening," she concluded. "I just kind of want a break."
Ariana spoke to both of the Toms while Sandoval was in the process of getting his sperm checked. On the April 19 episode, Ariana had a "tough" conversation with Sandoval about the eggs she had frozen, and how she wanted them to be fertilized.
"My stance on all things related to being pregnant [and to] giving birth has not really changed. It’s just that I don’t like biological clocks having the power to run anything," Ariana explained on the episode. "And those eggs, they are more viable as fertilized embryos."
Though Sandoval had previously expressed a desire to have children, he had questions about Ariana's plan.
"Why would Ariana want me to fertilize her eggs when we might or might not have kids, whatever she decides?" he asked in an interview on the episode.
When he asked her about whether they would have kids, she responded, "Maybe, maybe not."
Following this conversation and Sandoval's visit to check out his fertility, the pair broke up. Get a refresher on their nine-year relationship by watching the video below.
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