The Timeline Of Raquel Leviss & Tom Sandoval's Affair — Everything Fans Of 'Vanderpump Rules' Didn't See
Scandoval from start to finish.
Tinseltown, Michael Mattes / Shutterstock Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval have had a secret relationship for seven months before their affair became public. Sources say that the two "Vanderpump Rules" stars started hooking up in the summer of 2022 and kept it a secret from the rest of the cast — including Sandoval's girlfriend, Ariana Madix.
Madix, who had been dating Sandoval for the past nine years, found out about the affair on March 1. Two days later, she deactivated her social media accounts. Hours after that, TMZ reported that she and Sandoval had split.
Leviss first appeared on VPR in November 2016 and became a full-time cast member in season 9. Madix joined the cast in a full-time role in season 3 and Sandoval is an OG. Though their lives have been closely followed for years, the secret affair happened largely off-camera in a complex web of lies that has left fans bewildered about what exactly went down and when.
Here's a complete timeline of Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' affair:
December 2021: Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy end their engagement.
Photo: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock
Leviss and her ex James Kennedy first started dating in 2016, according to Us Weekly. Sandoval helped plan their engagement, even footing half the bill, in 2021. By the end of the year, however, Kennedy and Leviss had split.
"After these 5 wonderful years we had together, we decided we have two different goals and made the decision to call off the engagement. We love each other very much, but we aren’t in love anymore. We want nothing but the best for each other so please keep any thoughts positive. Sending Love," Leviss and Kennedy said in matching statements shared to their respective social media accounts.
On the first part of the season 9 reunion, Sandoval told host Andy Cohen that he didn't regret paying for the engagement, despite how things ended up. "It was worth it. Tenfold," he said.
Apr 15, 2022 – Apr 24, 2022: Rumors that Raquel Leviss hooked up with Tom Schwartz at Coachella Surface.
Photo: Instagram
During Coachella 2022, rumors circulated that Leviss was kissing another one of her co-stars, Tom Schwartz. He was quick to debunk the rumors, however, taking to Twitter to say, "Guys hate to break it to you but I wasn’t at Coachella," according to Us Weekly.
August 2022: Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss's affair begins.
The full cast of "Vanderpump Rules" began filming the 10th season of the show over the summer 2022. Off camera, Sandoval first cheats on Madix with Leviss in early August.
Though the affair was not publicized until March 2023, it was confirmed in the season 10 finale that Sandoval and Leviss first hooked up "right after the Girls Trip" — a trip to Vegas that Madix exited early after getting a call that revealed her dog, Charlotte, was ill.
Madix's dog passed away on August 2. She told Katie Maloney and Scheana Shay in the season finale that Sandoval and Leviss first cheated “right after Charlotte died.”
Sandoval corroborated the story while appearing on Howie Mandel's podcast "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" in April 2023. “We just kissed. It was magnetic. We were talking, moving closer, and as we were talking, as time went on, we would just start talking closer and closer, and then all of a sudden, we’re kissing,” Sandoval alleged.
August 26, 2022: Raquel Leviss Makes Out With Tom Schwartz in Mexico
Amid Tom Schwartz's divorce from Maloney, Leviss and Schwartz share a kiss while in Mexico for Shay and Brock Davies' wedding. The aftermath of the kiss plays out on the show but castmates remain blissfully unaware that Leviss had also hooked up with Schwartz's best friend and business partner not long before.
Schwartz told Andy Cohen, in an April 2023 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," that he first learned of Sandoval and Leviss's affair in August.
“I learned about the affair in August. … The one-night stand was in August and then it became, from my point of view, it became an emotional affair. Which is still inappropriate but I didn’t think it was linear,” Schwartz said on WWHL. “[Then] in January, he came to me and told me that he was in love with Raquel.”
Also in August and early September, cast members begin to question Sandoval and Leviss's friendship. In an episode that aired in April 2023, viewers see Ally Lewber expressing concern about the boundaries of their relationship.
"Last night at Lala’s apartment, I was grabbing my stuff and we were leaving and chatting. That is when I mentioned that I saw Sandoval and Raquel dancing together at The Abbey after [a] See You Next Tuesday [event at SUR]," Lewber said in a confessional. "I personally wouldn't be comfortable to have my boyfriend out at 1 a.m. with girls. But everyone is different. I thought it was kind of weird that it was 1 a.m. and we were like, 'Where is Ariana?'"
The cast filmed their last day of season 10 sometime in September before filming unexpectedly resumed in March after the affair was publicized.
October 2022: Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval's affair continues.
Retroactively, fans have noticed signs of the affair such as matching lightning bolt necklaces worn by Sandoval and Leviss that date back to October 2022, according to TMZ.
Leviss turned heads when she showed up to BravoCon wearing a TomTom sweatshirt. "She a fan girl. Started as a fan of the show and now a fan of the tom’s," Maloney commented on an Instagram post about Leviss' look.
"I admit… I am a fan of the [Toms]. I’m definitely a fan of the restaurant… best vibe, food and drinks in WeHo in my opinion. But I’m also a fan of Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval!! Here to support their business endeavors," Leviss explained in a post of her own.
Photo: TikTok
Sandoval dressed up as Leviss on Halloween complete with a TomTom sweatshirt, knee-high boots, and a short wig. He would later confirm to Mandel that their affair was heating up throughout the Fall.
"I was seeing Raquel as often as I could. I know that sounds horrible," Sandoval told Mandel of his affair. "And FaceTiming her all the time. And Ariana didn't even notice because that's just how separate our lives were. I had to actually tell her, 'How have you not noticed how distant I've been lately?'"
December 2022: Tom Sandoval brings Raquel Leviss to his hometown.
In photos supplied by TMZ, Sandoval apparently brought Leviss to St. Louis with him to spend time with his family. Photos of the trip emerged in April but Sandoval managed to keep it hidden from his long-time girlfriend, Madix, at the time of the vacation.
January 2023: Ariana Madix denies being in an open relationship with Tom Sandoval.
When the season 10 trailer was released, fans paid close to attention to a clip when Shay confronts Sandoval about being in an open relationship. Madix took to social media to set the record straight. "We dont have an open relationship. i’m really not that cool. thought that was obvious. #pumprules," she tweeted, according to Page Six.
January 2023: Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz take a road trip with Raquel Leviss and Jo Wenberg.
On April 5, Schwartz admitted to Cohen that he did indeed go away with Sandoval and Leviss and believed them to be "in love" at the time.
“Just for the record, that trip was mine and Tom’s trip. I told Jo to come up later and he smuggled Raquel in. What was I to do at that point? I knew that they were in love. … At that point, also, I was under the impression that he was more or less broken up with Ariana, and he was in love with Raquel," Schwartz said on "Watch What Happens Live."
February 14, 2023: Tom Sandoval says he tried to break up with Ariana Madix.
During his interview with Howie Mandel, Sandoval said that he tried to break things off with Madix on Valentine's Day.
"Obviously, she was very upset. She freaking punched me and all this s—. A couple days later, I sit down and talk with her again, and she's like, 'I'm not letting you leave me. You're gonna have to force me out of this relationship.' I was like, 'Ariana, I don't think I could be faithful in a relationship with you right now.' I hadn't told her about Raquel yet. She's like, 'If you break up with me, you will effectively be ending my life,'" he explained.
March 1, 2023: Ariana Madix finds out about Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' affair.
While watching Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras perform at TomTom, Madix learned of the affair. At the time, Sandoval's phone fell out of his pocket and someone picked it up and handed it to Madix. For whatever reason, she decided to look through his camera roll and she saw a NSFW video of Leviss.
Fans knew something was up when Madix deactivated all of her social media accounts the following day. Hours later, TMZ reported that she and Sandoval had split after she found out that he'd been cheating on her.
March 4, 2023: Tom Sandoval releases a statement on social media.
After rumors of the affair broke, Sandoval's Hollywood bar is flooded with negative reviews so he addresses the controversy via social media.
Photo: Instagram
"Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger & disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz, my friends, and family out of this situation," Sandoval wrote on Instagram. "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 continued.
"Sorry for everything," the statement concluded.
March 8, 2023: Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss release statements addressing the affair.
“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process,” Sandoval wrote. “Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly."
Photo: Instagram
"I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends," Sandoval's statement read, in part.
"I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana," Leviss wrote on Instagram.
Photo: Instagram
"I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved. I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices," she continued.
"Although I chose to be on a reality show accepting the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own actions I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated. I have begun counseling to end my unhealthy behavioral cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries and learn to protect my mental health. I don't expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness. Right now I must focus on my own health and well-being and as I strive to be a better person moving forward, I will prioritize my mental health and learn from my mistakes," she added.
March 23, 2023: The 'Vanderpump Rules' reunion films and Tom Sandoval is seen with Raquel Leviss.
The cast of "Vanderpump Rules" was back together to film the season 10 reunion, hosted by Andy Cohen, on March 23. Paparazzi caught Sandoval and Leviss outside together, talking and appearing to comfort one another, according to the Daily Mail.
March 29, 2023: Raquel Leviss is photographed outside Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix's home.
Days after filming the reunion, Leviss was photographed outside of Sandoval's home carrying what appeared to be an overnight bag. The photos were published by TMZ, though a rep for Leviss confirmed that she didn't actually spend the night.
"Raquel did not spend the night at Tom and Ariana’s house. She stopped by the house Wednesday afternoon for about a half hour to say goodbye to Tom before he left town," the rep said.
April 2023: Tom Sandoval remains vague about his relationship status with Raquel Leviss as she checks into a mental health facility.
Also on Howie Mandel's podcast, Sandoval said that he and Leviss weren't an official item. "We’re really good friends. We're not putting any label on it," Sandoval said.
Leviss, meanwhile, remains silent but her rep confirms that she is seeking mental health care.
"Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling," her rep told Entertainment Tonight. "She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health," Leviss' rep added.
May 17, 2023: Reports surface that Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have broken up.
After their shocking affair, Sandoval and Leviss reportedly broke things off, according to Page Six. "Raquel dipped out. Sandoval is not the one for her," a source told the outlet. However, when Madix sat down with Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live," she pretty much laughed off the split rumors, telling Cohen that a letter from Leviss addressed to Sandoval arrived at their home days earlier.
Meanwhile, a source told People that they were "never a couple."
"Tom and Raquel never put a label on their relationship to begin with," the source stated. "After their affair was exposed and the blowback they received, they said that before defining things, they needed to take time to address the issues in their own lives that drove them to this in the first place. And that's where things still are."
Also in May, Sandoval was spotted in Austin with a mystery woman believed to be his new love interest.
Effie Orfanides has been reporting on celebrity and entertainment news since 2009. She is the former Director of Operations of the Inquisitr and currently has bylines at People, NickiSwift, and Heavy. In 2022, she released her first mobile app called beacheo.