Fans of Vanderpump Rules are blasting Howie Mandel for “justifying” Tom Sandoval’s cheating on his girlfriend of nearly a decade, Ariana Madix.
In an April 11 interview for the podcast Howie Mandel Does Stuff, the America’s Got Talent judge also caught heat for not doing his homework ahead of time. Apparently, Howie didn’t even know that Ariana and Rachel Raquel Leviss, Sandy’s secret paramour, had been BFFs before #Scandoval became a thing. Page Six spilled all the tea.
As Howie questioned the Schwartz and Sandy’s owner on the podcast, negative comments from Pump Rules fans poured in. “Why is howie justifying this?????” commented one fan. “Omg Howie. Stop,” another added. A VPR fan said, “Omg Howie, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
Many viewers were upset when Howie seemed to jump on the #Scandoval bandwagon in a blatant attempt to attract listeners to his podcast. Especially as he knew nothing about the facts.
“[Bowie] has no idea who [Sandoval] is or anything about the show, shut [up] and let your daughter do the interview,” an angry commenter wrote, suggesting that Howie’s daughter would be better at asking relevant questions. ”You should not be doing this interview! You don’t know anything Howie!” added another irritated fan.
Possibly the worst fumble of the interview was Howie suggesting that fans should have “empathy and compassion” for Sandoval. That one landed about as well as when Tom Schwartz suggested that everyone should just give Sandy “a hug.”
“You need to be heard,” Howie suggested, “because the narrative is everyone else’s but yours.” The comedian backtracked, “I’m not condoning cheating on a partner…[but] I think some people have to have empathy and compassion. I don’t understand the hatred and the vitriol.”
Really, Howie? Sandy and Ariana were together for over 9 years. They owned a house together. He was sneaking around behind her back and having sex with her best friend. Howie has been married for nearly 40 years and seems to be a devoted husband. How does he think his wife’s friends would feel about him if he were in Sandoval’s shoes? Would he expect them to have “empathy and compassion?” Probably not.
”Ok I’m done. f–k this piece of vile trash. Howie, lost all respect for you for kissing his vile a$$,” another angry listener reacted. Someone else wrote, “Howie you need to wake up to what’s really going on here Tom is a liar.”
Since news of the affair broke in early March, Sandoval and Raquel have both faced overwhelmingly negative fan reactions. Fans of the show are even taking out their anger on the newly opened Schwartz and Sandy’s bar co-owned by Sandoval and his BFF Schwartz. Ariana’s sympathizers even went to performances by Sandy’s band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras, to chant pro-Ariana/anti-Tom sentiments.
At the recently filmed Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion, Ariana had to be in close proximity to her ex and his new girlfriend (aka Raquoval). However, Ariana is a force of nature and can hold her own, as evidenced by the recent promo released by Bravo. In addition, nearly the entire cast had her back — except, of course, for Sandy’s Ride-or-Die Schwartz. Reportedly, Sandoval “went after everybody,” but received very little support from his castmates.
For her part, Raquel seemed unrepentant about the pain she’d caused her former bestie by sleeping with her live-in boyfriend. “The fact that she had not a single tear, no remorse,” a horrified and furious Scheana Shay said on her Scheananigans with Scheana Shay podcast. “She sat at the reunion and did not shed one tear.”
“I know,” added guest and co-star Lala Kent. “She actually smiled! It was scary. It was like watching the Joker.”
Sandoval told Howie that he and the former beauty queen are on “a break” at the moment, following their 7-month affair. I guess it’s just no fun anymore, now that they don’t have to sneak around behind Ariana’s back.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RAQUEL SHOWING NO REMORSE AT THE REUNION? ARE YOU SURPRISED TO HEAR SANDOVAL AND RACHEL RAQUEL HAVE BROKEN UP? DO YOU THINK THEY’LL GET BACK TOGETHER?
[Photo Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo]
