Get ready, Perezcious readers, because this week’s episode of Vanderpump Rules got EXPLOSIVE!
For those who need a refresher, we last left off with Tom Sandoval getting caught in a lie about staying at a Labor Day party (with Raquel Leviss) instead of going home to his girlfriend — who was grieving the loss of her grandmother. This week, Ariana Madix admits she’s not bothered by whatever Sandoval did at the party — but she is annoyed he put her in a position where everyone is now questioning their relationship!
Ariana VS Sandoval
In the episode, the couple sits down and has an actual conversation about their relationship. Sandoval expresses to Ariana that they “haven’t been as connected” as they once were, adding:
“There’s been a lot of things that have been bothering me and stacking up, and sort of swept under the rug. My very presence f**king annoys you.”
But the 37-year-old fires back at his claims, saying:
“Your very presence? I don’t think those are words that I say. Just being honest.”
Related: Lala Claims Ariana Had A ‘Meltdown’ Defending Relationship To VPR Producers!
Well, that didn’t stick well with Sandoval. He claims it “really hurts” his feelings that the bartender would “snap at me” and “belittle me in front of people.” However, Ariana insists that isn’t the case — instead, she explains the root of their issues is the fact they never spend time alone together, and he refuses to put in some effort!
“But yet you’re the only person that I’m constantly wanting to hang out with more, and I never get to hang out with you and have it be us. I’ve said that for months. You know peacocking on a night out, everybody else gets that, and then I get the leftovers.”
Oof. Knowing what we know now, that’s so much truer than she realized at the time. He wasn’t just spending time with “everybody else,” it was with a specific other body…
Sandoval then replies to the accusation:
“I feel like sometimes here, obviously, with all the things you’ve been going through and s**t I’ve been dealing with, I don’t feel like we are connected the way we should be. We didn’t even take a f**king picture together at Scheana’s wedding. That’s f**king crazy.”
The wedding where he supposedly disappeared with Raquel for hours??? Hmm…
When Ariana pushes back that “taking pictures together is a marker for if you’re connected to somebody,” Sandoval goes off, questioning if she’s going to disagree with “everything that I say.” However, Ariana doubles down that their main issue is their lack of connection:
“No, I agree with what you’re saying about us not being connected. But remember when we would cook dinner and put on The War on Drugs? We don’t do that anymore. We would put music on our speakers and we would make dinner together.”
Well, part of the reason for their disconnect is probably because he was out there hooking up with her best friend! Just saying!
Bursting into tears, Sandoval goes on to complain about only “having sex four times a year.” Her response? Ariana argues that if he wants sex, he needs “to spend time with me because I cannot have sex with somebody who feels like a stranger.” Understandable!! She continues to explain in a confessional:
“To me, quality time is one-on-one, no distractions, no other people – really focused on each other. I want that emotional and physical intimacy. You can’t like telepath your dick into a vagina from The Abbey.”
When Sandoval asks Ariana what she thinks quality time should be, she immediately answers “doing an activity” together such as “going for a walk around the neighborhood” or “making dinner together, not us necessarily going out and getting drunk together.”
Not shockingly, the singer doesn’t seem to like that answer as he claps back that those ideas are just her “definition of quality time.” At this point, Ariana gets fed up with the conversation. Producers then ask Sandoval what his “ideal way of spending quality time” with Ariana would be — and his answer no doubt had some folks rolling their eyes. He says:
“Take some mushrooms together and watch the sunrise. Let’s go skinny dipping in the pool. Let’s go hang gliding. I like stimuli.”
Mind you, this is a 40-year-old man — and the definition of quality time with a partner for him is “hang gliding” and “skinny dipping.” He really doesn’t just want to be with his girlfriend. He has no idea he’s essentially admitting he finds that boring, what with his demand for “stimuli.” Sigh.
And he finds Ariana’s ideas ridiculous? Seriously?! Sandoval and Ariana proceed to go back and forth over how they don’t share the same interests; he turns things around and says she goes out with her friends more than with him. Eventually, the pair gives up on the conversation. Sandoval ends it by telling Ariana:
“I love you. I want us to be better.”
That should be a hopeful note, but… well, you know. Again, he dares to say this — knowing he was involved with Raquel!? If you thought this whole situation was infuriating, then buckle up because we’re not even close to finished yet!
Does anyone remember the “sick” conversation between Raquel and Ariana Lala teased last month? Well, viewers finally saw what went down, and she was right! We all had a pit in our stomach during this next segment…
Raquel VS Ariana
Elsewhere in the episode, Ariana and Katie Maloney host a tasting for their WeHo sandwich shop called Something About Her. At one point in the night, Raquel takes a moment to speak with Ariana about how things have been going between her and Sandoval. The cocktail book author admits they got into a “big argument” over him “not being heard” enough. And it’s instantly clear Raquel is digging way too deep here! The SUR waitress questions whether their issues have to do with their lack of intimacy, inquiring:
“Do you think because remember when I opened up to you about James and I not having sex? And you told me, ‘Yeah. Sometimes Sandoval and I go through dry spells.'”
To which Ariana replies:
“Yeah, we do. You come home after working all night. And you think you’re just gonna like whip your d**k out and I’m gonna be like, ‘Yeah, let’s f**k.’ That’s never gonna happen. We have to spend time together.”
But for Raquel? She has her own opinions:
“I feel like in a relationship you should want to have sex.”
Ariana explains how she needs to be “emotionally intimate” before even thinking about getting physical with a partner. When Raquel asks if they had been “emotionally intimate at one point,” Ariana notes:
“Yeah, when we’d spend time together. If you want to connect, you have to work on your connection.”
Continuing to fish for answers, Raquel wonders aloud if Ariana is still “sexually attracted” to Sandoval. The restaurant owner insists she is – but admits she doesn’t think her boyfriend reciprocates those feelings anymore:
“Oh my God, I think he’s so f**king hot. But then I’m like, ‘I’m not hot.’ You don’t look at my body and go, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want. I want cellulite, fat thighs and a big ass and bingo arms.’”
Oh no… That’s how Sandoval made her feel??
Becoming very emotional, Raquel tells Ariana to “stop,” arguing that “a lot of it is in your own head”:
“And that makes me really sad because I do that to myself too. It’s f**ked up. We’re a lot prettier than we think we are. We’re our own worst critics. I think that that translates into our sexual lives. Now that I’m single I think sex is a very, very important part of a healthy relationship.”
She’s not wrong that it’s all in Ariana’s head. But when you consider why she feels unsexy, how much of that is spurred on by a partner who’s hooking up with someone else all the time — this is so twisted!
Raquel continues in a confessional:
“I’m sure Ariana’s body image, insecurities have a role in the issues that Tom and Ariana are having. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, there’s no way that you can be having good sex.”
But the biggest moment comes when Raquel seemingly finally gets the answer to her real question — and it’s not the one she wants!
After Ariana swears to Raquel that she wants to continue her relationship with Sandoval, Raquel clearly becomes disappointed and says:
“My point is that not everyone is that way, and for me I knew I should have broken up with James two years before because I wasn’t attracted to him anymore.”
Wow… Did anyone else get the impression Raquel not only initiated this conversation to get some answers about Sandoval, but also to convince Ariana to break up with him?!
cannot wrap my mind around the way Raquel was sizing up in real time how much she had to worry about getting Ariana out of the way pic.twitter.com/Ah9SO6WonY
— bravo by betches (@bravobybetches) May 11, 2023
Because she clearly seemed upset and emotional when her friend insisted they would talk and work things out! And the fact that she can look Ariana in the eyes — while having an affair with her boyfriend, which is no doubt a big part of the reason they are having problems in their relationship, and pretend to be sympathetic? Truly disgusting.
It kind of seems like Sandoval might have given Raquel the impression they were on the verge of a breakup — and his mistress was using her friendship to try to push them over that line… Right?
And we guess Raquel really did not like the fact Ariana wasn’t giving up on her man because she chose chaos the rest of the night! Things got heated when the 28-year-old confronted Katie over the rumors she and Tom Schwartz were making out once again. Rather than taking a moment to apologize for disregarding the one rule Katie had for her divorce, not to hook up within the VPR friend group, she decides to slam the 36-year-old for rage-texting Schwartz. The argument is super random, to the point where even Katie asks:
“Why are you talking to me about this? What the f**k are you doing right now?”
Katie’s mom Teri Maloney eventually chimes into the conversation, which makes Raquel groan and roll her eyes, saying:
“Oh my god.”
This sets off Katie! She rightfully goes OFF on Raquel, saying:
“Where were you f**king raised? You’re a little fucking c**t is what you are! Walk away. Talk to her with respect. She was so f**king nice to you. I’m so f**king done with you. I’m so f**king done with you.”
Sandoval (surprise, surprise) jumps in to defend Raquel and yell at Katie for “not taking accountability.” Ariana gets worked up at one point, and we see her crying on Lisa Vanderpump’s shoulder over how she doesn’t want to get in the middle of her friends’ argument. Of course, Schwartz decides to hide in a corner behind some plants during all of this. Ugh. When Schwartz and Katie try to have a convo in the alley behind SUR, Raquel can’t leave well enough alone and steps into the conversation.
Basically, she came to stir up some major drama — and boy was she successful! And we can only expect more drama with the season finale airs next week! And then the reunion too! Watch the trailer for that HERE. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below!
[Image via Vanderpump Rules/Peacock]
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