Ariana Madix was allegedly on the chopping block with Vanderpump Rules before the breaking of “Scandoval” in March 2023.
Nearly a year after catching Tom Sandoval, 41, cheating on her with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, sources say Ariana, 38, who has seen a bevy of success since the affair was revealed, nearly lost her gig on the show as another report has confirmed that she and Sandoval will continue to co-own their $2 million home until at least June.
“Ariana was on the chopping block,” a source told The U.S. Sun on January 26. “Producers were like, ‘We’ve had it with her.’ She was boring, and they believed she didn’t bring anything to the table. She didn’t have much going on at the time, and she was on the show for so long because she was dating Tom.”
According to the report, certain members of the show, including Katie Maloney, 37, and Lisa Vanderpump, 63, were aware that Ariana was allegedly on the chopping block. And, at one point amid season 10, Lisa supposedly discussed the matter with cameras rolling.
“Lisa even brought it up in conversation while she was mic’d in Season 10, around the end of 2022,” the source revealed. “She said, ‘If she doesn’t give something, she’s out.’”
“There wasn’t supposed to be a season 11,” the insider continued. “The show was supposed to be over after 10 seasons. Nobody had a contract to continue. So, the only reason the show got extended for another season was because of the affair.”
The source went on to say that Ariana’s upcoming sandwich shop with Katie, Something About Her, provided a much-needed storyline for Ariana.
“The sandwich shop essentially gave Ariana something to talk about and to film,” they stated. “It was new and exciting and turned into a competition with the Tom Toms since they were also in the midst of opening Schwartz & Sandy’s at the time.”
“Everything about what’s going on with the store is going to unfold this season and give fans the answers they’ve been seeking,” the insider added. “Ariana and Katie made it seem like they knew what they were getting into when it came to opening a shop, but the reality is, they are not business people and took on more than they could handle.”
Meanwhile, a January 26 report from the New York Post said that Ariana was facing at least four more months of sharing her home with Sandoval after receiving a June 3 court date after filing a lawsuit against him. As the outlet explained, Ariana is requesting not only the sale of the home, which is worth $759,000 more now than it was when they bought it, but also an equal splitting of the proceeds.
The Post also shared that Ariana was struggling to pay the bills for her shared home with Sandoval, and the home where she now lives.
While speaking to Access Hollywood at last month’s premiere party, Ariana explained that while she and Sandoval were living together for several months after their breakup, she officially moved out in September, amid her stint on Dancing With the Stars.
“Living with him is a bit of a misconception. It’s a 4,500-square-foot house. There are two very separate sides of the house so ‘under the same roof’ would be, I think, more of the feeling, but I haven’t been there since September,” she revealed. “It’s a weird thing to navigate, two people who bought a home together, who don’t have millions of dollars to just go buy another one.”
In addition to suggesting that she didn’t have the ability to maintain expenses on two different homes, Ariana also questioned Sandoval’s finances.
“Rent is very expensive in Los Angeles. And there’s a lot of people who’ve said, ‘Why doesn’t Ariana move out?’ And at one point, I was able to find a living situation that I wasn’t paying. I did a job, so it worked out. But I know I don’t have that kind of money. So I would assume that he also doesn’t have that kind of money for an expensive mortgage and then also the expensive rent here,” she shared. “So I mean, financially, these are things that I understand.”
Vanderpump Rules season 11 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.