Scheana Shay Tells Ariana Madix She ‘Can’t Keep Hating’ Tom Sandoval for Her After Cheating Scandal
Scheana Shay's loyalty to Ariana Madix has started to waver.
Following the newest episode of Vanderpump Rules, which aired on Tuesday, February 26, Bravo offered a sneak peek at how the cast trip continues to unravel. In the clip, Katie Maloney asked Ariana, 38, whether she would cut someone out if they "want to be friends" with Tom Sandoval following his cheating scandal with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss.
Ariana said she wouldn't remain on good terms with someone in the hypothetical situation. She subsequently received a call from Scheana, 38, who was struggling to hold a grudge against Sandoval, 41, after spending time together in Lake Tahoe.
"I'm mad that he did all of this and I miss my friend," Scheana told Ariana, who was visibly emotional as Katie, 37, watched in shock. "I can't keep hating him for you."
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Scheana has previously hinted that she wanted to rekindle her friendship with Sandoval despite his split from Ariana in March 2023 due to his infidelity. Despite feeling conflicted, Scheana told Lisa Vanderpump that she didn't want to rock the boat with Ariana.
"This hasn't been easy, for me especially. He was genuinely one of the best friends I've ever had in my life. Is it worth losing Ariana?" she asked during the February 20 episode. "Ariana made it very clear that anyone who chooses to remain friends with Tom Sandoval is basically dead to her. But at the same time if someone is really struggling at this level, how do I keep coming for him?"
Bravo fans might be familiar with the timeline of events since Scheana made headlines when a fan asked for a photo with the cast — Sandoval included — in Lake Tahoe. After receiving major backlash for posing with Sandoval, Scheana slammed the negativity.
“I don’t know why I feel the need to defend taking a photo with my hand like this [in a fist] in the back of someone,” Scheana said via Instagram Stories in July 2023 while in bed with Lala Kent who added that "people are so stupid."
Ariana weighed in publicly by making it clear she wasn't upset with Scheana.
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“@Scheana is an amazing friend who took a photo with a fan for their birthday. There’s been so many mean comments towards her for it and she was just doing something nice,” Ariana wrote in an Instagram Stories post that same month. “We always try to stop for photos and when the whole cast is present, it’s common for the whole cast to be in the photo regardless of what is going on between any of us at the time.”
Scheana later teased how a "spiritual meditation" with Sandoval brought out unexpected emotions.
"We went to Tahoe, it was all filmed for season 11. Ariana and Katie did not come, but Tom Sandoval did. There was one day [that was] beyond the most emotionally draining day I have ever had in 11 seasons of Vanderpump Rules," Scheana shared during an Amazon Live at the time. "No joke, my eyelashes hurt from how much I cried that day. My contacts were dry and I was congested. I felt weak in every way possible. 11 seasons and that day got me the most."
Once production wrapped, Scheana stood by her decision to film with Sandoval in season 11.
“He had always been a good friend to me, and that's what was the hardest part about this is because I've always been someone who's like, ‘Well, you didn't do it to me, but there was just something different about this where it did feel more personal,’” she exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2023. “I'm like, ‘Yeah, you didn't cheat on me, but you did betray me [and] you did lie to me.' There were other things. To lose him because of his actions, it was really hard for me."
Scheana played coy on whether she was on good terms with Sandoval at the time. Her friendship with Ariana, meanwhile, appears to still be thriving after Scheana flew out to New York City earlier this month to watch her pal play Roxie Hart on Broadway's Chicago.
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Peacock the next day.
