Vanderpump Rules Finale: Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss Declare Their Love Amid Cheating Scandal
Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have SURrendered to their love.
The Vanderpump Rules stars confessed their love for one another in the season 10 finale that aired May 17, two months after news of their affair broke—despite Tom being in a nine-year relationship with co-star Ariana Madix at the time.
During a scene at Raquel's apartment, the two embraced and proceeded to discuss telling their families about the relationship, with Raquel asking Tom how his family felt about her.
"They love you," the Tom Tom owner quipped, to which the former beauty queen replied, "I love you."
Tom clarified that he had said "they" but then said it back to her: "I love you, too."
Shedding light on the relationship that sent shockwaves through the Bravo-verse, Raquel explained, "I know we always said we wouldn't f--king do this if we didn't think it wasn't worth it," but added that the backlash they've received is "not ideal."
And although the pair were quick to profess their love for one another, they drew the line at PDA on camera.
"I can't kiss you. There's cameras," the Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras frontman said in the finale, before Raquel agreed, "I can't either."
But Raquel didn't hold back when it came to voicing her attraction to Tom and why she decided to partake in the affair.
"I was just so curious to know what it would be like to be physical with someone that you love, because I already knew I loved him as a friend and I've never had sex like that before," the 28-year-old said in her confessional. "I should have completely removed myself from the situation, but I did not have the will power to not see him."
However, since their romance has come to light, most of the cast—including Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney and Raquel's ex-fiancé James Kennedy—have distanced themselves from the former Miss Sonoma County.
"I feel so isolated," Raquel told Tom during the episode. "I honestly feel like I only have you, my parents and my sister to have my best interest at heart. And even with you, it's questionable. It's like am I really going to put my life on the line for someone that would cheat on someone that they love so much because then that makes me think that you would be capable of doing that to me."
But Tom assured Raquel that wasn't the case, adding, "I would never do this if there wasn't something here."
"I can't predict the future," he continued in his confessional. "Maybe things will work out with Raquel and I, maybe they won't. But, when I kissed Raquel, I felt hope, I felt like, 'Wait a minute, you're not washed up. Your best days aren't behind you, maybe they're just beginning.'"
Days after Tom and Raquel's relationship was revealed, they both took to social media to issue public apologies to Ariana.
"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," Raquel wrote in a March 8 Instagram statement. "There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana."
Tom echoed his cast member's sentiments, writing his own apology the same day: "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."
Keep reading for more bombshells from the Vanderpump Rules season 10 finale.
Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix had their final emotional breakup talk following his affair with Raquel Leviss and it was more devastating that anyone could have imagined.
"That girl is searching for identity in men, she has no identity of her own," she told him. "Willing to stoop so low as to f--k one of her best friend's life partners, and that's someone you think is a good person to be around?"
When Sandoval revealed he and Leviss formed a deep, emotional bond, Ariana exploded, calling Sandoval and Leviss' relationship "bulls--t" and "disgusting."
"I was ride or f--king die for you, " she added, "and I had her back. The fact that she's continued to smile in my face is one of the most god-awful, disgusting things I've ever heard of."
And though Sandoval continued to blame their lack of intimacy, Madix didn't buy it and left her ex with one final, bone-chilling message.
"I regret every moment that I stood up for you, defended you, supported you," she said. "You're worth nothing and I want you to feel that deep in your soul. I want you to hear those words coming from the mouth of the woman who f--king stood by you and loved you and was ready to build the rest of my life around you."
TomSandovalbroke down in tears at Tom Schwartz's apartment while apologizing for his affair negatively affecting their L.A. bars.
"You f--ked up, man," Schwartz told his business partner. "We went from 4.8 stars on Yelp to one star at Schwartz & Sandy's. We have 20 employees who depend on us."
In a confessional, Schwartz added, "To think that this place could fall apart because of Tom's affair, it's soul-crushing," before admitting to having fear of being "cancelled" by association.
While discussing the shocking chain of events with Katie Maloney, Lala Kent and Ally Lewber, James Kennedy decided to call Leviss on the phone and grill her about the affair.
Leviss denied that she and Sandoval were "an item" and called the backlash from the affair "eye-opening" before her ex-fiancé really unleashed on her.
"You lied to everyone's face," Kennedy said. "All the people you were building friendships with, you've literally just trashed it for Sandoval's little cocky c--k. His stinky, 40-year-old c--k. Seriously, Raquel? You're not the brightest chick."
Sandoval visited Leviss at her apartment amid the fallout where they officially said "I love you" for the first time on camera. Although they wouldn't kiss in front of the crew, the passionately hugged.
"I was just so curious to know what it would be like to be physical with someone that you love because I already knew I loved him as a friend and I've never had sex like that before," she admitted in a confessional. "I should have completely removed myself from the situation, but I did not have the will power to not see him."
Meanwhile, Sandoval told his love, "I would never do this if there wasn't something here."
Later, in his confessional, he added, "I can't predict the future. Maybe things will work out with Raquel and I, maybe they won't. But, when I kissed Raquel I felt hope, I felt like, 'Wait a minute, you're not washed up. Your best days aren't behind you, maybe they're just beginning.'"
Maloney grilled ex-husband Schwartz about when he really found out about his best friend's affair. After initially insisting he only learned about the cheating one month before Scandoval broke in March, he later revealed the truth: He's known since it started last summer.
"I knew about the one-night stand, OK?" he admitted. "It was f--ked up. He said, 'I cannot believe we f--king did that. I'm disgusted, but here's how I justified it.' He's tried to communicate this to Ariana multiple times, he tried to break up with her and it just didn't work out."
Maloney didn't have any sympathy to offer, calling the TomTom co-owner Sandoval's "bitch boy."
"By being associated with him," she added, "you're going to lose a lot of friends."
In the wake of Sandoval's scandal, his other ex-girlfriend Kristen Doute returned to VPR for the first time in three years to help comfort Ariana.
"If anything," Doute said while they bonded over their mutual disgust, "I'm sorry to you that you had to do me the favor of taking him away from me."
Doute then had Madix write down affirmations and burn the pieces of paper as a symbol of healing. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," she chanted during the backyard ceremony, "life is beautiful, so slay we must."
After Lisa Vanderpump agreed to see the disgraced star, he met her at her home and tried to save face. "Me and Raquel had every intention of telling Ariana before the reunion," he told her. "There's no way we could feel like a human being, either one of us, to have Ariana defending Raquel and me."
Though she called the situation terrible, she added in a confessional, "Look, I'm not going to turn my back on Sandoval. I will never, ever do anything but condemn what he did, but they've all been guilty of things—maybe not quite this level. But at some point, maybe the pain will ease."
Back at her home, Sandoval broke down during what seemed to be an actual panic attack. "I would love to be able to have a conversation with her when she's not so angry with me," he said before balling his eyes out and struggling to catch his breath. "I don't know if I'll ever get that chance, which kills me."
Schwartz crashed a girls' night out (meant to get Madix's mind off the drama) to apologize to her.
"I'm not here to advocate for him," he told Madix. "Right now, I'm just pissed with Sandoval. I feel like he exploited my kindness. Also our businesses that we put our hearts and souls into."
She wasn't having it, though. "He apologized to the business before he apologized to me publicly which was literally pathetic," she fired back, referencing his March 4 Instagram post. "What did he think was going to f--king happen? He was going to be able to cheat on me and be able to walk away unscathed?"
The Schwartz & Sandy's co-owner continued, "I just wanted to come look you in the eyes and say I'm so f--king sorry for this whole thing."
Her response? "I will not have mutual friends with him," she stated, "so I am not your friend anymore."
The finale concluded with Sandoval visiting Scheana Shay to deliver another apology—not just for his deceitfulness, but also because of a heated conversation he and Shay had after her alleged altercation with Leviss.
Referencing one of Sandoval's past dalliances from years back, she asked, "So other than Miami girl, this is the first time you've ever cheated on Ariana?" to which he replied, "There was one other time."
Her reaction? "You're sick," she said. "Just a random person?"
Though Tom originally stated yes, he awkwardly followed with, "Well, no," before refusing to reveal any more details.
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