‘VPR’ Season 11 Reunion Part 3: Ariana and Sandoval Get Very Emotional, Lala Burns More Bridges
The final installment of the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion hinted at feuds that might not get repaired, which came in the aftermath of Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval's very emotional onscreen conversation.
During the third part, which aired on Tuesday, May 28, the cast saw the final moments of the season 11 finale. Ariana, 38, specifically was in for a surprise when she saw Lala Kent — and Sandoval — slamming her for not filming with him.
"A lot of what was said was really hurtful. That was me being my authentic self," she explained. "The hurt that I felt I felt so deeply and I am not here for him putting on the waterworks thing."
The Bravo special subsequently presented an opportunity for Ariana and Sandoval, 41, to have a difficult talk about his cheating scandal. Ariana admitted she didn't feel like she knew Sandoval anymore due to his affair with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss while he pleaded with her to see his side.
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The former couple, who called it quits in March 2023 when news about the drama broke, didn't end up in a good or a bad place. Instead, they both appeared to get closure, which can't be said for Lala, 33, and Ariana.
In the last moments of the finale, Lala made it clear that she didn't mind if she wasn't on good terms with Ariana and Katie Maloney after calling their behavior into question throughout the season.
Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations from the third part of the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion:
Addressing Those Cheating Rumors About Jax Taylor
In the beginning of the third part, host Andy Cohen asked Katie, 37, where she saw rumors that Jax Taylor was allegedly unfaithful to now-estranged wife Brittany Cartwright. Katie clarified that the speculation started "online."
Scheana Shay, meanwhile, said she didn't believe the rumors, adding, "For a second [I thought they were true] but I know Brittany has his passwords and she has gone through his phone and DMs."
Katie, however, pointed out that Jax, 44, wouldn't have evidence on his phone. "They weren't texting," she added. "You aren't going to find things in a text."
None of the cast members thought cheating was the reason Jax and Brittany, 35, separated though.
Lala Kent Reveals She's Now Feuding With Brittany Cartwright
“Brittany acted so out of pocket on the day of my gender reveal,” Lala revealed while blaming Jax for getting Brittany upset earlier this year. “She reached out to my mother and was so f–king out of pocket.”
Lala continued: “Do not text my mother the day that I find out that we’re having a baby girl and say, ‘Did you really hire our nanny without our permission?' First of all, you’re in Kentucky with [your son] Cruz, and she said, ‘I have Jax yelling at me.'” And I said, ‘Well, then you need to have Jax call me so I can eat him alive instead.'”
According to Lala, the drama originated over a motherhood misunderstanding. “People like to get real Hollywood quickly and call babysitters nannies,” she said, which didn't fully clarify the issues. “Babysitter and nanny? Very different things. Had it not been Brittany, my mom would have slapped this ho the next time she saw her. My 63-year-old f–king mom is being questioned by Kentucky muffin. Are you joking?”
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Ariana Madix and Scheana Shay Awkwardly Navigate Their Friendship Issues
The third part of the reunion also resurfaced Brock Davies' comments where he called Sandoval a better friend to Scheana, 39, than Ariana had been.
"I have been in her corner and supported her since day 1 in that. Obviously this year was a little bit more difficult for us," Ariana admitted. "When I am going through things, I isolate as well and that is my fault."
Scheana also came to Ariana's defense, saying, "She's busier than she's ever been. Even before we started filming, I did feel distance. I know you have done that to other people in your life who are close to you as well so I know it is not just me."
Amid the emotional conversation, Scheana referenced Ariana's decision not to watch the episodes. "You never watched the show. You are watching clips on TikTok. So you aren't getting the full perspective and there were so many longer conversations I wish you had the chance to see," Scheana noted.
In response to a question from Andy, Scheana weighed in on fan comments about her being jealous of Ariana. (Scheana notably mentioned being upset that she wasn't aware of the opportunities presented to Ariana on the heels of Scandoval.)
"I don't think it is jealousy. It is a feeling of being left out. Call me a pick me, whatever the f—k you want to say. I do like feeling that validation — not just from men — but from my friends," she explained. "As she was getting all this opportunity, I didn't want her to forget about me. I wanted to be on the journey with her."
Despite their issues, Scheana maintained that she and Ariana "are good." Ariana agreed by calling Scheana "family" no matter what. The duo, however, haven't remained in contact publicly since filming on the reunion wrapped.
Katie Maloney and Tom Sandoval Hash Out Their Issues — Again
After Katie was once again asked whether Sandoval affected her marriage to Tom Schwartz, she agreed that he "contributed" to her now-ex-husband's opinion of her. Sandoval, meanwhile, said they were doing good until she tried to get involved in Schwartz and Sandy's.
"You didn't like me," Katie fired back. "I don't think you have treated me very humanely. When people want to play in my face, I am going to treat them exactly like how I see it. Choke, I don't care."
Andy subsequently joked that Katie and Sandoval's "chemistry" was undeniable, to which he replied, "We are going to bang it out."
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Why Daniel Wai Didn't Interact with the 'Vanderpump Rules' Cast Much on Screen
According to Ariana, there was one reason why her boyfriend, Daniel Wai, didn't appear for many of the cast activities during their trip to San Francisco.
"Initially he was just going to come to L.A. and hang out with me there. Because these dates ended up being what it was [he came with]," she said. "He's not getting paid. He doesn't want to be on this show."
The Cast Watches the Last Minutes of the Season 11 Reunion
Even though the cast received the season 11 episodes in advance, they didn't see the last few minutes. Instead it was played for everyone at the reunion and Ariana was the most surprised by how some people reacted when she chose not to film with Sandoval.
Ariana didn't appear thrilled with Scheana's conversation with Sandoval where she claimed Ariana thought she was an idiot. She was also visibly upset by Lala breaking the fourth wall by coming for Ariana.
When the finale played clips from heavy moments throughout the seasons, Katie, James Kennedy, Scheana and Sandoval were seen getting very emotional.
Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Finally Have a Conversation
While addressing her decision to walk away from Sandoval, Ariana ended up having the conversation her costars wanted from her in the finale.
"You know me well enough. You knew me Ariana," Sandoval said before Ariana shot back, "I don't know. I don't believe that. And then when you didn't get what you wanted, what you said about me to try to triangulate."
She continued: "What would I have said about you this summer? Why would I have said anything other than that about you this summer? Given what I have experienced."
Ariana said Sandoval's explosive reaction to her not filming with him "proved" her right that he only wanted it for the show.
"I just want you away from me. I just want you gone. I don't want to be in a position where I am being forced," she continued. I am not forced to do anything. I will have that conversation with everybody else but I am not in a place to have a conversation with you. I was in that moment just about to be used."
Katie stepped in to argue that Ariana wouldn't know Sandoval's true intentions after he lied for seven months amid his affair.
"With the double life, I don't know who you are. So I'm sorry that that is something you have a hard time with but that is the consequences of your actions toward me," Ariana added while confirming her relationship with Sandoval "wasn't perfect" despite Lala claiming on screen that they stated it was.
As both Sandoval and Ariana continued to cry, he gave her an apology for his actions.
"I just want to say to you that I am sorry. I am not asking you to forgive me. I know you won't. I know you don't want to be around me," he said. "Whatever our relationship was — the good and the bad — you didn't deserve that. And I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. I regret it every single day. It is a badge of shame. I did the thing I said I would never do to you."
Ariana pointed out that Sandoval's mistakes included interacting with Rachel, adding, "You also brought a s—t person into both of our lives in a very f—ked up way. And this bitch has to talk about me all the f—king time. You did that. I just want to be away from you."
The heated moment ended neutrally when Sandoval concluded, "I feel really bad about that. I wish you the best and I will give you your space. We will figure everything out. We have our lawyers, don't worry about it. I understand."
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Ariana Madix Reacts to Lala Kent's Numerous Shady Comments About Her
"It hurts my feelings a lot because I was trying so hard. I feel like it is our job to live our lives and I am living authentically walking away from that," Ariana said about Lala's digs that she wasn't showing enough of her life. "I could have done it for the show but I don't think our show thrives when we aren't fully real. And that was not real on my part."
Throughout the final part of the reunion, Lala kept arguing that her issue was how the others "questioned" her split from ex-fiancé Randall Emmett while Ariana didn't get the same treatment on screen.
"When all of this happened, as much as I am grateful that Ariana is not experiencing what I experienced, I am a little f—king annoyed. It was wild to me that I was seeing that everybody had said certain things about how Ariana had changed," Lala said. "I tried to convey this to her and I would get shut down. I felt isolated because no one else would speak out. I felt like I was having conversations by myself."
Lala also weighed in on fan shade about how she acquired "opportunities" as a result of Sandoval.
"I know we all want to think that was a couple of months of a scandal we had that was good. That was years of busting my ass," she fired back. "I am happy that Ariana was catapulted into opportunity. However, I will be damned if one person doesn't step up to the f—king plate. So if you don't give a f—k about your position on the show then I need you to give a f—ck about mine."
According to Lala, she didn't regret her rant. "I was livid and I am sorry if I hurt you but I stand by what I said [during the finale]," she added. "Why does she get to dictate how this goes down when I've never gotten to dictate?"
Ariana stood her ground in her response. "Arguably, if you want to talk in show terms, me walking away from that conversation was a lot more interesting than me sitting there and having it," she noted. "Was that not a better ending to your season? To give you another season for another paycheck?"
Scheana Shay Decides to Side With Lala Kent
As the reunion came to an end, Scheana made her choice when she kept defending Lala for the way she behaved toward Ariana.
"With Lala, I understood her frustration. I knew she needed support in that moment and I didn't want her to feel alone because we were both frustrated," she shared.
Scheana, however, upset Lala when she claimed both Sandoval and Ariana supported her. "Scheana you said that s—t to me [about how Sandoval does more for you] off camera. Can we be done? I am so done," Lala said before nearly walking off stage. "This is not fun for me. To look around and I am the only one that I feel has been honest."
Lala continued to spiral by trying to get Katie and Scheana involved. According to Lala, everyone was speaking negatively about Ariana — even before Scandoval — but just not to her face. Lala specifically accused her costars of claiming Ariana didn't bring enough to the table.
"You want to do some, like, gotcha f—king shit? Enough," Katie clapped back.
Later in the episode, Scheana asked whether Ariana saw Lala's side in the argument. "I understand the frustration but not the insults," Ariana replied.
The final commercial break showed Scheana immediately going to Lala to ask if there's anything else she should bring up while Katie comforted a crying Ariana.
Lisa Vanderpump Stands Up for Ariana Madix
Despite previously trying to get Sandoval back into the friend group, Lisa Vanderpump surprised viewers by siding with Ariana at the reunion.
"You have a point that maybe people weren't exactly honest but if Ariana is walking away, at that point no one can tell me she hasn't shown up," Lisa said as a show of support for Ariana. "She has shown up. If I had been in that situation, I wouldn't have shown up. Yes she has. Sometimes, it is OK to walk away."
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Where Lala Kent Stands With Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix
According to Ariana, the friend dynamics differ "with everybody" now that they had a chance to hash out their issues. Lala, however, made it clear she was "OK" with her connections with Katie and Ariana coming to an end.
Meanwhile, Scheana used the last minutes of the reunion to appeal to Lala after thinking her costar was upset with her for not speaking up more.
"It was the most challenging summer I have ever had with the group. It was very difficult to navigate. I just want to acknowledge that Lala was my rock and I couldn't have done it without you. We have had so many conversations where I have expressed frustration like Ariana was my person and there has been so much distance," she said while crying. "I'm sorry if I don't speak up enough or am not loud enough but just navigating all of this has been very challenging. And I don't always like to speak up because I am afraid of what everyone is going to say. But I couldn't finish this and not say that."
The Final Moments After Filming Wrapped
Once filming wrapped, Scheana could be heard telling Brock she was worried how Lala felt about her.
"I just think she's mad at me still. It doesn't feel like [what I said was] enough," Scheana said before Lala ultimately ranted just to her about the reunion.
"I think in that moment watching Lisa defend so hard. When I didn't want to be grilled [in the past]," Lala pointed out about how there was no "equal" playing field. "And just now Ariana got to walk away. I am creating life and I don't get to walk off the stage."
Lala continued: "Like I don't f—king care that I hurt anyone's feelings. Ariana, I barely see. Katie, I don't give a f—k. Let's stop pretending."
