Will the Vanderpump Rules cast ever be the same post-Scandoval?
Judging by the Bravo series' March 12 episode, the answer seems to be no.
In fact, after Tom Sandoval continued to seek forgiveness from James Kennedy, Brock Davies and Tom Schwartz in the wake of his months-long affair with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss, his ex Ariana Madix made it clear to the ladies in the friend group that she will cut anyone who associates with Sandoval out of her life.
Shocked by Kennedy's decision to join Sandoval on a boys night out, Madix asked his girlfriend Ally Lewber, Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney and Lala Kent, "Why would James not respect himself enough to say, 'I'm good, I'll go hang out with my other friends'?"
When Kent reasoned, "Because guys are different," Madix quipped back, "Well, that's sad for guys."
Lewber, however, noted Kennedy felt somewhat guilty for trying to move past the cheating scandal by repairing his friendship. This admission prompted Kent to explain Madix, "I think everyone's worried about losing you as a friend."
Although the Dancing With the Stars alum fired back that Kennedy was furious about Sandoval's affair with Leviss "until two seconds ago," Kent attempted to explain the DJ's change of heart.
"That is what time does though," the Give Them Lala podcast host shared. "Time passes and healing starts. You're always gonna see it differently Ariana and I get it."
But when Kent asked Madix point-blank how she would react if any of the cast were to let Sandoval back into their lives following his betrayal, she answered simply, "I don't f--k with that."
The response only further confirmed Shay's worry that trying to repair her friendship with Sandoval would result in Madix cutting her out completely. As Kent noted, "I think it's now been made apparent that if you choose to forgive him, then that will put your friendship at risk."
Madix further retorted, "I didn't say anything about forgiveness. I'm just not gonna f--k with people who are going out to f--king dinner with him on a random Wednesday night."
In a confessional, Shay reflected on being put between a rock and a hard place.
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," the "Good as Gold" singer admitted. "I was trying to have a conversation with Ariana tonight, from Dancing With the Stars, to losing Sandoval. But seeing her reaction to James hanging out with Sandoval, I'm just gonna sit back and keep my mouth shut."
In the end, Kent believed Madix was holding on to unnecessary anger.
"Nobody knows what it's like to deal with a s--ty ex more than I do," Kent—who left ex Randall Emmett in 2021 after the birth of their daughter Ocean—said in a confessional. "I'm never rid of this person I had a child with. And this is why I know that harboring resentment towards your ex like Ariana's doing with Sandoval, it will eat you alive. It's like drinking the poison and expecting it to kill the other person. It doesn't, it kills you. I don't want that for my friend."
See the drama play out when Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
And keep reading for a full recap of everything that's happened since Scandoval.
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