Tom Sandoval is currently confirming his seat in a handbasket to hell after he cheated on Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss. Vanderpump Rules viewers learned in March that Sandoval and the former model had been having a secret ongoing affair. And if that weren’t bad enough, Tom has now been accused of serious allegations by his former lover. During Rachel’s interview with Bethenny Frankel, she went into more detail about how Tom betrayed her when she learned he recorded an intimate moment they shared on FaceTime.
The young starlet was masturbating for the singer, with Rachel noting she didn’t know why he was taping her. Rachel began, “When Tom and I were filming at my apartment after filming got picked back up, I said to Tom, ‘How can I trust you? You filmed me without my consent.’ And he admitted to it. But then after that scene wrapped, he said, ‘Why did you say that? Why did you say that on camera? You made me look bad. And I was like, ‘Well, because that’s what happened.'”
Rachel shared that Tom lost her trust, noting, “I felt like I couldn’t trust this person. I felt like my privacy didn’t matter to him. [And] he didn’t really give a good excuse besides that he wanted me to see it later on, to see how beautiful I was.”
Bravo Can’t Ignore What Tom Did
Bravo has fired numerous people in the past for multiple infractions, including hate speech, racist social media posts, and sexual misconduct. Tom choosing to record Rachel without her consent via video chat is no different than putting up a tripod and videoing them in their bedroom without her permission. Bravo has yet to comment on the claim that Tom filmed Rachel without her consent. They clapped back against her revelation he was given a producing role for his part in Scandoval.
A Bravo spokesman told Entertainment Tonight, “Tom Sandoval was never offered a producer credit on Season 11 and had absolutely no creative control over editing during any season of Vanderpump Rules.” However, if what Rachel said turns out to be accurate and Tom did admit to filming her and Bravo either deleted the footage and shelved it, the he owner needs to be axed immediately. Bravo can’t risk sending a message that it’s okay to tape sex acts against the other person’s wishes secretly. Frankly, there needs to be a lengthy investigation.
Is Tom a Predator?
Whether you hate her or not, Rachel is also a victim in Scandoval. From day one, hateful viewers have been concentrating on the more minute details of the affair instead of acknowledging that something very bad went on between them. There was a clear power dynamic as Rachel herself admitted in her interview. She looked up to the seasoned cast. Not only is there a major age difference between the two, but Tom owns bars that generate money for the show. He’s also a senior cast member, and a top friend of the group, which could have easily helped him abuse his power.
Like a baby wildebeest in the Serengeti, Rachel was down on her luck and such easy prey for Tom. During Season 10, Rachel shared that she has been dealing with bullying and anxiety. She had just gotten out of a toxic relationship with James Kennedy. She was clearly lost on who she was as a person. It wouldn’t be hard to fathom that Tom saw his chance during his apparent mid-life crisis and pounced.
To many viewers, it is evident that Tom has some form of superiority complex. Like Madonna, he keeps reinventing himself and aims to have control over everything in his life. Tom mainly controlled the affair and groomed Rachel regarding what she said, as she admitted during her independent tell-all segment. Bravo seems to be letting many of his questionable actions slide. We need to start asking ourselves why the network is willing to keep a cast member who could be dangerous.
Tom Broke the Law
Above anything else, Tom choosing to film Rachel without her knowledge or consent broke the law. And this topic needs to be addressed by the network. The California Recording Law states, “California’s wiretapping law is a two-party consent law. California makes it a crime to record or eavesdrop on any confidential communication. Including a private conversation or telephone call, without the consent of all parties to the conversation.”
The law applies to “confidential communications i.e., conversations in which one of the parties has an objectively reasonable expectation that no one is listening in or overhearing the conversation. A California appellate court has ruled that this statute applies to the use of hidden video cameras to record conversations as well.” Again, if what Rachel said is true, she should take Tom to court and subpoena the Bravo footage. This is no laughing matter.
While we are all upset with what Rachel and Tom did, the issue of secret filming is the real scandal. If Bravo did collude with Tom to ensure a storyline is produced in a way they see fit, that is purely diabolical. Tom should be fired, no questions asked.
TELL US: DO YOU THINK TOM SHOULD BE FIRED?
