Vanderpump Rules was changed forever when it came to light that Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss. Some may argue it changed for the better, others for the worse. In either case, the cheating scandal gripped the nation.
But with a scandal of such a magnitude, viewers and commentators had to wonder how true the development was. From the moment the news broke, many assumed the entire situation was manufactured for ratings.
Considering just how often the cast is in front of the cameras, it would theoretically seem impossible for anyone to keep a secret away from production. As it turned out, there was one Pump Rules producer whose Scandoval senses were tingling.
Pump Rules producer suspected Rachel had “a crush” on Tom, but didn’t know the full extent of Scandoval
On March 16, Bravo released a snippet of an interview that Scheana Shay did with executive producer Natalie Neurauter. During the chat, Scheana asked, “Did you have any inkling that there was anything brewing? Because obviously there were little moments, but were those noticed in the moment or [was it] only after?”
Natalie responded, “As we were putting together the season, what we started to see very clearly was Tom wanting to be out in the world way more often than Ariana did. And the people he was going out in the world with were [Tom] Schwartz and Rachel. I thought that she might have a crush on him.”
The executive producer further explained her theory, saying, “I think she felt that he was, you know, the number one guy in the group. He had that energy. That, to me, was sort of relatable, but it didn’t feel sinister. It felt innocent. Clearly incorrect.”
But was that truly the extent of Natalie’s knowledge? We may never know. Some have suggested producers knew exactly what was going on, all of the time. Rachel said as much in her recent lawsuit, accusing Ariana and her castmates of knowing about the affair for months.
Vanderpump Rules Season 11 continues Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF NATALIE’S ANSWER? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PRODUCTION BEHIND SCANDOVAL?
